Coventry City 1 - 2 Middlesbrough

[dutchman]

Another set-piece horror and late goal spoil early lead



Coventry City suffered late agony at St Andrew’s with defeat to ninth placed Middlesbrough.

The Sky Blues got themselves in front in the 11th minute when Max Biamou and Boro centre-back Anfernee Dijksteel competed at the back post with the goal credited to the visiting player.

And City looked good on their advantage until they conceded another dreadful set-piece goal to go in all square at the break.

But Mark Robins’s men couldn’t hold out for a point as Boro snatched a winner three minutes from time to spoil an otherwise creditable display full of endeavour but lacking a cutting edge in front of goal.

City started brightly with some good work down the right resulting in the ball being sent into the box where it fell to Sam McCallum who mis-cued a shot to spurn the first chance of the game.

Robins’s men were playing the ball out nicely from the back and enjoying all the early possession against a physical Boro side who had an early nibble at the lively Callum O’Hare, the midfielder one of three changes along with Gus Hamer and Michael Rose, replacing Jordan Shipley, Matty James and the suspended Leo Ostigard.

O’Hare caused more problems in the ninth minute when he cut into the box from the left and slipped the ball to Max Biamou who was snuffed out by some brave goalkeeping from Marcus Bettinelli.

But the ball was in the back of the net two minutes later in the 11th when a long McCallum throw into the box was flicked on by Rose and headed in at the far post as Biamou and centre-back Anfernee Dijksteel competed in the air, with a suggestion of an own goal.

But it certainly give Coventry a deserved lead on the back of their early endeavour which continued as the half went on as the Sky Blues strung some lovely passes together to get them moving up the pitch.

Rose and Kelly threw themselves into crucial blocks to protect the keeper as Boro attempted to get back on level terms before Kyle McFadzean took a boot to the face from former City loan striker Chuba Akpom, the defender requiring treatment and a bandage to his head before carrying on.

City continued to look the more likely to score with Gus Hamer pushing the ball into space and curling an effort just round the far post from the edge of the box.

But the home side shot themselves in the foot four minutes from the break when they conceded an equaliser from a deep free-kick to the far post.

Paddy McNair sent the ball in and keeper Ben Wilson went to go for it and then stopped and found himself in no man’s land while McCallum didn’t compete well enough for the header as centre-back Grant Hall was allowed to head home far too easily at the back stick.

It was another poor set-piece goal conceded and put a dampener on an otherwise decent first 45 minutes from the Sky Blues.

Fankaty Dabo helped get City on the attack in the second half as City looked to restore their lead but they had to weather a string of set-pieces around the hour mark as Boro began to apply increasing pressure.

Matty James replaced Liam Kelly in a like-for-like substitution on 71 minutes as the game continued to be fairly balanced, while Neil Warnock made three changes including Everton loan signing and winger Yannick Bolasie.

For all Coventry’s positive approach play, Boro defended well and continued to frustrate Robins’s men who hadn’t managed a single shot on target with 80 minutes on the clock.

And it was the visitors who snatched a late winner when City caved in amid some late pressure, Jonny Howson cutting into the box on the left and sending a low ball in that ricocheted off a number of players before falling kindly to substitute George Saville for a simple tap-in to spoil what would have been a decent point.

[dutchman]

Boro snatch late win at Coventry



Middlesbrough came from behind to beat Coventry City and reignite their play-off push.

Both sides had looked set to continue their indifferent form with a draw until George Saville won it for the visitors late on.

The second half was low on quality, but Jonny Howson made a surging run to the byline and played the ball across the face of goal for Saville to tap into an empty net.

Coventry had gone ahead early on when Boro centre-back Anfernee Dijksteel diverted the ball into his own net after Sam McCallum's long throw-in caused confusion in the six-yard box.

The visitors improved and were rewarded shortly before half-time when Grant Hall headed in Paddy McNair's free-kick at the back post to level.

Having taken just a single point from home games against Bristol City and Cardiff City, Neil Warnock's side registered back-to-back away wins to keep them within three points of the top six.

Coventry, meanwhile, have won just once in nine league games and remained six points above the bottom three.

The Sky Blues are without a win in their past three games and could not repeat their impressive last home performance when they deservedly beat title contenders Brentford.

After Dijksteel had presented them with an early lead, Gustavo Hamer came closest to extending that when he fired narrowly wide from Liam Kelly's lay-off.

Boro went close when Neeskens Kebano's shot was blocked on the line by Coventry centre-back Michael Rose before Hall headed his first goal for the club.

Coventry struggled to impose themselves after the break and their next concerted spell of pressure came shortly before substitute Saville won it for Boro.

Matty James and Hamer both shot wide, while the Dutchman saw a shot deflected behind for a corner in stoppage-time.

Coventry City manager Mark Robins told BBC CWR:

"There wasn't a lot in that game. They do what they do and we do what we do.

"We ended up not getting the balance right in the first half and probably went too long too often despite taking the lead.

"They get you into positions where you don't want to be and the changes they were able to make off the bench put us under pressure and made the difference in the end.

"There were some things we did in the second half where I thought we were better, but the irony is they've ended up getting the better of us.

"There's that little bit of know-how and experience that gave them a little bit of a boost."