Coventry City 2 - 1 Nottingham Forest

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Coventry City 2 - 1 Nottingham Forest

Postby dutchman » Sun Aug 08, 2021 10:43 pm

Late drama as McFadzean snatches victory

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Coventry City made a triumphant return to their home stadium with a brilliant 2-1 victory over Midland rivals Nottingham Forest to kick the new Championship campaign off in style.

A crowd of 20,843 saw the Sky Blues go behind just after the half-hour mark when Lyle Taylor finished at the far post from a Brennan Johnson counter attack in an opening half when City failed to trouble the keeper once.

The Sky Blue Army got right behind their team as they launched a second half fightback and got their reward when great work from Callum O’Hare set up Viktor Gyokeres for a deserved equaliser nine minutes from time.

And Kyle McFadzean popped up in the sixth minute of stoppage time to slam home a winner amid a goalmouth scramble in the opposition box to snatch the full three points at the death and lift the roof off the stadium.

It was a fairly open first half with poor attempts at both ends, lacking quality and accuracy to cause either goalkeeper any problems in the first 20-odd minutes.

Jack Colback went closest in the opening half an hour from a free-kick to the left of the City goal but his attempt was plucked out of the air by keeper Simon Moore.

But Forest broke the deadlock in the 36th minute when Viktor Gyokeres gave away possession on the attack, resulting in City being turned over and the visitors launching a blistering counter with Brennan Johnson getting away from Ben Sheaf who, having just been booked, did not commit to a sliding challenge.

The forward broke into the box and played it to the supporting Lyle Taylor who slotted home at the far post.

Johnson caused more problems on the stroke of half-time when he wriggled free in the box before being denied by a decent save from Moore at his near post before Callum O’Hare appeared to be slapped in the face by Gaeten Bong at the other end in what might have been a red card offence had the referee seen it.

Coventry, however, were left to reflect on a largely disappointing opening 45 minutes and clearly in need of putting straight with a half-time team talk.

They duly came out with a lot more purpose with Sheaf picking out Ian Maatesen in the box and the wing-back turning onto his right foot but shooting over the bar with City’s best chance of the game that far.

Sheaf then played a nice one/two with O’Hare in the box resulting in the midfielder hitting the angle of the goal.

Martyn Waghorn tested the keeper with a low left-footer on 66 minutes but he was replaced two minutes later by Tyler Walker, while Jodi Jones went on for Maatsen.

Urged on by a brilliant atmosphere, O’Hare cut into the box, going past two men on the right before sending the ball into the six-yard area where it got a flick from Sheaf on to Gyokeres who thumped the ball home from close range to pull City level on 81 minutes.

But City kept pushing and got their rewards when McFadzean got on the end of a loose ball in the box to beat Samba in the Reds' goal.

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Re: Coventry City 2 - 1 Nottingham Forest

Postby dutchman » Sun Aug 08, 2021 10:45 pm

Cov return home with last-gasp winner

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Coventry City captain Kyle McFadzean scrambled in an injury-time winner as the Sky Blues sensationally came from behind to beat Nottingham Forest.

In their first game in the city since April 2019, on a day when they were also marking last month's passing of Sky Blues legend George Curtis, City looked out for the count when Lyle Taylor's first-half strike fired Forest ahead.

But Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres lashed in an 81st-minute equaliser to spark a late turnaround for Coventry, who had spent the past two seasons ground-sharing at Birmingham City's St Andrew's home.

Then, six minutes into added time, Forest twice repelled goalbound efforts before big defender McFadzean fired through the crowd and Brice Samba could not prevent the ball squirming across the line.

It was anguish for Forest, who had led at the break when Brennan Johnson's breakaway stretched the Coventry defence, allowing Taylor to slide in and convert from close range.

That was only a sixth goal for the club for last summer's signing from Charlton Athletic - but his first away from the City Ground and his first in front of a crowd too.

There might have been a second Forest goal just before the break but home keeper Simon Moore spread himself well to come to City's rescue as he denied Johnson.

Coventry, perhaps daunted by the occasion of returning to their home city in the first half, looked an improved side after the break, going close when Ben Sheaf's side-footed effort hit the bar.

But the hosts gradually wore Forest down as the majority of the 20,843 crowd really got behind them - and Mark Robins' side had a double sting in the tail.

First, Callum O'Hare caused enough confusion down the right for his blocked cross to rebound into the path of Gyokeres, whose shot took a slight deflection before finding the back of the net.

Then, after Dom Hyam's header was saved and O'Hare's shot was blocked, McFadzean brought the house down when his follow-up effort somehow made it across the line.

It was 833 days since Coventry's fans had last seen the Sky Blues perform in a competitive fixture in their own city.

Added to that, in City's second ground-share during their long-running dispute with their stadium's then owners (having also headed off to Northampton in 2013), the majority of their two seasons in Birmingham was spent in behind-closed-doors post-Covid isolation.

For so long, it seemed as if the afternoon would end in disappointment for the home fans helping to make up the Championship's second highest gate of the weekend - bettered only by the 29,043 at Bramall Lane on Saturday night for Sheffield United's defeat by Birmingham City.

But the previous time Coventry returned to this ground from exile, in September 2014, they won that night, against Gillingham. And this latest return was to have a happy outcome for the home support too - if not for the noisy and ultimately dejected Forest faithful.

Chris Hughton's side will attempt to put things right when they play their first home game of the season against Bournemouth next Saturday, when Coventry go to Barnsley.

Coventry City boss Mark Robins told BBC CWR:

"After waiting so long to return here, the first half was a bit flat. Some of our players were experiencing what it's like to play in front of a proper crowd for the first time.

"It's been a really emotional day for everyone and that might have played a part in our first-half performance because we didn't do ourselves justice.

"But to win, and to win like that too, was incredible. And we've beaten a good side too.

"It was a brilliant atmosphere. And I've got to thank the supporters because they were absolutely magnificent helping us to get back into the game."

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