The Sky Blues are in the hat for the fourth round of the FA Cup after victory over the RamsA first half header from Dominic Hyam put Coventry City in the hat for the fourth round of the FA Cup.
The Sky Blues’ defender scored just before the break in a competitive third round tie against Derby County at the Coventry Building Society Arena.
Mark Robins made five changes to his side who took time to get into their stride against a strong Rams line-up.
Wayne Rooney’s men started the brighter of the two sides, dominating the early possession and creating a clear cut chance and threatening from two corners in the first six minutes of the cup tie.
Ben Wilson was called upon in the third minute when Max Bird opened up the Sky Blues with a long-range pass which was squared to Tom Lawrence in the box - the forward’s shot being denied by a terrific reaction save by the keeper for the first of two corners.
Both teams took risks at the back as they played the ball out on the deck amid high pressing from their opponent’s forwards trying to force mistakes.
And Coventry got their first chance from such a mistake when Liam Thompson played a back-pass straight to Matty Godden’s feet in the D. But, turning with all the goal to aim at, the striker lifted his free hit disappointingly over the bar to waste a clear cut opportunity to hand City the lead.
The home side were then denied by the left-hand upright after a decent pull-back by Todd Kane resulted in Jamie Allen hitting a lovely shot that clipped the outside of the keeper’s post.
But the Sky Blues’ growing confidence paid off when Hyam headed home unmarked at the far post from a Kane corner on 41 minutes.
Coventry had to weather four corners in quick succession as the Rams started the second half in determined fashion but the half soon evened itself out with attacks at both ends as Robins’s men went in search of a second goal to secure the tie and Derby an equaliser to get themselves back into it.
And the visitors almost did just that just after the hour when troublesome right-back Festy Ebosele was denied by another reaction save from Wilson.
Jodi Jones and Josh Eccles were thrown on in the 66th minute, adding fresh legs to help pep things up in a tie that was far from decided as Derby continued to look the most likely from flag kicks.
The game fell a bit flat in terms of quality, with both sides making changes, but Coventry held out through four minutes of added time to second their passage into the next round.
ATTENDANCE: 8,896 (2,359 away).