Coventry City 3 - 2 Peterborough United

The Sky Blues overturned a half-time deficit to complete a thrilling comeback at the Ricoh Arena



Two goals in seven scintillating minutes completed a remarkable come-back for Coventry City who maintained their unbeaten run at the Ricoh Arena.

Tony Mowbray’s men were slow out of the bocks as an impressive Peterborough side took a two goal lead in the first half, but Coventry City battled back into the game with a volley from Romain Vincelot before Armstrong took his tally to ten goals to secure the full three points.

It was a far cry from the opening 45 when a resurgent Posh took the initiative with a 15th minute opening goal at the Ricoh Arena and had doubled their tally just after the half hour mark.

The game kicked off 15 minutes late due to a serious accident on the A444 just near to the stadium but it took the visitors no time at all to find a way through City’s static defence.

United stretched the Sky Blues several times on the counter attack and got their noses in front when lively wide man Conor Washington dribbled into the box from the left and pulled the ball back for Jermaine Anderson to drive home unmarked from seven yards.

Coventry, who made three changes to their starting line-up, were left to rue a golden opportunity in the fourth minute when they really should have punished their opponents as stand-in centre-back Michael Bostwick hit a stray pass along his back line which was intercepted by the alert Jacob Murphy who raced in on goal, only to see his shot blocked by the recovering defender in a lively and entertaining opening to the game.

City probed Posh looking for a reply but the visitors were by far the more switched on of the two teams, playing at a high tempo and getting in their faces to win the ball and take the game to the home side who had to call upon Reice Charle-Cook to make a full-length save to his right to deny the influential Washington.

Mowbray’s men enjoyed their best spell midway through the half with chances coming thick and fast, albeit Fortune and Murphy unable to test the keeper with shots straight at him before Adam Armstrong thumped the foot of Ben Alnwick’s left-hand post.

But the visitors always looked dangerous on the counter attack with the nippy Erhun Oztumer a constant threat at the tip of United’s midfield diamond. And the smallest player on the pitch, standing at just 5 feet 3 inches tall, took the wind out of City’s sails with a thunderbolt finish from the edge of the D in the 36th minute.

Coventry continued to push for a reply but their best effort saw Ruben Lameiras hit a superb reverse pass to play Armstrong into the box where he was denied by a brilliant reaction save. The on loan striker was thwarted again in first half stoppage time when Bostwick blocked his effort when he looked certain to score, while Washington wasted a chance at the other end when he fired wide after hitting City on the break in an end to end opening 45.

Mowbray made two changes at the interval, sending on Jim O’Brien and Ryan Kent for Fortune and Lameiras and the pair made an instant impact as the home side battered their opponents, looking for a way back into the game. And that came a minute after Armstrong was denied by another good stop in the 55th, when Romain Vincelot volleyed home the loose ball after John Fleck had a powerful shot parried onto the post.

Both keepers earned their corn with Charles-Cook twice denying Washington from close range while Alnwick was in inspired form at the other end where he got down low to stop Armstrong equalising 13 minutes from time.

But the Newcastle United loan man slotted home into a near empty net when Murphy dribbled into the box and left his marker on his backside before slipping the ball square for the finish.

And the striker rattled in his tenth goal of the season seven minutes later when Murphy had a hand again, leaving the teenager to turn his man smartly in the box and fire past the keeper.

Attendance: 11,853 (that's more than for the Wasps! )