Cambridge United 2 - 1 Coventry City

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Cambridge United 2 - 1 Coventry City

Postby dutchman » Sat Sep 16, 2017 4:27 pm

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Re: Cambridge United 2 - 1 Coventry City

Postby dutchman » Sat Sep 16, 2017 5:38 pm

Coventry fail to convert chances

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Coventry City’s recent upturn in form suffered a set-back as they lost the aerial battle and slipped to defeat at mid-table Cambridge United.

The Sky Blues went into the clash with the U’s on the back of three unbeaten games, including back-to-back wins, but Mark Robins’s men conceded early in the first half when striker Jabo Ibehre was allowed to head home all too easily in the six-yard box.

City got themselves back into the game when Duckens Nazon’s powerful shot rattled the post and went in off the keeper early in the second half but the U’s restored their advantage 14 minutes from time when the Coventry defence were out-battled a second time in the air by battering ram striker Uche Ikpeazu.

The visitors had plenty of chances themselves in a much improved second half, laying siege on the home goal in an exciting end to the game but simply couldn’t deal with Cambridge’s aerial threat on the day.

Robins has made just one change to his starting line-up from mid-week, drafting centre-back Rod McDonald back in for Tom Davies after the summer signing from Portsmouth – who was man-of-the-match in the previous game against Carlisle – took ill and had to be sent home from training on Friday.

And the Sky Blues picked up where they left off in mid-week, getting straight at the home side with a couple of early chances and a corner in the opening five minutes.

Nazon, who led the line with Stuart Beavon just behind in the No.10 position, fired wide with a shot and header but City’s early statement of intent was ripped to pieces in the tenth minute when Ibehre was given far too much space to head home a Piero Mingoia cross that picked him out with pinpoint accuracy in the six-yard box.

It was a wake-up call for City’s centre-backs, particularly Jordan Willis who didn’t get close enough to the stocky striker who was partnered by another big unit in Uche Ikpeazu. And both had their work cut out as Shaun Derry’s men made a point of slinging high balls into the box as often as possible.

In fact, such was the threat of Ikpeazu’s phyical presence that Grimmer was detailed to mark the battering ram while Willis operated almost as a sweeper to mop up just in case he got through.

Coventry were the side playing all the football but United looked the biggest threat when they ventured forward, as they did on the half hour mark when a Mingoia free-kick found the head of Ibehre and forced Lee Burge to back pedal and tip the ball over his crossbar.

At the other end City simply didn’t ask enough questions. Jodi Jones saw plenty of the ball and had the beating of his marker, full-back Harrison Dunk, but his final pass or shot wasn’t good enough.

Dunk was taken off at the break and replaced by George Taft, clearly a tactical change in a bid to keep a tighter grip on City’s biggest attacking threat as Greg Taylor switched to full-back and Taft took his place at centre-back.

The game opened up in the second half with both sides pushing for a goal, United to kill the visitors off and City to get back in the match. And that’s exactly what they did when Peter Vincenti sent a searching angled ball to Nazon who took it into his stride on the right, cut in and hit a powerful shot that rattled the near post and appeared to bounce off onto keeper David Forde’s back and into his own net for what looked like an own goal.

Nazon looked a different player after the break, suddenly causing all manner of problems for the U’s defence while Jones went close just after the hour with a long-range effort that Forde pushed wide at full stretch.

City kept the pressure on with a string of corners and a ferocious shot from Stuart Beavon from a good 30-yards that Forde parried wide before the former Pompey stopper had to take the sting out of another powerful effort from Jones as the home side were forced to play on the counter attack.

Nazon set up Beavon for a half volley midway through the second period to keep Forde – by far the busier of the two keepers – on his toes.

However, United continued to be a threat in the air and scored with a second header, this time from Ikpeazu who got above his marker to head home a Mingoia centre.

Despite Coventry’s endeavour, they simply couldn’t handle United’s front two in the air.

Jones curled onto the bar in the closing stages, substitute Max Biamou headed narrowly wide, Michael Doyle had a shot saved and Nazon hit a powerful effort that the keeper knew little about but saw it bounce over his bar to safety in four minutes of added time.

Attendance: 5,142 (1,209 away)

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