Gyokeres ends barren run in style as Sky Blues prosperViktor Gyokeres ended his four month barren spell to fire Coventry City to a brilliant three points against Stoke City.
The Sky Blues striker drilled home a powerful effort in the 68th minute at the CBS Arena – his first in 15 games – as Mark Robins’s men leap-frogged the Potters in the Championship, recording their first win in five home games in the league.
Stoke took the initiative, getting at City from the first whistle and forcing two early corners in a clear statement of intent.
The visitors dominated the ball and got right in Coventry’s faces, not letting them settle for a second as they pressed and closed them down, hunting in packs.
The Sky Blues struggled to get their game going as the Potters were well on top, with Tom Ince getting the better of Kyle McFadzean and slipping the ball wide for a threatening cross that fizzed through a group of players and away from danger, while City got a string of blocks in to protect the keeper from a number of shots.
City’s first chance came in the 12th minute when Jake Bidwell played the ball down the left flank to Gyokeres who showed great strength to wriggle into the box and hit a low shot to the near post where the keeper dropped to make a save.
Jamie Allen raced in behind on the right minutes later and sent a square ball into the box, only for no-one to be there to get on the end of it.
Coventry were then handed a terrific chance on a plate in the 26th minute when centre-back James Chester over-hit a back pass to Phil Jagielka, with the ball falling to Gyokeres who pulled to the right of the defender and hit a powerful shot that was saved by a firm hand from Jack Bonham.
Josh Eccles, who was in the the injured Todd Kane, then raced through on the right flank and sent in a lovely early and low cross which the keeper managed to get down and get a hand to it ahead of Gyokeres who was there for a tap-in.
But Michael O’Neill’s side continued to edge the possession with 55 per cent, often forcing Coventry to sit worryingly deep.
Gus Hamer went agonisingly close when he sent in a lovely curling corner kick that was tipped over the bar by the alert Bonham as City enjoyed a positive spell of pressure to the break when Gyokeres had a shot blocked from Jamie Allen cross.
City continued to be in the ascendancy after the break , picking up where they had left off as Bidwell sent in a lovely ball to the box that just evaded Allen.
The No.8 then sent in a lovely ball from the right which Shipley connected with, only for a defender to deflect it over the bar for a corner, the resulting flag kick falling to Shipley who headed narrowly wide of the far post as Coventry went close again.
Robins’s men were now looking the most likely but were caught off-side a couple of times and were beginning to become more and more frustrated by Stoke’s organised defence as the night went on.
Callum O’Hare and Martyn Waghorn were thrown on just after the hour for Hamer and Shipley as the manager changed things up in search of the all elusive goal.
That came four minutes later in the 68th when Ben Sheaf played a neat pass to Gyokeres 20 yards out from goal and the striker steadied himself and unleashed a powerful shot with the outside of his boot to beat the keeper at his left-hand post.
Waghorn went close with a shot from range in the 76th minute but it curled just wide of the upright as City went in search of a second to secure the points.
The fans were nervous towards the end as Coventry sat deep and soaked up late pressure ahead of five long minutes of stoppage time.
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