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Stoke City 0 - 2 Coventry City

PostPosted: Sun Oct 23, 2022 3:56 am
by dutchman
Hamer stars as Coventry triumph at Stoke

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Gustavo Hamer marked his first start in more than a month by making one and scoring the other as Coventry City won at Stoke.

The Brazilian returned from his four-game ban for a second red card of the season - and proved the architect of the Sky Blues' third win in eight days.

Six minutes into the second half, Hamer split the Stoke defence to set Jamie Allen free to go on and slide home his first goal since August 2021.

Hamer then settled the outcome with a terrific solo effort, weaving his way into the box past two men before curling his right-foot shot from the left side of the box into the bottom right corner.

Coventry also made it four straight clean sheets, the first time they have achieved that in the top two tiers of English football, having last achieved a run of four shut-outs in April 2015 in League One.

The Potters had their fair share of opportunities, the closest of them being when veteran defender Phil Jagielka hit the bat, but their wastefulness in front of goal was punished as they slipped to a second home defeat in five days.

Mark Robins' men climb above West Bromwich Albion to 22nd, now within a point of safety - and still with at least three games in hand on most teams as they prepare for a congested period of matches as they make up for lost time following the early season CBS Arena pitch saga.

After just one defeat in eight games, and one goal shipped in their last 10 and a half hours of football, Coventry are remarkably now just nine points shy of a play-off place.

They are also within three points of Alex Neil's Stoke, after he lost for the first time against a team managed by Robins, whose side sent the 2,487 away following home happy.

Coventry are at home again on Tuesday to Rotherham United, followed by next Saturday's visit of Blackpool. Victories from both could propel Robins' Sky Blues into the top half.

Stoke are back in action at Carrow Road next Saturday, when Neil takes his Potters side to another of his old clubs, Norwich City.

Coventry boss Mark Robins:

"It's a brilliant away win. I'm delighted because they were better than us in the first part of the game. But we stayed in the game when we weren't at our best.

"For all their possession, they've only really had Jagielka's chance, and we've defended really well.

"And we scored two absolutely unbelievable goals. They probably didn't belong in this game because I thought it was a bit scrappy.

"Our fans are really vocal and really behind the players and that's a big boost. In over five years here, they've been absolutely magnificent and the players respond to that."

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Re: Stoke City 0 - 2 Coventry City

PostPosted: Sun Oct 23, 2022 3:59 am
by dutchman
Hamer sets one up and scores stunning second

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Second half goals from Jamie Allen and Gus Hamer secured a brilliant third Championship win on the spin for Coventry City.

Hamer set up the first with a brilliant pass and scored a superb second after beating two men in the box to give the Sky Blues a comfortable edge over an otherwise dominant Stoke City side who enjoyed 71 percent of possession in the first 45.

City were a bit sloppy in possession at the start, giving the ball away unnecessarily as the home side looked to take the early initiative with plenty of probing approach play and a string of set-pieces. Stoke, in contrast, kept the ball really well and it wasn’t until the ten minute mark when the visitors managed to find their way through for the first time, with Viktor Gyokeres cutting inside in the box and seeing his shot blocked by the out-stretched boot of defender Ben Wilmot.

The Potters went close to breaking the deadlock in the 17th minute when Phil Jagielka got on the end of a corner, heading it goalwards and watching as it rolled along the crossbar and out of harm’s way. Lewis Baker and Tariqe Fosu twice, meanwhile, both had decent opportunities to score but fired wide of the target.

Dwight Gayle had the first shot on target of the game in the 48th minute, a close range effort that lacked power and went straight to goalkeeper Ben Wilson as the home side threatened again from another corner.

But Coventry snatched the lead in the 51st minute when Gus Hamer sent a brilliant defence-splitting ball into the path of Allen who finished smartly past Joe Bursik as he was being brought to ground by a covering tackle from Wilmot.

The brilliant Brazilian-born Hamer then doubled City’s lead in the 64th minute when he raced into the box, cut in between Wilmot and Josh Laurent and picked his spot with a superb finish into the far corner.

There were widespread cheers from the travelling 2,487 Sky Blues fans when Callum O’Hare entered the field for the last 15 minutes amid a party atmosphere on the road. And the hugely popular midfielder almost made it a dream comeback when he forced the keeper into a late save ahead of the final whistle.

ATTENDANCE: 22,453 (2,487 City)

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