Sat Dec 19, 2020 7:57 pm
The Sky Blues fell to defeat on their first trip to Hillsborough for 11 years
Coventry City suffered their first defeat in nine at bottom of the league Sheffield Wednesday - the Owls recording their first win in ten games.
Former Sky Blues keeper Keiren Westwood was in inspired form on his return to the starting line-up, making a string of saves to deny Mark Robins’s men who looked arguably the better side and certainly created the better chances,
The game started at a frantic pace but with City on the front foot and looking to pick some early holes through Wednesday’s defence, with Callum O’Hare enjoying plenty of space in the final third.
Max Biamou was restored to the starting line-up as Robins went with two strikers up top, and the powerful centre-forward asserted himself early, shrugging off a defender and driving forward to unleash Coventry’s first attempt of the game with a hard and low shot that Keiren Westwood pushed wide at his near post.
The former Sky Blues favourite then tipped away a far post header from Leo Ostigard to keep his side on level terms as the visitors enjoyed 62 per cent of the possession in the first half when Wednesday were limited to a couple of corners and two woeful long-range shots high over the bar before finally carving out a clear cut goal scoring opportunity in the 24th minute.
Some clever build-up play resulted in striker Josh Windass receiving the ball at his feet in the box, only for his powerful shot to be denied by a brilliant block by Ben Sheaf.
The half was more balanced as it approached the break when Tyler Walker limped off injured, replace by Amadou Bakayoko.
Coventry controlled possession again early in the second half when Ben Wilson was called upon to make his first save, diving low to deny Windass from outside the box.
But it was Westwood who denied City for a third time on 58 minutes when he palmed away a cross-cum-shot from Sam McCallum before Ostigard had a far post header cleared off the line from a corner.
Coventry then invited trouble when Wilson cleared straight to Barry Bannan, forcing Ostigard to take one for the team and commit a professional foul to deny the skipper from scoring in an empty net. But City were punished from the resulting free-kick as Bannan sent the ball in to the far post where Tom Lees rose high and headed home across the keeper.
Westwood then came to the rescue yet again for the Owls, making a decent save to deny Bakayoko who stretched to get a touch to a Jamie Allen free-kick.
Robins threw caution to the wind with three substitutions, sending on Matty Godden, Julien Dacosta and Ryan Giles, in a bid to salvage something from the game before Gervane Kastaneer was thrown on for the last eight minutes as City desperately pushed for an equaliser.
Sat Dec 19, 2020 8:00 pm
First win for Pulis as Wednesday beat Coventry
Tony Pulis got his first win as Sheffield Wednesday manager as the Owls beat Coventry City to end a nine-game winless run in the Championship.
After an uninspiring first half, the deadlock was finally broken midway through the second period as Barry Bannan's curling free-kick from the left was met at the far post by Tom Lees' header.
The Owls, who moved off the bottom of the Championship with victory, were indebted to goalkeeper Keiren Westwood for the three points after a number of good saves before his side went ahead.
Coventry tried in vain to snatch an equaliser in a game which saw them create more chances than their hosts.
The Sky Blues drop a place to 19th in the table, six points above the relegation places.
The recalled Max Biamou almost gave the visitors a sixth-minute lead as the forward caught Liam Palmer in possession, but his shot was saved by the returning Westwood, with Leo Ostigard heading the resulting corner just wide.
Struggling Wednesday looked nervy early on - Josh Windass saw a 24th-minute effort blocked brilliantly by Ben Sheaf while he scuffed an effort wide late in the first half after Liam Shaw's effort had been cleared.
Westwood shone after an hour as he made fine saves first from Sam McCallum and then from a cross that came off his own defender Cheyenne Dunkley, before Dunkley cleared an Ostigard header off the line from the resulting corner.
Westwood then saved well from Amadou Bakayoko's 70th-minute effort with Ostigard putting the follow-up into the the side netting, before Bakayoko had an effort blocked by Lees five minutes later.
Wednesday should have made their victory margin more comfortable in the final minutes, but Ben Wilson did well to save from Windass after the striker had broken through on goal.
Sheffield Wednesday manager Tony Pulis told BBC Radio Sheffield:
"We were missing quite a few players but the players that have stepped in have done really well.
"Winning is everything and hides a multitude of sins and I'm delighted for the dressing room and the supporters who have waited a long time for that.
"We need to make this a fortress and that hasn't been the case of late."
Coventry manager Mark Robins told BBC Coventry and Warwickshire:
"It was a really difficult game and it was a horrific pitch.
"We weren't ruthless enough in front of goal, we had good opportunities and didn't make the most of it.
"You just feel it was a game too far for us after the run we've been on but no heads should be hanging, the players gave it everything they had."
![]()