COVENTRY MESSAGE BOARD

Match report and analysis as Adam Armstrong helps Sky Blues finish 8th



Adam Armstrong logged his 20th goal of the season as Coventry City eased into their summer break with victory at Boundary Park.

The final game of the campaign seemed to be drifting towards a sleepy stalemate until Tony Mowbray pitched on Jacob Murphy.

And it was the Norwich winger who transformed proceedings with some play reminiscent of City’s early-season flair – his corner setting up Romain Vincelot’s opener before he helped Armstrong end a goal drought stretching back a dozen games.

The one disappointment for the fans heading home down the M6 was a fresh reminder of what might have been, Mowbray’s men finishing just two places and five points shy of the play-offs.

City had to rejig their squad at the last moment when Aaron Martin showed concussion symptoms, Cian Harries stepping up for his debut while Ben Stevenson in on the bench.

James Maddison was the man to miss out in the five-loans-from-six equation which meant he was denied a farewell match before linking up with Norwich.

Oldham made a bright start, Winchester’s fierce 20-yarder straight at Charles-Cook before the keeper had to sprint way out of his box to head clear from Poleon virtually on the touchline.

The first clear-cut chance fell to the Sky Blues, however, Stephens totally miscuing when Bigirimana’s corner picked him out at the far post with the time and space that a specialist striker would surely have exploited.

Brian Wilson’s wild back-pass then played Coleman into all sorts of trouble but although Armstrong blocked the initial attempt to clear the ricochet dropped gently into the keeper’s arms.

Armstrong was high and wide with free-kick and home skipper Kelly dragged a shot wide of the far post as both sides showed commendable commitment despite being free of any promotion or relegation pressure.

It took a superb Charles-Cook save to deny Oldham a 25th-minute breakthrough, flipping the ball away from the top corner when Dieng’s deep cross teed up a powerful Main header.

The keeper comfortably dealt with Main’s low shot when City got themselves in a defensive tangle and Brian Wilson wasn’t too far wide when he cut inside to shoot right-footed.

The left-back had to come to his side’s rescue five minutes later as Armstrong sprinted on to Thomas’s brilliant through ball and rounded Coleman but Wilson dashed across to hack clear and deny the Newcastle teenager his long-awaited 20th goal of the season.

As the half ticked into overtime, Stephens’s long ball saw Armstrong again got round the back of the keeper again but, with the angle tight, he unselfishly set up Thomas who cleared the bar from the edge of the six-yard box.

Andy Rose seemed to limping as the players headed for the dressing rooms and he was duly replaced by Dion Kelly-Evans who launched his senior career with a first-minute cross gathered low by Coleman.

Harries, who had looked calm from the first minute, showed good strength to block Poleon from a dangerous cross, the Oldham man appealing optimistically for a penalty.

But although the game was certainly open enough both sides struggled to summon up any urgency of find clear territory in the final third of a dry-looking pitch – Tony Mowbray pitching on Jacob Murphy in a bid to inject some pace for the final 25 minutes.

It was the Norwich winger’s dead-ball delivery that produced the breakthrough, however. One excellent left-wing corner saw Stephens’s header and Vincelot’s follow-up shot blocked on the line – and when he fired the next flag-kick towards the near-post, Vincelot’s perfectly-timed run and neck-snapping delivery saw the ball loop over Coleman into the far top corner.

Murphy then conjured up memories of City’s early-season heroics with a 70 yard dash but, with Armstrong hemmed in,he elected for a shot that skidded wide of the far post.

City’s priority was clearly to present Armstrong with his landmark goal – and although one shot was blocked by James Wilson it duly arrived in the 74th minute as Murphy found him just onside on the right and he cut back on to his left foot to drill past Coleman and Charles-Cook dashed upfield to share the group hug in front of the jubilant travelling supporters.