Coventry City 1 - 2 Nottingham Forest

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Coventry City 1 - 2 Nottingham Forest

Postby dutchman » Tue Feb 02, 2021 10:30 pm

The Sky Blues suffered their 11th Championship defeat

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Coventry City suffered a Championship setback with defeat against survival rivals Nottingham Forest, who became the first side to do a league double over them so far this season.

The Sky Blues started well and took the first half lead through a brilliant strike from Max Biamou but the slender lead lasted just five minutes before Lewis Grabban pulled Forest level at St Andrew’s.

But the Reds were gifted an early second half lead when half-time substitute Michael Rose, who was making his long-awaited return from injury, directed a Cyrus Christie cross into the back of his own net.

And despite Mark Robins’s men dominating much of the second half, sparked by impressive sub Julien Dacosta, they failed to find a way past a resilient Forest side who consigned them to their 11th Championship defeat.

To make matters worse on the night, Amadou Bakayoko suffered a serious injury when he collided with keeper Brice Samba in the dying minutes, being treated for over five minutes on the pitch before being stretchered off.

City suffered an early scare when former Sky Blues right-back Christie broke free down the flank and sent in an early ball across the face of goal which somehow managed to evade all red and blue shirts in the box.

Coventry, meanwhile, went close at the other end when Dom Hyam got his head on the end of a free-kick move, only to be flagged for off-side as the ball looked to be cleared after it looked to have gone over the line.

And with just 16 minutes on the clock Max Biamou broke the deadlock with a lovely goal to take his season’s tally to four.

Receiving the ball wide on the left from Callum O’Hare, the striker cut inside, pulling past Forest full-back Christie and hitting a hard and low shot through a gap of players and inside the far post.

The deserved lead, however, lasted barely five minutes before the visitors were back on level terms after some poor defending from Josh Pask let Sammy Ameobi in at the byline to pull the ball back for an easy finish for striker Lewis Grabban.

Coventry survived three threatening corners in quick succession as the Reds suddenly appeared to be in the ascendancy heading towards the half hour mark as torrential rain had a bearing on the conditions and quality of the play on an increasingly difficult looking pitch.

That continued to the break in what was an increasingly scrappy affair, which was understandable given the horrendous weather. That said, Forest looked the more likely to get another goal and went close when Anthony Knockaert cut past Sam McCallum in the box and fired narrowly wide.

Half-time couldn’t come soon enough for the Sky Blues who were in need of putting straight by Mark Robins and coach Adi Viveash.

The manager made two changes with centre-back Michael Rose and wing-back Julien Dacosta replacing midfielder Ben Sheaf and right-back Pask as City switched formation to three at the back and wing-backs.

Dacosta beat his man and broke into the box before slipping it across to Gus Hamer to hit a low and powerful shot that was well saved by Brice Samba.

But disaster struck when Christie broke down the right and sent in a deep cross which Rose inadvertently put in the back of his own net in the 53rd minute.

Leo Ostigard was denied an equaliser on the hour when he got his head to a Hamer corner, only for Grabban to head clear on the line as City dominated in the final third, desperately searching for an equaliser.

Dacosta provided half chances for Viktor Gyokeres, Matty James and Biamou in an impressive contribution from the bench for the Frenchman who was Coventry’s best attacking threat.

Hamer fired over the bar and James had an effort blocked as City domianed but just couldn’t find a way through.

The home side continued to push amid some desperate defending from Chris Hughton’s men before the game was delayed for almost ten minutes when Bakayoko got injured in stoppage time.

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Re: Coventry City 1 - 2 Nottingham Forest

Postby dutchman » Tue Feb 02, 2021 10:33 pm

Rose gifts Forest victory at Coventry

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Coventry defender Michael Rose's own goal gifted Nottingham Forest three points to lift them further away from the Championship relegation zone.

Rose turned Cyrus Christie's cross into his own net just eight minutes after coming on as City's eight-match unbeaten run at home came to an end.

Maxime Biamou fired Coventry ahead, but Lewis Grabban quickly levelled and Rose's own goal settled the contest early in the second half.

At the other end, Grabban cleared off the line from Leo Ostigard as Coventry pressed in vain for an equaliser.

Forest had to survive 14 minutes of added time after defender Amadou Bakayoko was carried off with suspected concussion late on.

The Sky Blues struck in the 17th minute when Callum O'Hare made a surging run into the Forest half and picked out Biamou, who cut inside his marker and dispatched a perfect finish into the bottom corner.

But the visitors struck back just five minutes later, with Sammy Ameobi making ground on the left flank and cutting the ball back for Grabban to register his third goal of the season.

The equaliser galvanised Forest, with both Grabban and debutant James Garner heading just over and Anthony Knockaert wriggling free to fire into the side-netting just before half-time.

Coventry made two changes at the break, including Rose - but his first appearance in three months quickly turned sour as Garner and Knockaert combined to set up Christie's run and cross that led to his own goal.

The home side had the better of the final half-hour as Julien Dacosta created openings for Biamou and Gustavo Hamer, while O'Hare also went close.

Forest's win - their third away success this season - enabled them to climb to 18th, one place and one point behind Coventry.

Coventry boss Mark Robins told BBC Coventry and Warwickshire:

"In the first half we were poor - the only bit of football we played that was like us ended up with Max scoring.

"The two goals were really poor goals to concede. Had we come in 1-0 at half-time, we'd have gone on to win the game.

"Rosey was coming on cold from an injury but the only way we're going to get players fit is through games and other than that, I thought he was outstanding. His use of the ball was magnificent.

"We created a lot of openings but didn't work the goalkeeper enough. Some of the crosses from Julien Dacosta were out of this world - strikers should thrive on those."

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