Sat Aug 27, 2022 5:17 pm
Key mistakes cost Mark Robins' side
Coventry City were defeated 3-2 against Hull City at the MKM Stadium after a two-week hiatus of Championship action for the Sky Blues.
A hat-trick from Oscar Estupinan downed Mark Robins' side despite Matty Godden bagging a brace of his own. Coventry became the first Championship team to play their opening three league matches away from home since they did just that in 2005-06.
They will return to the CBS Arena on Wednesday night after seeing their opening two home games against Rotherham and Huddersfield postponed due to the playing surface. With two games in hand already, Coventry are currently at the bottom of the league after defeat in Hull.
The Sky Blues travelled to Humberside having won four of their last six away league matches against Hull, claiming victory their last two at the MKM Stadium without scoring. In fact, the away side in this fixture has won the last five league meetings, keeping a clean sheet on each occasion.
But it was Hull who started on the front foot and used a buoyant home crowd to their advantage as the likes of Vaughn Covil and Regan Slater looked to advance through the pockets of space left between Coventry's right full-back Frankaty Dabo and Michael Rose, with the latter making his first start this season.
The hosts broke the deadlock inside the first 11 minutes of the game as Estpunian proved why he tops the Championships scoring charts. After Dabo switched off and allowed Callum Elder to deliver the ball across the box, Lewie Coyle was on hand to strike back at goal and striker Estupinan converted at the back post.
Coventry's response was laboured, but Godden did put the ball in the back of the net before his header was ruled out for offside. It took until the 30th minute for the Sky Blues to assert themselves in the Hull half, and Godden was handed a golden opportunity to double his tally for the campaign so far from the penalty spot.
Kasey Palmer was tripped in the box by Tobias Figueiredo after receiving a pass from Viktor Gyokores and Godden duly converted the spot kick to restore parity for the visitors. Though, it wasn't level for long as Hull found another goal before the break.
Goalkeeper Simon Moore failed to deal with a cross into his area and after getting in a mix up with Kyle McFadzean, Estpunian scored his second of the afternoon. On the cusp of half-time, Robins had every right to be fuming at his side's lack of composure in the final stages of the first period.
Hull begun the second half as they did the first and were rewarded for their positive start as Estupinan bagged his third of the afternoon by finishing off a well-worked move minutes before the hour mark. Godden then netted his second goal of the afternoon by turning in from Maartyn Waghorn's corner.
Coventry threw the kitchen sink at Hull but couldn't find an equaliser before full-time. The defeat leaves the Sky Blues rooted at the foot of the table after losing two of their first three Championship matches.
Sat Aug 27, 2022 5:26 pm
Estupinan scores hat-trick as Hull defeat Coventry
Oscar Estupinan scored a hat-trick as Hull City moved up to third in the Championship with victory over bottom-of-the-table Coventry City.
Estupinan made it seven goals in six league games following his summer move from Portuguese side Vitoria Guimaraes.
It helped the Tigers maintain their 100% winning record at the MKM Stadium this season.
Matt Godden had equalised in the first half and pulled one back after the break for the Sky Blues, who remain without a win but have played three fewer games than most of their rivals.
This was Coventry's first game for two weeks and only their third of the season after having all three of their home matches postponed due to pitch problems.
It has left them playing catch up on the rest and they were soon playing catch up on the pitch as Colombia Estupinan pounced after goalkeeper Simon Moore could not hold Lewie Coyle's cross.
But Coventry were level through Godden's penalty after Kasey Palmer had been brought down by Tobias Figueiredo.
Estupinan, who scored 15 goals in the Portuguese top division last season, restored the lead before the break when Moore again parried the ball into his path in the box.
The hat-trick arrived 11 minutes after the restart from barely three yards after Callum Elder had turned Coyle's ball back across goal.
However, Godden netted his second of the day as he turned one in at the back post from Martyn Waghorn's corner.
They pushed for an equaliser and Viktor Gyokeres was denied by Tigers goalkeeper Matt Ingram, but defeat means they remain with one point from their three matches.
However, they return to the CBS Arena for the first time this campaign on Wednesday as they welcome Preston North End.
Coventry City manager Mark Robins told BBC CWR:
"We were poor. We kept giving the ball away and giving goals away is becoming a bad habit. The goals they've scored today, we've gifted them.
"That's seven goals we have conceded in three away games and we have scored five. We can't do that and not get more points.
"Ultimately, we have to be better."
![]()