Coventry City 3 - 3 Swansea City
Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2022 9:38 pm
Second half collapse sees Sky Blues give up three goal lead
Coventry City gave up a three goal lead to Swansea at the CBS Arena where they were lucky to settle for a point after an incredible second half fightback from the visitors.
Jonathan Panzo gave the Sky Blues a deserved first half lead before two goals in the space of seven second half minutes from Jamie Allen and Viktor Gyokeres looked to have secured the victory for Mark Robins’ men.
But Joel Piroe pulled one back in the 68th minute, swiftly followed by a second from Jay Fulton in the 76th as City looked all at sea. And then substitute Liam Cullen tapped home an equaliser from close range six minutes from time to put an dampener on what should have been a superb home win.
Swansea, quite predictably, enjoyed long spells of possession as City played largely on the counter attack which they did to good effect in the opening ten minutes when they forced three corners and the keeper to make on half decent stop to deny Gyokeres.
A slick three-man move resulted in Callum O’Hare sending a half volley inches wide in the 22nd minute as the Sky Blues had the better chances, none more so than when O’Hare slipped Gyokeres in behind with just the keeper to beat. But the inspired Sven Benda made himself big and blocked his shot. The goalie then dived to his left to get a firm hand to an angled Callum Doyle shot following the resulting corner but the visiting stopper was static on his line and well beaten when Jonathan Panzo rose to get on the end of a Gus Hamer corner, heading firmly into the back of the net from seven yards out to give City a 29th minute lead.
Swansea, meanwhile, had their first shot on target from a 22-yard Joel Piroe free-kick in the 36th minute despite having been credited with 72 percent of possession in the opening half an hour.
Jamie Paterson was denied by a Callum Doyle block on the line on the stroke of half-time but Robins’ men came flying out of the blocks after the break with a slick three-man move resulting in Jamie Allen hitting a superb strike into the top corner. And seven minutes later in the 54th, Allen and O’Hare combined to feed Gyokeres who twisted and turned his way into the box and hit a powerful finish that went in off the post to make it 3-0.
Swansea got one back in the 68th minute when Ryan Manning broke free down the left and sent in a square ball to the six-yard box where Joel Piroe was on hand to tap home unmarked as the visitors attempted a fight-back. Jay Fulton then added a second in the 78th minute to make for a nervous end to the game as City were suddenly hanging on to a slender lead.
And then substitute Liam Cullen tapped home from close range from a headed cross that came off the post and into his path to make it 3-3 with six minutes of normal tie and four minutes added to play.