COVENTRY MESSAGE BOARD

Godden secures point as unbeaten run continues



Matty Godden secured a point for Coventry City as Mark Robins’ men came from behind against Hull City at the CBS Arena.

The Sky Blues dominated the game but found themselves behind early in the second half from an Oscar Estupinan goal before battling back into the game with Viktor Gyokeres providing his seventh assist of the season to tee up his strike partner for a 71st minute equaliser.

City started brightly with Josh Eccles forcing the opposition keeper to make a comfortable save in the seventh minute as the home side took the game to the Tigers. The midfielder sparked a terrific move minutes later when he played Fankaty Dabo clear down the right, allowing the wing-back to send in a dangerous cross which resulted in blocked shots from Godden and Gus Hamer before the ball fell to Godden again but he hit it straight at the keeper.

Dabo had a shot cleared off the line just after the half hour mark as Coventry were edging closer to breaking the deadlock with Hamer being denied by a good save from a free-kick and Luke McNally heading narrowly over the bar from a corner.

Coventry picked up where they left off after the break but were caught by a sucker punch in the 52nd minute when substitute Estupinan wriggled free and fired into the top corner to give the visitors the lead.

The Sky Blues gave the ball away and were almost punished in the 67th minute when Ebiowei broke clear but screwed his shot across the face of goal with just the keeper to beat.

But Mark Robins’ men battled back on level terms when Gyokeres dribbled past Alfie Jones at the by-line and slipped the ball to Godden who tapped home from close range to extend City's unbeaten run to seven games.

Godden rescues point for Coventry against Hull



Coventry City's Championship play-off hopes were dented despite Matty Godden rescuing a point against Hull City.

Oscar Estupinan opened the scoring for Hull early in the second half after bursting into the box before Godden equalised after being found by strike partner Viktor Gyokeres.

Despite creating numerous chances and having 25 shots, the Sky Blues were unable to pick up a fifth win in six games.

The draw sees Coventry drop one place to ninth in the table, four points outside the top six, while Hull remain 16th.

The Sky Blues had the best of the first-half action but could not find the breakthrough and the teams headed down the tunnel at half-time goalless.

Hull took the lead against the run of play in the 52nd minute with top scorer Estupinan scoring his 13th of the season.

The Colombian forward pick up the ball on the edge of the penalty area before making some space for a shot which he fired into the top corner.

Coventry levelled as Gykoeres, who had scored five in his previous five games, turned provider for Godden.

The Swede did well to find some space before picking out Godden who placed the ball under Karl Darlow.

Coventry City must 'want it' more against struggling Wigan and Blackpool, says Mark Robins



Coventry City must play like they are the ones "fighting for their lives" when they meet two teams embroiled in a Championship relegation battle this week, says boss Mark Robins.

The Sky Blues are four points off the play-offs in ninth place following a seven-game unbeaten run.

They visit bottom side Wigan on Tuesday and 22nd-placed Blackpool on Saturday.

"We've got to want the game more than anybody else, in any of the games we've got left," Robins told BBC CWR.

"We've got to want it and make any small margins count in our favour.

"It's a tough week and circumstances for the teams we are playing next week are very, very difficult.

"We were [down] there earlier on in the season, don't forget. It's not an ideal place to be but they will be fighting for their lives - so we have got to go and fight for ours."

Coventry had to settle for a point in a 1-1 draw at home to Hull on Saturday, despite registering 25 shots and a double-figure corner count.

The Sky Blues' chance-conversion ratio this season is 7.8% - 42 goals from 538 efforts - and they rank 15th in the Championship on that metric, something Robins is adamant must improve.

Among the sides in the top half, only Blackburn (41) and Preston (32) have scored fewer goals than Coventry, who have been heavily reliant on 17-goal leading marksman Viktor Gyokeres.

"We've not scored enough goals in games generally," said Robins.

"Last week against Huddersfield [a 4-0 win] we went to town and finished off the opportunities we had which was fantastic.

"We've had a couple where we've won 2-0 but we've needed to be more clinical in those final areas."