Coventry City 2 - 0 Brentford

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The Sky Blues secured a superb 2-0 victory over promotion chasing Brentford



Two goals from Tyler Walker secured a magnificent back to basics Coventry City victory over second from top Brentford.

The Sky Blues took the lead from a first half penalty and increased their advantage after the break with a clinical finish from the striker to help record a huge three points for Mark Robins’s men.

City experienced some early set-piece pressure from the Bees who won a second minute corner which required the outstanding Kyle McFadzean to clear off the line with his head from a near post flick-on, on a day when the visitors were without the Championship’s leading scorer Ivan Toney.

But Coventry quickly settled into the game and started asking questions at the other end where Callum O’Hare found space to hit a decent shot from outside the box to sting the goalkeeper’s hands.

The Sky Blues contained their second placed opponents well in the first 20 minutes and looked the more likely to break the deadlock in a tight and scrappy game.

And that breakthrough came on 18 minutes after Max Biamou first tested the keeper with a powerful effort that the striker followed up on the loose ball and was promptly brought down on the edge of the box by left-back Rico Henry.

The linesman flagged to indicate the foul and referee Stephen Martin pointed to the spot, leaving Walker to give City the lead with a low strike to the keeper’s left.

David Raya then kept the Bees in the game with a brilliant near post save to deny O’Hare as Coventry looked to increase their advantage with some determined attacking play.

Brentford threatened from a string of corners to test City’s defensive resolve around the half-hour mark and the home side took their narrow lead into the break ahead of a huge second half at St Andrew’s.

Mark Robins’s men were on the front foot from the re-start when Gus Hamer played a neat one/two with O’Hare to break into the box where he fired into the side netting from a tight angle.

And O’Hare was the provider once again in the 55th minute when he slipped a square ball to Walker who turned smartly in the box and picked his spot low into the bottom corner to increase the lead.

Brentford boss Thomas Frank responded by making three changes before Matty James and Viktor Gyokeres replaced the outstanding Kelly and Biamou who had understandably tired.

The Bees were forced into a fourth change just after the hour when star full-back Rico Henry limped off with a hamstring strain as the visitors attempted a fight-back with Mathias Jensen denied by a good save from Ben Wilson before Henrik Dalsgaard fired across the face of goal.

More changes saw Josh Pask and Amadou Bakayoko go on for Dacosta and the fading Walker, while Ben Sheaf replaced Hamer as City looked to see the game out.

[dutchman]

Coventry beat Bees to end winless run



Coventry City ended a five-game winless run as they condemned Championship promotion chasers Brentford to a third-straight defeat.

The loss means Brentford, who had gone 21 games without defeat prior to being beaten at home by Barnsley on Sunday, have now lost three times in six days.

The hosts took the lead through Tyler Walker from the penalty spot after Maxime Biamou was fouled by Rico Henry in the corner of the box.

They went two up after the break as Walker notched his second with a neat turn and finish inside the box after Coventry had pounced on a loose goal kick by Bees keeper David Raya.

Coventry's victory lifts them to 18th in the table and six points above the relegation places ahead of Saturday's 15:00 GMT fixtures.

Brentford remain in second in the Championship, but miss the chance to keep pace with leaders Norwich as well as the in-form Watford and Swansea directly below them in the table.

Mark Robins' side took the game to the Bees and, after visiting keeper Raya initially saved Biamou's powerful long-range shot, the penalty was awarded when the Coventry forward was fouled by Henry as he attempted to regain the ball.

Walker's scuffed penalty squeezed underneath Raya to give the hosts the lead and his second came as Coventry pounced on Raya's poor clearance when the visitors tried to play out from the back.

Brentford's afternoon went from bad to worse on the hour mark as they lost Henry to an apparent hamstring injury as he stretched to reach a long ball upfield, with the visitors creating few chances to get back into the game.

Coventry City boss Mark Robins:

"It was a hard-fought and really brave performance. There was fight and there was determination and I think they are traits that will stand you in good stead.

"Tyler Walker's second goal was outstanding and we have really missed that. Max Biamou was outstanding as well and he showed real work-rate and endeavour to go out and win the penalty in that first half, which was stonewall.

"The way we worked and got after the Brentford players, I thought was really brave. We did it well. It was just a really good performance, both in and out of possession."