Oxford United 4 - 1 Coventry City

[dutchman]

[dutchman]

Match report and analysis as the U's rout the Sky Blues



Coventry City are back on the brink of the relegation zone after a woeful first-half display against an Oxford United side who have tumbled down the table since losing 2-1 at the Ricoh Arena last month.

The Yellows went into the game looking for their first win in six league games but they tore at the Sky Blues from the first whistle and were 3-0 ahead at the interval.

An own-goal and a soft penalty contributed to their problems but couldn’t excuse a mistake-littered performance – and although they opened the second half brightly they were killed off by Oxford’s fourth before salvaging a consolation goal in injury time.

Burge made a timely block at Hemmings’s feet and Bigirimana popped up with a goal-line clearance to deny Dunkley before the pressure produced a seventh-minute breakthrough – Maguire teeing up Hemmings to roll the ball past the exposed keeper.

City seemed to have weathered the initial storm when a cruel blow doubled the deficit.

The ball found Hemmings in the box more by luck than judgement and far worse followed as Burge saved well but the ball ricocheted into Sterry and bounced over the line.

Six minutes later it was 3-0 courtesy of Chris Maguire’s seventh league goal of the season, stroked home from the spot after he had gone down under Page’s challenge.

The referee ignored Page’s protest that he had won the ball before, as is current practice, ignoring a bear-hug on Turnbull in the opposition area.

And although City forced three corners in quick succession in the closing minutes of the half – the first producing a fierce Page shot that was well saved by Eastwood - they could not find a breakthrough.

Any remote prospects of a meaningful revival were wrecked on the hour, however, as Maguire broke through on the left and MacDonald picked up the ball 12 yards out to stroke a low shot past Burge.

City were reduced to salvaging crumbs of consolation although the Oxford’s celebrations were soured when Joe Skarz was stretchered off with a head injury after eight minutes of treatment in the home area.

The net result was 11 minutes of injury time which prompted at least half of City’s 1,500 supporters to head for the exits – thus missing a belated consolation as Dunkley barged into Sterry and substitute Tudgay stroked home the penalty.