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Coventry City 0 - 1 Oxford United

Sat Mar 23, 2019 4:03 pm

Re: Coventry City 0 - 1 Oxford United

Sat Mar 23, 2019 6:24 pm

Sky Blues' playoff hopes dented after home defeat

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Coventry City’s play-off push suffered a frustrating setback as Mark Robins’s men suffered a Legends Day defeat at home to relegation battlers Oxford United.

The Sky Blues carved out a number of chances but were left to rue those missed opportunities when the U’s took the lead from a poor second half corner, headed in by centre-half Curtis Nelson.

City had a great opportunity to break into the top six but ended the afternoon dropping down to ninth, two points off the play-off places on a day when rivals Peterborough and Blackpool both won.

Coventry came flying out of the traps, creating three chances, albeit only one really testing the keeper, in the first three minutes with all efforts coming from the boot of Luke Thomas who was denied by a brilliant save at the near post from Simon Eastwood.

The lively winger was played in again from a terrific ball from the impressive Bright Enobakhare but his shot was blocked by recovering defenders, while Amadou Bakayoko went close again on 22 minutes when he got on the end of a Brandon Mason cross and headed onto the far post.

The U’s offered little in return in the opening half aside from a handful of corners, the best of which saw Nelson head narrowly wide at the far post amid poor marking from the Sky Blues, while Lee Burge was called upon to make one save to deny winger Luke Garbutt from just outside the box.

United used strong arm tactics to take the sting out of City’s early endeavour as the opening half turned scrappy, City going in at the break frustrated at having nothing to show for their efforts.

Thomas started the second half as he had the first with an early chance when he cut into the box but was denied by a good save from Eastwood who dived low to his right to palm away with Bakayoko just unable to get on the end of the loose ball.

But City found themselves a goal down from Oxford’s sixth corner of the game.

Having failed to heed the warning from Nelson in the first half, City allowed the centre-back to head home at the far post to give the visitors the 55th minute lead and pile the pressure on the home side.

United grew in confidence and City more frustrated as they chased the game, unable to find the required quality to re-assert themselves and get a desperately needed goal or two.

Jordan Shipley and Jordan Ponticelli were thrown on as Robins looked to switch things up but the U’s remained organised to see out their victory and put a dampener on what was supposed to be a day of celebration in front of 45 legends and former players.

Attendance: There were 14,044 (2007 away) at the Ricoh today.

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