Gillingham 2 Coventry City 1: Match report and analysis as Sky Blues remain bottom of League One

[dutchman]

Andy Turner reports on a disappointing day in Kent for City



It was an all-too familiar story for the Sky Blues as they produced most of the quality football on show but were overhauled by a Gillingham side whose one-dimensional approach was hardly in keeping with manager Justin Edinburgh’s Tottenham heritage.

Kyel Reid gave Tony Mowbray’s side the lead with a cracking goal but they were caught out by a simple long-throw routine for the equaliser and devastated by a counter-attack that ripped a huge hole in their defence.

Gillingham set out their route-one stall straight from the kick-off, a long punt giving Knott the space for a deflected shot held by Charles-Cook.

City’s more considered approach saw Nelson forced to make a brave save at Sordell’s feet before getting down to the striker’s low 25-yarder.

But Gillingham then unveiled a second string to their up-and-at-em bow as Charles-Cook had to grab McDonald’s header from Jackson’s long throw.

City broke through in the 20th minute when a well-sustained move featuring Bigirimana and Kelly-Evans worked a space for Reid, 20 yards out on the diagonal, and he drilled a superb shot into the far corner to log his first goal for the Sky Blues.

City survived one scare when Dack hit the deck in the area – the recent rule of thumb has been that City concede at least one dodgy penalty on every Priestfield trip – but they were stung by an absurdly simple equaliser in the 25th minute as Jackson lobbed another long throw into the box and Ehmer rose unchallenged to head past Charles-Cook.

The City keeper had to move smartly when Jackson’s underhit shot took a big deflection off Turnbull but Nelson then had to go full-stretch to tip Sordell’s fierce 20-yarder over the bar.

Jones replaced Kelly-Evans in a half-time shuffle that saw City switch to a back four who were no doubt delighted when Jackson’s strong-arm tactics were removed from the equation by a 54th-minute substitution.

They were relieved soon after as Oshilaja gave McDonald a free run down the left but the former Sky Blues man pulled his low shot wide.

But in the 71st minute, seconds after Stevenson had replaced Wright, McDonald chalked up a telling assist, sending Knott clear down the same channel for a calm finish from just inside the box.

Despite their disappointment City continued to play their football, Jones beating three men in one electrifying run before he was shut out while Reid unleashed a swerving shot that drew another fingertip save from Nelson.

The impressive Stevenson was fractionally wide from 20 yards and City were denied a deserved equaliser in added time when the keeper pulled off a brilliant reflex save from Sordell after City, for once, had pumped in a deep cross.