Walsall 1 - 1 Coventry City

[dutchman]

[dutchman]

Match report and analysis as Sky Blues climb out of the relegation zone



Coventry City climbed out of the relegation zone for the first time this season but made the short trip home ruing two point that got away after they controlled the match for over an hour.

Andy Rose, back in action for the first time since August, gave them a fully deserved lead at the break but Erthun Oztumer followed up his match-winning double at Swindon with the equaliser.

Rose replaced the injured Chris McCann as Mark Venus made one enforced change against a Walsall side featuring Sky Blues old boy Franck Moussa.T he derby duel – dubbed the M6 Classico by one Tweeting home supporter – could hardly have got off to a more committed start as Joe Edwards was booked for scything down Lameiras inside 15 seconds.

Oztumer saw an early effort blocked and Morris shot straight at Burge but as City began to take charge of midfield, Lameiras conjured up three openings inside five minutes, the best of them curled fractionally wide after a surging Sordell run. Makris turned a first-time shot just wide when McCarthy crowned his overlap with a fierce low cross while Page couldn't find the angle to beat Etheridge after a clever combination with Bigirimana.

But City were winning most of the 50-50s and second balls by this stage and it was no great surprise when they broke through in the 37th minute – a splendidly-constructed move shifting the ball from left to right and Sordell firing over the cross for Rose to tuck home. City almost made a sensational start to the second half, Agyei leaving three defenders trailing in his wake as he powered into the area only to slice wide of the near post with Sordell and Bigirinana poised for the pass inside.

They maintained that momentum as they charged towards their own fans, shots from Sordell and Lameiras charged down after excellent approach-work before Etheridge denied Agyei with a sharp save at the foot of the near post. Jon Whitney pitched on former City striker Simeon Jackson for the final half-hour but it was Edwards who forced a fine low save from Burge – Waksall appealing in vain for a penalty in the subsequent scramble.

Venus in turn freshened up his attack with Jones and Wright but although Jones’s first contribution was a deflected shot that won a corner, the Saddlers levelled a minute later, Oztumer collecting Moussa’s pass and slotting a low shot past the exposed Burge. City had to weather a mini-storm as the home fans woke up and the Saddlers responded, Burge having to fish Morris’s shot over the bar.

But they gave at least as good as they got in the closing stages, Sordell closest to settling it with a shot that was blocked.