Blackpool 0 - 1 Coventry City

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Blackpool 0 - 1 Coventry City

Postby dutchman » Tue Aug 17, 2021 10:31 pm

Gyokeres seals win at Blackpool

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Coming up against a newly-promoted side in Blackpool, it was a night where Coventry City’s Championship quality truly shone through on the Lancashire coast.

In one of the most one-sided halves of football City fans are likely to enjoy this season, Viktor Gyokeres gave Mark Robins’ team a more-than-deserved lead with his second goal of the season on the stroke of half-time.

The goal wasn’t without controversy. Blackpool fans booed as City celebrated, believing the Sweden international had handled the ball into the net, after keeper Chris Maxwell had parried Fankaty Dabo’s perfectly-weighted cross on to the onrushing striker, though replays suggested that the ball actually came off Gyokeres’ face.

City dominated the chances, but Blackpool went close late on through Tyreece John-Jules, who fired the cut-back cross over the bar in added time, to make it a dramatic finish for the Sky Blues.

They started brightly under the floodlights at Bloomfield Road, fashioning the first chance of the game on 5 minutes, as Callum O’Hare played a through ball to Gyokores only for his low shot to be thwarted by Maxwell.

The Tangerines looked to have been gifted an early chance as Jake Clarke-Salter, on his first City start, stretched for a loose ball and allowed Josh Bowler through on goal.

However, the defence recovered quickly, with captain Kyle McFadzean making the vital block. With City dominating possession and the tempo of the game, the team responded quickly as Gyokeres was once again put through one-on-one, on the left side of the box, only for his shot to strike the outside of the post on 13 minutes.

Despite being reduced to counter-attacks, Blackpool still carried a threat on the break and Shayne Lavery demonstrated the knife-edge that the game was perched upon, as he squeezed his shot narrowly wide of Simon Moore’s goal from a low cross.

At the centre of everything City did well early on, O’Hare twisted and turned in the box, evading the flailing legs of defenders, before sending another shot as the Sky Blues ramped up the pressure.

Coventry’s relentless pace continued, with crosses and blocked shots peppering the Blackpool defence, as McFadzean saw his near post shot snatched away by Maxwell on the half-hour mark.

The home side did carve out a couple of chances as the interval neared. Lavery curled his shot from the left, wide of the far post, before the Irishman was denied again on 44 minutes after Simon Moore rushed to close down the striker and make a crucial stop.

Backed by the travelling Sky Blue Army, Gyokeres and O’Hare continued to torment the Tangerine defence after the break. The targetman kept his markers at arms-length, harrying the backline, while the fan-proclaimed ‘Solihull Messi’ went on another mazy run before sending his shot wide.

Although, with the home crowd also getting behind Neil Critchley’s men, Blackpool wouldn’t go quietly. Lavery again forced Moore into action with a smart stop, before Keshi Anderson called upon City’s keeper with a low drive on the hour mark.

Despite producing another dynamic performance in the Sky Blues midfield, Gus Hamer will still be wondering how he failed to double the side’s lead as he raced clear on 63 minutes, before seeing his far-corner finish inch wide of the target.

Blackpool began to put Coventry under pressure as the game entered the final stages, but City’s defence continued to stand tall. Though Coventry hearts were briefly in mouths as Lavery made full connection with a near-post header but could only direct it over the crossbar.

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Re: Blackpool 0 - 1 Coventry City

Postby dutchman » Tue Aug 17, 2021 10:34 pm

Gyokeres gives Coventry win at Blackpool

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Coventry City made it two wins from three Championship games this season as they edged victory over Blackpool at Bloomfield Road.

Viktor Gyokeres struck the only goal two minutes into first-half injury time with what initially looked a controversial strike.

Fankaty Dabo made a fast, menacing raid down the right, crossed to the far post and Gyokeres slid in to meet it.

The ball appeared at first sight to the 11,608 fans in the stadium to have gone in unwittingly off his outstretched right arm, but video replays showed it had actually hit his face.

Blackpool also claimed the Swedish striker was offside.

On a windy night on the Lancashire coast, it was a hard-fought contest in a game of six bookings, but few genuine chances.

But Mark Robins' side still had to negotiate six minutes of second-half injury time before they could confirm their first Championship away victory since winning at Stoke on 23 April.

Defeat leaves promoted Blackpool with just a point to show from their first three matches back at this level, having followed their opening-day 1-1 draw at Bristol City with Saturday's 2-0 home defeat by Cardiff City.

The Sky Blues, also beaten on Saturday, 1-0 at Barnsley, now have six points as they built on their opening weekend 2-1 comeback win against Nottingham Forest on their return to Coventry.

Coventry City boss Mark Robins told BBC CWR:

"We had to be resilient second half. But we stuck to it and there were some great defensive performances. We've given them chances and Simon Moore has made two or three outstanding saves.

"But we had first-half chances. If we'd been three up nobody could have complained, apart from their fans, and then we got the goal on half-time which gave us something to build on.

"It should have been three points at Barnsley on Saturday but you have to be ruthless. So to come away and get the three points here is really important. We have to be pleased with where we are at two points-a-game at the minute."

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