Coventry City 1 - 2 Swansea City

[dutchman]

The Sky Blues slipped to their first Championship defeat at the CBS Arena



Coventry City’s impressive seven game unbeaten home run came crashing to a halt as Mark Robins’s men were blown away in the first 12 frantic first half minutes at the CBS Arena.

Local lad Jamie Paterson opened the scoring for Swansea against his home-town club in the fifth minute and Joel Piroe doubled the lead before the Sky Blues had time to draw breath.

Kyle McFadzean pulled on back with a powerful header from a corner shortly after to put the home side back in the game, but despite a determined second half fight-back they simply couldn’t find the all-important goals to get anything from the game.

The Swans started with their possession based game working to good effect as City chased and pressed in an attempt to win the ball back, but their efforts were in vain as the visitors worked their way into the box and scored from their first meaningful attack.

The move started from a Jake Bidwell cross which was half cleared by Jake Clarke-Salter, only to fall to Coventry-born Paterson to lash home an angled volley to beat Simon Moore with only five minutes on the clock.

The Sky Blues suddenly sparked to life with some promising approach play but any momentum they built was soon blown away by a quick second goal for the visitors.

Hitting City on the counter attack, Ethan Laird got the better of Clarke-Salter as the pair raced into the box, albeit the Swansea player looking off-side, before he checked inside and looked to be brought down for a penalty by Kyle McFadzean.

But the ball ran loose and the referee played the advantage, resulting in striker Joel Piroe hitting a shot that deflected off a Coventry player and into the back of the net to double the lead in the 12th minute.

Viktor Gyokeres almost pulled one back shortly after when he attempted to lob the keeper from the edge of the box, only for Ben Hamer to race out and block it with his hands high in the air, cutting it out at source.

But Robins’s men managed to pull one back before the half hour mark when McFadzean rose at the back post to send a powerful header home from a Gus Hamer corner in a frantic, end to end first half.

Although City were back in the game and pushed for an equaliser, they continued to look vulnerable at the other end where Simon Moore tipped a brilliant effort from Paterson over the bar to deny the Cov Kid a second, while Dom Hyam cleared close to the line as the visitors worked the ball into the box again.

Callum O’Hare was kicking himself when the ball fell loose to him just outside the box and, with the keeper committed, he failed to steer it round him into an unguarded net.

Trailing at the break, Coventry started the second half with plenty of the ball and determined attacking play that resulted in a half chance for Gyokeres after Ian Maatsen sent in a threatening cross to the back post.

They continued a sustained fight-back with the visitors content to soak up the pressure and play on the counter attack, and almost adding a third from a corner when Bidwell headed onto the crossbar.

Jodi Jones added fresh legs and an attacking threat when he went on for Allen for the last 20 minutes with City in the ascendancy, Gyokeres running into the box and putting the ball into the six yard area, albeit too close to the keeper.

City dominated the final 20 minutes but just couldn’t find a way through as the south Wales side were organised and on top of their game to see the result out.

Although they enjoyed a string of late corners, keeper Hamer was in inspired form, commanding his area to keep City at bay. And he popped up at the death to deny Fankaty Dabo a stoppage time equaliser when he tipped over.

ATTENDANCE: 16,514 (849 away)

[dutchman]

Swans end Coventry's unbeaten home run



Jamie Paterson and Joel Piroe were on target once more as Swansea City ended Coventry City's unbeaten home record in the Championship.

Paterson swept Swansea into an early lead before Piroe's deflected shot made it 2-0 inside 12 minutes.

Kyle McFadzean headed Coventry back into it, but Swansea held on for a fourth win in their last five games.

Russell Martin's in-form Swansea side climb to 10th in the table, while Coventry stay fourth.

Mark Robins' team missed the chance to close the gap on the top two as Swansea won an away league game for only the second time under Martin, although the Welsh club were made to work for the victory as Coventry improved after their desperate start.

The Sky Blues have been a formidable proposition on their own patch since returning to what is now the CBS Arena this season after two years playing in Birmingham.

Yet Swansea arrived in their best form of the campaign, and it was the visitors who impressed from the outset.

Swansea scored with their first attack of any note, as Jake Clarke-Salter could only clear Jake Bidwell's cross as far as Paterson.

The Coventry-born forward - linked with a move to his home-city club before joining Swansea in August - stayed cool to take his chance, steering in a shot which crept inside the post despite a touch from keeper Simon Moore.

Paterson's sixth goal of the season was swiftly followed by Piroe's 10th, as Olivier Ntcham sent Ethan Laird bursting down the right flank.

Laird might have been fouled as he turned and tumbled in the box, but the penalty appeal did not matter as Piroe pounced on the loose ball and saw his shot ricochet into the net as Clarke-Salter tried in vain to block.

Coventry responded admirably, with Viktor Gyokeres denied by a fine Ben Hamer save before McFadzean rose at the far post to head home powerfully from Gustavo Hamer's corner.

The fine entertainment continued as Paterson's drive drew a fingertip save from Moore, before Coventry threatened first after the break as Fankaty Dabo's effort was well blocked.

The hosts' pressing game made life harder for Swansea in the second period, yet Martin's team almost extended their lead when Bidwell headed Matt Grimes' corner against the bar.

McFadzean threatened with another header which bounced wide, before Hamer pushed away Dabo's late long-ranger to ensure Swansea climbed to within a point of the top six.

Coventry manager Mark Robins:

"I think we are on the end of a result where we were the authors of our own downfall because we didn't start the game.

"Don't get me wrong, it's difficult because they are a good team, they want to move you around, they try and do things that we want to do to opposition teams that make you uncomfortable and they made us uncomfortable because we couldn't get to grips with it and their movements.

"It can be difficult, but we gave them a brilliant head start in the game, the second goal is two yards off, that's a disappointment the linesman's got to be up with play but he wasn't and ended up costing us the second goal."