Barnsley 1 - 0 Coventry City
Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2021 5:45 pm
Late Gyokeres penalty miss after sucker punch
Coventry City suffered their first Championship defeat of the season at the hands of a Barnsley side who rose to their very own home-coming occasion.
Buoyed by a bumper crowd for the first time in 18 months at Oakwell, the Tykes hit the Sky Blues with a first-half sucker punch after the visitors missed two chances to get themselves in front in their opening away trip of the campaign.
Coventry had their fair share of opportunities with Callum O’Hare missing from close range, Viktor Gyokeres hitting the bar and Gus Hamer having a free-kick tipped over by the keeper.
And City threw away a stoppage time chance to pull level when Jamie Allen was brought down in the box and Gyokeres was denied by goalkeeper Brad Collins from the penalty spot.
The game started at break neck speed with chances at both ends in the opening two minutes.
The home side were denied by a good reaction block by goalkeeper Simon Moore when Carlton Morris was given far too much space just outside the D and slipped the ball through to Callum Brittain for a great chance to open the scoring.
City then hit the Reds on the counter attack with Gyokeres racing upfield and sending a square pass to O’Hare who shot disappointingly wide with all the goal to aim at.
Coventry then suffered an early blow when Tyler Walker had to go off in the 16th minute with a shoulder injury, replaced by Martyn Waghorn.
And the visitors had another decent attempt on goal in the 20th minute when Kyle McFadzean got on the end of Gus Hamer free-kick, sending his header narrowly over the bar.
City then carved out their best chance of the game so far when Ben Sheaf sent Ian Maatsen down the left with the wing-back sending in a brilliant early cross to the far post where Gyokeres hooked onto the bar.
Enjoying the greater share of possession, the Sky Blues looked the more threatening in an entertaining first half when the Tykes looked there for the taking.
In fact, Barnsley were restricted to free-kicks which City were guilty of giving away far too cheaply to invite pressure on themselves amid some questionable refereeing decisions.
Markus Schopp’s men then broke the deadlock when Romal Palmer sent Dominik Frieser clean through on goal, beating the off-side trap and hitting a clinical finish across the keeper and into the far bottom corner to give Barnsley a 39th minute lead.
Coventry pushed for an equaliser after the break with a sustained spell of pressure from determined build-up play and corners but couldn’t find a way through a resolute Reds’ back line, the home side defending in numbers to protect their slender lead.
Hamer went agonisingly close to getting the elusive equaliser with a 68th minute free-kick from just outside the box which was denied by a brilliant save by the keeper who tipped it over the bar.
O’Hare fired over the bar as he was challenged in the box as City kept pushing in the last ten minutes of a game they should never have lost.