Swansea City 1 - 0 Coventry City

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Swansea City 1 - 0 Coventry City

Postby dutchman » Wed Feb 24, 2021 10:08 pm

Swansea keep pace in promotion hunt with win over Coventry

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Swansea City got back to winning ways and maintained the pressure on the top two in the race for automatic promotion in the Championship with a hard-fought 1-0 win over a resolute Coventry City.

Ben Cabango headed the hosts in front on 54 minutes from close-range as he headed home a Conor Hourihane corner.

Swansea were never at their best but saw out the contest fairly comfortably.

The win keeps Swansea fourth, just a point from second with two games in hand, while Coventry remain 20th.

Swansea were seeking a lift after being stunned at the weekend by a really clinical display from Huddersfield Town, who inflicted the Swans' worst defeat of the campaign.

Steve Cooper's side were without defender Ryan Bennett, who missed out with a calf strain, meaning a recall for Cabango, while Yan Dhanda returned to the team as the hosts looked to continue their recent hoodoo over Mark Robins' men.

Coventry had not won against Swansea in 40-years, with their last victory coming in October 1981 at Highfield Road, while the Swans came into this contest unbeaten in their last 10 league games against the Sky Blues, who had not won in Swansea in the past 72-years since a victory in January 1950.

The omens were against them but the form books were not, however, with Robins unsurprisingly naming an unchanged starting XI to the one that stunned automatic promotion hopefuls Brentford at the weekend. While Swansea were coming off their worst display of the season, Coventry probably just had their best.

Robins' side were bidding to end a horrible run of form in not just Swansea but South Wales, with this result meaning they are now winless in their last 10 away league matches in Wales, failing to beat Cardiff City, Newport County and Swansea since a 1-0 win at Cardiff in August 2007.

They were competitive enough in an opening that saw chances at a premium with Ben Wilson standing firm to save from an acute angle as Jamal Lowe found a rare patch of space, while Gustavo Hamer scuffed a shot weakly at Freddie Woodman.

We waited a full 30 minutes before a really clear chance at goal when Connor Roberts and Dhanda combined well and Roberts picked a perfect cross for Lowe, but he got his body shape all wrong and side-footed the ball wide from the edge of the penalty area.

Lowe then turned provider as Swansea broke with pace, but Jake Bidwell's shot was blocked, before Dhanda fired over.

However, the best chance of the half fell to the visitors when Swansea failed to clear their lines and Maxime Biamou had a sight of goal from just outside the six-yard box but he flashed the ball wide with his right foot when more composure was required.

Coventry looked resolute and organised and would have been pleased to be level a the break.

The visitors had the first effort of the second period when Sam McCallum flashed an effort from fully 25-yards just past the upright, but after all their hard work, they were undone by a corner routine on 54 minutes to fall behind.

The goal could have been simpler with Cabango headed in from close range through a crowded six-yard box after Conor Hourihane's teasing delivery, though the Coventry defenders appealed in vain for an infringement on the goalkeeper.

The hosts missed a good chance to ease their nerves on 73 minutes when Lowe cut in from the left and curled inches past the post, while Matt Grimes flashed an effort from long-range just wide.

However, the fact is that Swansea's defence has been imperious at home this season and if any side is going to be comfortable holding a lead, it would be one who have now conceded just three goals in their last 13 home league matches, keeping 10 clean sheets and taking 31 points from an available 39.

And so it proved as Swansea were rarely threatened protecting their lead, though Kyle McFadzean might have done better with a late chance, but he fired wide after a dangerous freekick, while Tyler Walker failed to find the target in injury time.

Coventry manager Mark Robins said:

"It was a really poor goal and when it comes down to something like that its unforgivable.

"It was a brilliant into the box and Connor Hourihane has got a wand of a left foot. But we all know that.

"He put it into an area where we weren't strong enough to stop Cabango coming though. He rose above our goalkeeper and it was a really poor goal for us to concede - lamentable.

"We were undoubtedly the better team tonight and I think we have been a bit unfortunate. We have got to be better because we are being punished for things."

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Re: Swansea City 1 - 0 Coventry City

Postby dutchman » Wed Feb 24, 2021 10:25 pm

McCallum and O'Hare lively but set-piece disappointment

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Coventry City suffered their 14th Championship defeat of the season, going down 1-0 at automatic promotion chasing Swansea City.

Mark Robins’s men put in a determined first half shift to limit Swansea to one shot on target while failing to test the keeper at the other end.

But poor defending from a set-piece was the difference between the two sides as the Swans grabbed their lead from the head of centre-back Ben Cabango early after the break.

City pressed their opponents early on in a bid to win back possession and force mistakes in a highly competitive contest with plenty of meaty challenges, not least Kyle McFadzean introducing himself to danger man Andre Ayew.

The Swans carved out the first chance of the game when the pacy Jamal Lowe beat the off-side trap to chase down a long ball, then cut in to the box where his near post shot was denied by Ben Wilson.

Good work from the effervescent Callum O’Hare resulted in Max Biamou receiving the ball in the box and turning smartly, only to hit a soft shot that lacked the power to beat the keeper.

O’Hare was shoved in the back and went down claiming a penalty on ten minutes but referee Andy Woolmer waved play on, much to the dismay of the midfielder.

Connor Roberts caused problems on the opposite flank on the half hour mark, breaking behind and pulling the ball back for Lowe who hit a poor shot wide of the target in a big let off for the Sky Blues.

The home side were finding their rhythm and had City stretched again on 32 minutes when the ball fell to No.10 Yan Dhanda who fired over from the edge of the box.

But there was action at the other end where Liam Kelly slipped the ball to Max Biamou who screwed his shot across the face of goal.

City had to work incredibly hard to keep their shape to stay on top of their opponents’ free flowing attacks, which they succeeded in doing well to the break.

Robins made a change at the break, sending on fans’ favourite Fankaty Dabo for Julien Dacosta in a straight swap at right wing-back – Dabo making his return from almost a month out with a knee injury.

And City made a positive start to the second half with some decent pressure in the final third before Sam McCallum sent a powerful shot from distance fizzing wide of the angle of the goal.

But Swansea took the lead in the 54th minute from a poorly defended corner, swung into the six yard box by Conor Hourihane and headed over the line by centre-half Cabango.

Robins responded by making three changes, sending on Matty James, Ben Sheaf and Viktor Gyokeres for Kelly, Hamer and Biamou as they looked to get themselves back on level terms.

But it was Steve Cooper’s men who continued to look the more likely, with Lowe using his pace to good effect to charge forward on the attack before shooting narrowly wide of the far post.

McFadzean went agonisingly close to an equaliser four minutes from time when he got on the end of a Matty James’ free-kick but one shot on target all evening told the story of the Sky Blues’ deficiencies in front of goal on the night.

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