Bristol City 1 - 2 Coventry City

[dutchman]

Sky Blues bag all three points on the road



Viktor Gyokeres popped up with a superb 89th minute winner to hand Coventry City a brilliant away win at Bristol City.

Ian Maatsen gave the Sky Blues a deserved first half lead after being teed up by the outstanding Gus Hamer, only for Chris Martin to equalise just after the hour in an entertaining game at Ashton Gate.

But Hamer was the architect of the late decider with a brilliant driving run from midfield before slipping the striker in to score.

It was a fairly cagey start to the game with City pressing high and trying to force the home side into defensive mistakes on a night when the travelling 1,800-plus Sky Blue Army were in full voice from the start, getting right behind their team and out-singing the Ashton Gate faithful for long periods.

The Robins began to get in their stride and looked threatening down the left where Antoine Semenyo was a real handful, ensuring Todd Kane had to be on his toes, while the front three displayed excellent movement in the final third.

And it was Nigel Pearson’s men who had the first chances on goal when Andreas Weimann threw himself to a far post free-kick, only to head wide, before Han-Noah Massengo hit and hard and low shot from the edge of the D, leaving Simon Moore to drop down to collect relatively comfortably.

The Sky Blues, meanwhile, broke at pace and looked dangerous on the counter attack and got their noses in front in the 25th minute when the outstanding Gus Hamer sent a brilliant ball over the top to spring Ian Maatsen in the box. The Chelsea loan star brought the ball down, took a touch and hit a lovely left footed angled shot across the keeper and into the far bottom corner of the goal to give City the lead.

Viktor Gyokeres was played through shortly after the re-start but the big Swede ran out of legs and dragged his shot disappointingly well wide of the goal.

But Coventry had a bit of momentum and continued to push for a second when the ball fell loose to Hamer who found space to hit a powerful shot that deflected out for the first of two corners in quick succession.

City almost shot themselves in the foot in the 37th minute when Todd Kane hit a dreadful backpass that sent Semenyo clean through down the left, but the wing-back’s blushes were spared by the lively forward dragging his shot wide across the face of Moore’s goal.

Bristol regained the rhythm in the ten minutes leading to the break when City were forced to defend in numbers to maintain their clean sheet to the interval.

The Robins came out with renewed purpose at the start of the second half, pushing Coventry to defend deep, while Dom Hyam cut across the box to snuff out Semenyo as the home side edged closer and closer to getting a goal back.

And that equaliser was inches away in the 52nd minute when Jake Clarke-Salter conceded a free-kick some 30 yards out to the left of goal, leaving Alex Scott to float in a threatening dead ball to the box.

And it was Semenyo who rose the tallest to send a terrific header onto the crossbar. Massengo tried his luck minutes later when the ball dropped to him in space but Kyle McFadzean blocked as City’s rearguard put their bodies on the line.

Callum O’Hare was cursing himself at the other end when he cut past two defenders in the box to find space, only to hit a tame effort which failed, disappointingly, to trouble the keeper when it should really have been in the back of the net.

But City finally succumbed to the mounting pressure just after the hour when a short corner was whipped in to the back post to the unmarked Andreas Weimann who headed it back across the face of goal to Chris Martin who headed home from close range at the far post to restore parity.

The warning signs had been there and the Robins were in the ascendancy, playing confident and fluid attacking football to stretch the Sky Blues who were forced to play on the counter attack.

But the visitors found a second wind with O’Hare having a shot blocked before Maatsen hit a superb right footed shot that the keeper Dan Bentley saved brilliantly to deny Coventry restoring their lead.

The resulting flag kick was floated in by Hamer to Hyam who headed onto the frame of the goal as Coventry went agonisingly close again.

With ten minutes to go the game hung in the balance with both sides pushing for the win.

Mark Robins made two late changes, sending on Jordan Shipley and Fankaty Dabo for Maatsen and Kane respectively as the game swung back and forth with actio at both ends.

And it was the tenacity and determination of Hamer that created a brilliant break-away goal for City, the midfielder winning the ball twices ahead of markers before driving forward and slipping an exquisite reverse pass to Gyokeres who steadied himself before slotting under the keeper in the 89th minute.

City had to see out five long minutes of stoppage time but they hung on to take the full three points.

[dutchman]

Gyokeres snatches late Coventry winner



Coventry City moved to within two points of the Championship play-off places after Viktor Gyokeres struck a late winner to beat Bristol City at Ashton Gate.

Gustavo Hamer provided assists for both Sky Blues goals, starting with the opener for on-loan Chelsea midfielder Ian Maatsen on 25 minutes.

Hamer clipped a delightful right-foot pass over the top down the inside-left channel and, although Maatsen initially looked to have misjudged the bounce, he kept his cool to turn and glide a well struck left-foot angled shot across keeper Dan Bentley.

But, shortly after Antoine Semenyo head headed against the bar, the hosts levelled on 62 minutes.

Alex Scott floated over a neat ball beyond the far post, Andi Weimann headed back across goal and Chris Martin was left astonishingly unattended to head home from six yards.

But Sky Blues boss Mark Robins had the last word against the Robins when Hamer's break up-field set up the 89th-minute winner for Gyokeres, who fired home a right-foot shot to earn the visitors their fifth away win of the season.

Coventry had already looked the sharper team before Maatsen's composed finish put them ahead, and could have scored again but Gyokeres broke clear down the right only to screw his shot wide, before Hamer had an effort deflected wide.

But the hosts went close when Semenyo shot wide with Weimann well placed - and then on 52 minutes he went even closer with a powerful header from Scott's free-kick which smacked against the crossbar.

Martin's equaliser rewarded Nigel Pearson's men for upping their game, before Weimann fired over from a Semenyo cross.

But Coventry went close twice in a minute, when Bentley saved brilliantly from Maatsen before Dom Hyam headed against the far post from a corner.

After Coventry goalkeeper Simon Moore had saved bravely at the feet of both Martin and Weimann, it was Gyokeres who proved the match-winner.

The Sky Blues will now host Preston on Saturday, when Pearson's City, who are in 16th, 19 points clear of trouble, are at Nottingham Forest.

Sky Blues Mark Robins told BBC CWR:

"It wasn't our best performance, but it was one of our best results. That was one of our toughest games of the season, so it was a fantastic result.

"Nigel Pearson has done a brilliant job with Bristol City and his team are a totally different proposition to last season. Their front three cause problems and they have some exciting young players, with a desire to do well. We had to play well.

"We were a bit fortunate at times, but we kept going and always looked like creating chances. Gus Hamer has been involved in both goals. His return to the team was very important.

"He has set up the last one with the composure to pass to Viktor, who looked out on his feet at times but produced a quality finish."