Coventry City 2-2 AFC Wimbledon

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Coventry City came back to snatch a late draw at home to fellow strugglers AFC Wimbledon thanks to on-loan substitute Andre Wright's injury-time strike.



The Sky Blues' sixth draw in 10 games maintains their winless start to the League One season, while the Dons' point lifts them out of the bottom four.

In front of their lowest home crowd in 17 months Tony Mowbray's City made a great start, scoring only their fifth league goal of the season inside the second minute.

James Shea could only parry Kyel Reid's cross, allowing Marvin Sordell to blast in right-footed from eight yards.

Jon Meades levelled when he out-jumped home keeper Reice Charles-Cook to head home Darius Charles' nod down.

Marcus Tudgay should then immediately have put City back in front, only to volley over from close range, while Reid had a shot deflected over early in the second half.

Just when the Sky Blues had run out of steam and looked to be settling for a point, the Dons stunned them by taking the lead as Meades' header was parried by Charles-Cook but Lyle Taylor was left unmarked at the far post to nod in.

City were given nine minutes of injury time to rescue something from the game and they got a point when Daniel Agyei had his shot saved by Shea, only for fellow sub Wright to scramble in the rebound.

[dutchman]

Match report and analysis as Sky Blues' winless run in League One stretches to 10 games



Coventry City are three points adrift at the foot of the League One table after their fifth draw in five starts against AFC Wimbledon at the Ricoh Arena.

But their frustration at surrendering a second-minute lead as their susceptibility to setpiece second balls again proved costly turned to relief in injury time as Andre Wright – one of three attacking substitutes pitched on by Tony Mowbray, salvaged their point with his first goal since arriving on loan from West Brom.

Mowbray made four changes from the side overhauled 2-1 by Gillingham on Saturday, giving starts to Ben Stevenson and Marcus Tudgay alongside fit-again duo Chris McCann and Lewis Page. Wimbledon’s supporters – who can probably empathise more with their Coventry counterparts than any other fanbase in the country – were roused into full voice in as the visitors’ opening gambit up the right wing forced a corner inside half a minute.

But that proved the springboard for a perfect Sky Blues start as the ball was hacked clear to Reid on the half-way line. The former Bradford favourite, fresh from what proved a consolation cracker at Priestfield, cut into the box to fire in a low right-footer which was parried by Shea only for Sordell to ram in the rebound for the sort of Johnny-on-the-spot goal that has proved so elusive for Mowbray’s men this term.

The Londoners almost conjured up an instant equaliser as Barton’s fierce volley smacked against Turnbull – technically a headed clearance although the centre-back knew nothing about it. But although the game then settled down into a cannier pattern, the Sky Blues certainly looked up for it, Reid in particular making life very difficult for Wimbledon skipper Fuller.

They were unable to carve out clear openings, however, until the 27th minute when brilliant work by Reid saw Bigirimana chest the ball down for a full-blooded Stevenson volley that was deflected over the bar.

Shots by Tudgay and McCann were charged down as City tried to rack up the momentum but the fragility of a one-goal lead was underlined when a Wimbledon corner presented Robinson with the space for a volley which was deflected over the bar. And four minutes later there was no reprieve as Fuller floated a free-kick into the box, Charles climbed highest to head onwards and upwards and Meades surprisingly out-jumped Charles-Cook to nod home.

Coventry promptly carved out two excellent chances in the space of as many minutes, Tudgay blazing over when Reid picked him out on the six-yard line while Sordell was denied by Shea’s sharp save after being teed up by Tudgay. There was an unscheduled break ten minutes into the second half when Tudgay took an arm in the face from Robinson, an incident which prompted touchline repairs to the striker’s bleeding nose and earned a yellow card for the Wimbledon defender.

Home demands for a red were muted but Mark Heywood certainly wasn’t flavour of the month with the City fans as he gave the benefit of the doubt to the men in yellow more often than you’d expect from the law of averages. The referee received a predictable reaction when he halted a Sky Blues counter-attack from a corner so that could receive Barcham treatment in the home area – a tad unfair as officials can’t really take risks with potential head injuries and the delay gave the home fans time to dust off their anti-Sisu chorus for the first time.

Their ire was again aimed at Heywood when substitute Elliott produced a slow-motion tumble that not only secured a soft free-kick in prime position but also signalled a booking for City skipper Jordan Willis. McCann was also cautioned – bizarrely enough after winning a free-kick from Charles – but that minor irritation was quickly followed by a hammer blow as Meades’s header from a corner was well saved by Charles-Cook but the rebound was nudged home by Taylor from virtually on the line.

Wimbledon set about running down the clock – sometimes exceeding permissible tactics which gave the referee the chance to partially redeem himself in Sky Blue eyes by awarding a whopping nine minutes of added time. And the fourth of those minutes produced the fourth rebound goal of the night as Page slotted a free-kick into the area and although Shea blocked at Sordell’s feet Wright turned home the loose ball.

Attendance: 8,030 (484 away).