Coventry City 2 - 1 Reading

[dutchman]

Godden volley and sublime Hamer lift Sky Blues into play-offs



Goals from Matty Godden and Gustavo Hamer lifted Coventry City up to fifth in the table after an entertaining victory over relegation threatened Reading at the CBS Arena.

The Sky Blues grabbed their lead just after the half hour when Godden volleyed home in an opening 45 minutes in which Viktor Gyokeres could have had a hat-trick.

The Royals equalised through Lucas Joao early in the second half but the brilliant Hamer restored City’s lead three minutes later in the 54th on a day with their play-off rivals dropped points around them.

Gyokeres sent an early warning shot across the face of goal, shaving the far post in only the second minute as the home side made a determined start to the game. And the big Swede knew he should have scored in the 19th minute when he was played clean through by Hamer with just the keeper to beat. However, the striker drifted too wide as he attempted to round Joe Lumley and then saw his shot blocked by a recovering defender.

The leading scorer went agonisingly close again from a corner as City enjoyed their seventh attempt in the opening 20 minutes, albeit only one on target, in a dominant opening half.

But City finally broke the deadlock in the 36th minute when Hamer lifted a lovely ball off the ground in the box for Godden to volley home into the bottom corner. And Gyokeres thumped the foot of the post just before the break to end an exciting and entertaining 45 minutes in which Coventry should really have been leading by a greater margin.

Robins’ men were immediately made to pay for their inability to kill the game off when Lucas Joao was given the freedom of the CBS Arena, given far too much time and space in the 51st minute to pick his spot from 25 yards out, bending his shot into the top corner. But Coventry restored their lead three minutes later when Hamer drove into the box, hit a pass which took a deflection back into his path whereupon he picked his spot in the far bottom corner.

The Dutch-Brazilian nicked the ball in midfield and almost made it 3-1, only for the keeper to make a decent block with 20 minutes to go and Gyokeres missed two late chances to kill the game dead.

[dutchman]

Play-off hopefuls Coventry beat Reading to go fifth



Coventry City beat relegation-threatened Reading to climb to fifth in the Championship.

Gustavo Hamer sets up the first goal for Matt Godden on 36 minutes, then scored the matchwinner on 54 minutes, just three minutes after Lucas Joao had levelled for the Royals.

Coventry's extension of their unbeaten run to five games keeps Reading in the relegation zone in 22nd, with two massive 'six-pointers' to come.

Now winless in 11 games, both are against key rivals, at bottom club Wigan Athletic, then a final-day home game against Neil Warnock's Huddersfield Town, the side just one point and one place above them.

Mark Robins' relentless Coventry, who began the day eighth in the table, now host former landlords Birmingham City next weekend before finishing on the final Monday at Middlesbrough.

The Sky Blues could have gone ahead sooner when top scorer Viktor Gyokeres was put clean through by Hamer, only to go wide in trying to get round keeper Joe Lumley, who blocked his eventual shot.

Gyokeres then shot wildly off target after Hamer's blocked effort had rebounded to him, then Reading went close when Mamadi Camara's pass put in Jeff Hendrick, but home goalkeeper Ben Wilson saved.

It was a deserved breakthrough when Godden finally hooked in the opener and the lead could have been doubled right on half-time but Gyokeres worked space to shoot after being found by Liam Kelly, but hit the post.

All the missed chances looked like they might prove costly six minutes into the second half when Joao bent a superb shot into the far corner from outside the area.

But Hamer drove through midfield before running on to the loose ball after his pass was cut out to steer a right-foot shot beyond Lumley.

Coventry City manager Mark Robins told BBC CWR:

"Others would swap results with us. At this stage of the season, you've got to win. This was must-win, next week will be a must-win and the one after that at Middlesbrough will be a must-win, no doubt.

"There are other teams there that have still got an advantage, but we're in there with a shout, which is brilliant going into the last home game of the season.

"It's all to play for, recovery is very important and we'll wrap them up in cotton wool.

"We played pretty well, moved the ball, created chances, and should have been ahead before we were. But Viktor hit the post. He's had a few chances when he's gone through and had too much time to think about it."