Middlesbrough 1 - 0 Coventry City

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Middlesbrough 1 - 0 Coventry City

Postby dutchman » Sat Jan 29, 2022 6:36 pm

The Sky Blues slipped to a narrow defeat at the Riverside Stadium, beaten by a single second half goal

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The crossbar and missed opportunities came back to haunt the Sky Blues who slipped to a narrow 1-0 defeat at in-form Middlesbrough.

Kyle McFadzean smashed the underside of the bar before Jordan Shipley held his head in his hands as City threatened to take the second half lead at the Riverside Stadium.

But minutes later, just before the hour, Andraz Sporar slid home at the near post to hand the home side the lead in a wide open and pretty evenly matched Championship contest where both keepers made decent saves on the day.

It was a fairly tight and scrappy start to the game with neither side giving much away as they settled into the match on a blustery afternoon in the North East.

But City soon found a bit of rhythm and started knocking the ball about nicely, creating some decent approach play that resulted shots from Jordan Shipley and Josh Eccles, and two early corners, albeit nothing to trouble the home side.

Simon Moore was called into action for the first time on 14 minutes when Aaron Connolly broke down the left and hit a low shot to the near post as the game opened up, with Jake Clarke-Salter picking out Viktor Gyokeres in the box, only for the big striker to be dispossessed by his marker.

And the City keeper pulled off a brilliant stop on the half hour to deny a Paddy McNair free-kick from just inside the D, dropping to his left to push away a low shot that looked to be heading in.

Eccles and Allen combined smartly in the box in the 41st minute to tee up O’Hare who hit a snap shot that was tipped over the bar by Joe Lumley for City’s best chance of the half.

The Sky Blues couldn’t believe their poor luck after the break when Kyle McFadzean picked up the loose ball from a cleared corner and smashed it onto the underside of the crossbar before Shipley mis-kicked a gilt-edged chance, sending his shot well wide and dropping to the floor and holding his head in his hands, knowing what a missed opportunity he had passed up.

Those wasted chances came back to bite Coventry on the backside minutes later when substitute Folarin Balogun got in behind on the right and put an early cross into the near post where Andraz Sporar slid in to poke home under pressure from Moore, handing Boro a 58th minute lead.

O’Hare went agonisingly close to an equaliser when he headed on a cross from Eccles but the keeper tipped it over the bar before Gus Hamer was introduced for Allen.

Boro were then denied by the woodwork as McNair was allowed a free header at the back post from a corner at the other end before Martyn Waghorn went on for Shipley as Robins looked for a way back into the game with two strikers on the pitch.

Ian Maatsen was the last throw of the dice when he went on for Bidwell for the last 14 minutes as the visitors battled for an equaliser against a side who looked dangerous on the counter attack.

But they simply couldn’t find a way through before the referee brought an end to a frustrating afternoon on Teesside.

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Re: Middlesbrough 1 - 0 Coventry City

Postby dutchman » Sat Jan 29, 2022 6:38 pm

Sporar gives Boro victory over Coventry

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Andraz Sporar's second-half goal moved Middlesbrough up into the play-off places as they secured a 1-0 win over Coventry City.

There was little to separate the sides in the opening 45 minutes as high winds swirled and clear-cut chances in front of goal were limited.

Kyle McFadzean saw a volley clatter off the bar for the Sky Blues but minutes later Sporar scored at the other end for the home side - his seventh goal of the season.

Paddy McNair went close to a second for Boro, who are now sixth and above Huddersfield on goal difference, but was denied when his effort hit the woodwork.

There was little to separate the two teams prior to kick-off, with Middlesbrough one place and two points ahead of Coventry in the table.

The first 45 minutes on Teesside played out as such with an even half in terms of possession and chances.

Sporar was denied the opening goal when defender Dominic Hyam put his body in the way and McNair had a free-kick from the edge of the box well saved by Simon Moore.

Callum O'Hare produced Coventry's best effort at the other end as Joe Lumley had to make a save just before the break.

Five minutes after the restart, McFadzean's powerful volley struck the woodwork, prompting Boro manager Chris Wilder to ring the changes to his side.

On came Folarin Balogun - on loan from Arsenal - who squared the ball across goal to Sporar, who calmly broke the deadlock.

Coventry searched for an equaliser in the final half an hour, with Lumley having diverting a header from O'Hare away, but it was McNair who almost doubled the lead for Boro when his header struck the post.

Coventry boss Mark Robins told BBC Radio CWR:

"I thought in terms of an away performance it's up there with the best that you can produce.

"The disappointing thing is that we get it wrong once and they get behind our defenders, it hits our goalkeeper and goes in.

"The good thing is we're getting closer all the time to these top teams and we'd like to turn these results into wins and draws away from home.

"There's a load of positives to take and a some point that will turn around and we'll start to get the results the performances deserve."

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