Preston North End 2 - 1 Coventry City

[dutchman]

Brilliant finish spoiled by second half wobble



Coventry City’s miserable league record at Preston continued with their 13th defeat in 20 attempts as Mark Robins’s men gave up a first half lead at Deepdale.

Tyler Walker put the Sky Blues in front with a cool finish just before half-time but a second half fight-back resulted in two goals in the space of eight minutes as Patrick Bauer and Emil Riss struck for the home side to turn the game on its head.

City were guilty of succumbing to North End’s pressure with a real wobble around the hour mark that allowed the Lilywhites to take full advantage.

It had been a pretty tight first half when Simon Moore came to the rescue with a good early save to deny North End taking a second minute lead from the first corner of the game as the home side looked to get at their opponents from the first whistle.

But City soon found a bit of rhythm and Viktor Gyokeres went close at the other end when Callum O’Hare pulled the ball back for him to shoot, only for his first time effort to be blocked at the last second by covering centre-half Jordan Storey.

The Sky Blue Army were in fine voice and got right behind their team with their full repertoire of songs and chants throughout, urging the players to success.

Clear cut chances were few and far between in the opening half an hour when Gus Hamer tested the keeper at his near post from a corner and free-kick, but more set-pieces were disappointing as City failed to take advantage.

Robins’ men played some neat and tidy one touch football at times but struggled to break down a well organised Preston defence in a fairly tight the opening 45 minutes when neither side gave much away.

Moore had to be alert just after the half hour mark when Emil Riis beat the off-side trap to race through to the left of his goal, but the big keeper dived at the player’s feet to get a block and clear the danger.

But City snatched the lead just before half-time when Fankaty Dabo pushed forward down the right, slipped the ball inside to O’Hare who poked it on to Walker.

The striker then dummied his marker and, with the defender committed, picked his spot with a brilliant finish past the keeper to make it two in two for the player whose outstanding bit of quality unlocked things for the Sky Blues.

Preston, unsurprisingly, came flying out of the blocks after the break to attempt a fight-back which suited Coventry who were dangerous on the counter attack.

The game opened right up with end to end action and Coventry appealing for a penalty when Walker was shoved down as he raced into the box, only for the linesman to flag for off-side.

But the home side pulled level minutes later in the 61st when centre-back Patrick Bauer got on the end of a Ben Whiteman cross and sent a powerful header in off the far post with Moore at full stretch.

With Preston in the ascendancy, they almost took the lead shortly after when Alan Browne had a header pushed wide for a corner by the City keeper as the visitors looked rattled.

And the Lilywhites got a deserved lead on 69 minutes when Emil Riis hit a thunderbolt of a shot from just inside the box to give Moore no chance.

Robins attempted to liven things up with a triple substitution, sending on Martyn Waghorn, Jamie Allen and Ben Sheaf for Gyokeres, O’Hare and Kelly for the last 15 or so minutes as City went chasing the game.

ATTENDANCE; 10,837 (1,198 City)

[dutchman]

Preston come from behind to beat Coventry



Preston North End came from a goal down at half-time as they beat promotion-chasing Coventry City at Deepdale.

Tyler Walker sparked the Sky Blues' hopes of a first-ever league win at Deepdale when he scored his second goal in successive games just before the break.

But North End, who started the night in 18th, upset the form book against fourth-placed City as they turned it around with two goals in eight minutes.

Patrick Bauer planted a powerful header into the bottom right corner from Ben Whiteman's right-wing cross on 61 minutes.

Emil Riis Jakobsen then turned inside the box on the angle to lash a fierce right-foot shot just inside the left upright.

Preston remain unbeaten in all 20 home league meetings with Coventry at Deepdale, dating back to City's first visit in the old Division Two in September 1949.

They did win on their very first visit, as a non-league side, in January 2010 - and also in the League Cup in September 2000. But they looked set to end their Deepdale league drought when Walker, after initially stumbling, powered home his shot after good work by Callum O'Hare.

But Preston, booed off at half-time, rallied and got the equaliser they deserved when, having stayed up following a corner, centre-back Bauer's excellently directed header from Whiteman's cross went in off the far post.

Riis then completed the turnaround - and Preston almost added a third in injury-time when Brad Potts' shot was blocked after being set up by Tom Barkhuizen and Whiteman.

Preston remain 18th going into Saturday's Lancashire derby at Blackpool, who climbed to 12th with their own 3-2 comeback win at Reading.

Coventry are still in fourth, now three points outside the automatic promotion places, ahead of this Saturday's home game with Wayne Rooney's Derby County.

Coventry manager Mark Robins told BBC CWR:

"We didn't ask enough questions of them after going in a goal up after scoring with a great strike just before half-time.

"Their supporters showed their displeasure at half-time, that galvanised them and they ended up getting on top - and we just seemed to run out of energy.

"A lot of niggly fouls went either unpunished or unseen but I needed to change it earlier and I didn't - and I have to take responsibility for that."