Cardiff City 2 - 0 Coventry City

Latest team news, results, video clips, interviews and live coverage

Cardiff City 2 - 0 Coventry City

Postby dutchman » Wed Feb 16, 2022 1:34 am

Coventry City were left frustrated as they failed to build on their first half pressure and fell behind to a resilient Cardiff City side

Image

Mark Robins and his team travelled to Cardiff to take on Steve Morison 's struggling side this evening, as the Sky Blues look to mount a late push for the play off spots.

Coventry City started slowly in this fixture but gradually grew into the first half when they were able to get Callum O'Hare more involved in the play. Whether this was in and around the box or driving at the defence after finding space between the lines.

Shortly after O'Hare found enough space to fire a shot just wide of the post, he was brought down twice in quick succession in the box, but the referee deemed the situation unworthy of a penalty.

The Sky Blues then began to dominate proceedings, as they were granted more time on the ball to build up from the back with the likes of Michael Rose always looking to propel his team forward at the first opportunity.

Coventry failed to build on this momentum however and were frustrated for much of the first half, as the hosts sat back and waited for the chance to strike on the counter. A tactic that almost came to fruition as Simon Moore was forced into making a key save just past the hour mark.

The half then died down without either side posing any real threat to their opponents goal.

The second half started and it was much of the same, as both sides cancelled each other out. Until Cody Drameh broke away on a counter attack on squared the ball to Jordan Hugill who had been substituted on in the first half, but Moore was relieved to see the shot chipped straight into his hands with no real venom behind it.

With the game slowly looking as if it was reaching a stalemate, Joel Bagan cut in on his right foot and fired in a low driven shot into the bottom of Moore's goal to give the hosts the lead in the 71st minute.

Robins then reacted immediately by replacing Todd Kane with Ian Maatsen, the scorer of the winner against Reading in the previous game. Who then almost responded immediately as Callum O'Hare whipped in a teasing ball that Viktor Gyokeres met, but sadly saw his effort well saved.

All three points were then sealed as Mark Harris drove down the right wing and found the bottom left corner in the 88th minute.

Image
User avatar
dutchman
Site Admin
 
Posts: 50290
Joined: Fri Oct 23, 2009 1:24 am
Location: Spon End

Re: Cardiff City 2 - 0 Coventry City

Postby dutchman » Wed Feb 16, 2022 1:36 am

Bagan goal helps Cardiff beat Coventry

Image

Joel Bagan's superb strike helped Cardiff to a third straight home win as they proved too strong for Coventry.

The contest looked to be heading for a stalemate until Bagan cut inside and finished brilliantly on 72 minutes.

Substitute Mark Harris added a second on the counter-attack on 87 minutes as the visitors pushed for an equaliser in a contest of few clear-cut chances.

Coventry came closest to scoring when Alex Smithies saved brilliantly from Viktor Gyokeres' header.

Cardiff have turned their home league form around, having lost nine of 10 matches in front of their own fans before this hat-trick of victories.

They rise to 19th, while Coventry remain 12th, with their faint play-off hopes diminished further.

Cardiff manager Steve Morison made four changes to the side beaten at his old club Millwall on Saturday with Will Vaulks, Isaak Davies and Max Watters recalled, while academy product Eli King was given a first league start for the Bluebirds.

Coventry boss Mark Robins made three changes to the side that came from behind to beat Reading with Jamie Allen, Jordan Shipley and Kyle McFadzean recalled.

It was the hosts who fashioned the first opportunity, with Watters heading at goalkeeper Simon Moore from Bagan's cross, but Moore did well to prevent his momentum from carrying the ball over the line.

However, the visitors soon grew into the contest and Shipley and Callum O'Hare shot wide before both Aden Flint and Alex Smithies challenged O'Hare in the penalty area within seconds, but referee John Busby rejected the Sky Blues' penalty appeals on both occasions.

Cardiff tested Moore again on 34 minutes when Watters fired a shot after Vaulks' ball over the top, with Moore knowing little about his save as the ball struck him on his head and deflected wide.

Curiously that was Watters' last key involvement, with the forward replaced on 37 minutes by Jordan Hugill.

Watters looked perplexed at being taken off and his disappointment was evident as he spent the duration of half-time sitting on the Bluebirds' bench.

It was Watters' replacement, Hugill, who could have put Cardiff ahead of 57 minutes, but he shot straight at Moore after Cody Drameh's run and cross carved Coventry apart.

It was the wing-backs who were the hosts' main attacking outlet and it was Bagan who finally unlocked Coventry's defence as he cut inside Ben Sheaf and curled an unstoppable right-footed effort past Moore.

Bagan scored his first Cardiff goal at Millwall on Saturday and made it two in two with a goal he will do well to top, aesthetically, in the remainder of his career.

The goal was a little harsh on Coventry and they responded well as O'Hare's cross was perfect for Gyokeres, but Smithies instinctively saved his diving header with an outstretched leg.

That proved vital as Cardiff wrapped things up on 87 minutes when Hugill found Harris, who cut inside and fired across Moore into the bottom corner of the net.

Coventry City boss Mark Robins said:

"I think the first one cost him [Callum O'Hare] a penalty, the first one looks like a dive as he's trying to get out of the way, the second one he has clipped him, so it could have been a penalty.

"We were below par in energy levels. This has been postponed because of Covid and us at full-tilt would have been a different story.

"There wasn't a great deal in the game but in the second half we knew we were below par with our energy.

"We didn't do enough, but we didn't have it in our legs to do it. No qualms with the result, it's where we are at the moment."

:bbc_sport_logo:
User avatar
dutchman
Site Admin
 
Posts: 50290
Joined: Fri Oct 23, 2009 1:24 am
Location: Spon End


Return to Sky Blues

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests

  • Ads