Coventry City 2 Shrewsbury Town 3

[dutchman]

Sky Blues fall to defeat in Checkatrade Trophy



Coventry City’s defence of their Checkatrade Trophy got off to an entertaining but losing start thanks to a 3-2 stoppage time home defeat at the hands of Shrewsbury Town.

The visitors struck twice before the break through Stefan Payne and Arthur Gnahoua, before Tony Andreu and a Marc McNulty penalty pulled the Sky Blues level.

But after going down to ten men following the 68th minute dismissal of James Bolton, the visitors stole the match through substitute Joe Riley’s 93rd minute free kick winner.

City now face Walsall at the Banks’s Stadium early in October, before bringing their North Group E campaign to a conclusion when West Brom visit the Ricoh a month later.

A low-key opening 20 minutes saw both sides strive to keep possession but produce very little by way of end product.

As the game settled down, it was League One Shrewsbury who looked the more composed side, and they dominated a pre-half-time period which produced two goals.

The Shrews broke the deadlock thanks to some sloppy defending from City, who failed to clear Shaun Whalley’s speculative right wing cross, which left former Barnsley striker Payne to apply a neat finish.

And although the Sky Blues forced their first corner on the half-hour mark, the visitors soon broke away to add a second goal, created by Lenell John-Lewis’ cross and finished at the second attempt by Gnahoua’s firm strike.

City finally threatened when Andreu picked Aristote Nsiala’s pocket, only for the Congolese defender to quickly recover and snuff out the danger.

And deep into injury time Peter Vincenti should have pulled one back, when he climbed highest at the back post only to head Jack Grimmer’s cross wide.

City went one better five minutes after the restart with a counter-attack goal of real quality.

Jones’ switch to the left flank paid immediate dividends as he gathered Burge’s quick throw following a Shrewsbury corner, and raced 50 yards before pulling the ball back to Andreu who provided a precise 20 yard finish.

And with Stuart Beavon now up front alongside Marc McNulty, Mark Robins’ team were posing much more of attacking threat, and duly forced a 62nd minute equaliser from the penalty spot.

Referee Tom Nield had no hesitation when Junior Brown brought McNulty down from behind as he bore down on goal, and the Scottish striker picked himself up to send Craig MacGillivray the wrong way.

It was now all City, and it required a combination of the woodwork and Brown’s desperate back post leap to keep out James Pearson’s header.

The drama intensified with 22 minutes remaining, when Shrewsbury lost Bolton to a red card for a horrible lunge at the flying Jones.

The hosts’ 19-year-old leading scorer then narrowly failed to claim his fourth of the season when MacGillivray tipped over his dipping half volley.

After spending almost the whole second period in their own half, incredibly Shrewsbury then stole the game at the death.

City received an initial warning shot from John-Lewis, who forced Burge into a near post block, but City’s No.1 had no answer when Riley stepped up to curl in a 20 yard free kick three minutes into stoppage time.

Attendance: 1,968 (including 129 away)