Coventry City 3 - 1 Middlesbrough

[dutchman]

Haji Wright makes instant impact



Coventry City picked up their first win of the season as they kicked off their home Championship season against one of the early promotion favourites Middlesbrough.

In a replay of last season's play-off semi-final, the Sky Blues came out as 3-0 winners. Haji Wright scored his first goal as a City player to put the result beyond doubt after Matty Godden opened the scoring in the first half.

After a fairly even start, Sky Blues took the lead just after the 10 minute mark, when the ball was played to the back post. Middlesbrough failed to clear their lines, leading to a shot coming in from the edge of the area.

The block fell to Matty Godden near the six yard box, and he made no mistake with his strike to Seny Dieng's right. It nestled in the bottom corner, leading to celebrations around the CBS Arena.

Mark Robins' side had a brilliant chance to double their lead in the half, when Matty Godden cut inside in the penalty area, completely fooling his defender. His shot was saved well by Dieng, but the rebound fell straight to van Ewijk whose shot went just wide of the right hand post.

As the half went on, Middlesbrough did start looking more dangerous, forcing City back into their own half. But the defence, led by Kyle McFadzean stood up to it well, with Ben Wilson not forced into any difficult saves.

The second half started as the first finished, with Middlesbrough almost scoring. The ball was taken from Matty Godden, with calls for a free kick falling on deaf ears, Morgan Rogers then dribbled into the penalty area and was able to get his shot off, luckily for City, he couldn't find the target.

An even better chance came later, when the ball was given away in defence. Rogers was able to get to the by line and play the ball back to Sammy Silvera, but he could only blaze his shot over the bar.

City doubled their lead with 20 minutes of the game to go, when Haji Wright made an instant impact from the bench. The American was on hand to smash the ball beyond Dieng as it pinballed in the area, he had been on the pitch for just a couple of minutes.

A Darragh Lenihan own goal put the result beyond doubt after a nice counter attack.

[dutchman]

Sky Blues brush Boro aside despite Hamer departure



Coventry began life without Gustavo Hamer with a convincing win against out-of-sorts Middlesbrough.

The Sky Blues midfielder joined Sheffield United on the eve of the game but his former side registered their first win of the campaign courtesy of instinctive goals in either half from Matty Godden [pictured above] and club record signing Haji Wright.

Darragh Lenihan's stoppage-time own goal capped a miserable afternoon for Michael Carrick's side who are winless in their last seven Championship games - four of those coming against Coventry who beat them in last season's play-off semi-final.

It's the first time Boro have lost their opening two league games since 2007.

It took just 11 minutes for the hosts to go ahead when Godden was quickest to react and tuck into the bottom corner after Josh Eccles' ball into the box deflected off a defender.

Godden was denied a second when his angled strike was saved by Seny Dieng on 22 minutes, but Milan van Ewijk - starting in place of Hamer - could only drag the rebound past the post, and Ellis Simms had two fizzers stopped by Dieng.

Boro improved after the break and summer signing Morgan Rogers weaved his way forward from halfway and into the box before drilling past the post when well-placed.

Isiah Jones then slammed into the side-netting from an angle before Rogers cut back for the unmarked Samuel Silvera who blazed over with Ben Wilson's goal at his mercy.

However, American Wright came off the bench on 66 minutes and made the game safe within four minutes, slamming home the loose ball after a corner caused chaos on the Boro line.

At the other end, Wilson parried a Rogers cross at the near post, only for the ball to loop wide of the unguarded net off the unfortunate Matt Crooks.

There was still time for Godden's attempted cross from the right to glance inside the near post off Lenihan early in eight additional minutes.

Boro scored 84 goals last season, but have failed to score in their opening two league games, with 28-goal top-scorer Chuba Akpom missing from today's squad after a pre-season impacted by injury and transfer speculation.

Coventry City manager Mark Robins:

"It was an important game today for the players and for the supporters as well, not least because we've got a load of new players in.

"That feeling of winning at home is really important, the dressing rooms have changed - the owner has spent a load of money on the stadium, on the pitch, in the changing room area.

"The two players that have left have obviously given us a headache but also an opportunity and that's been backed by Doug as well.

"Thankfully we are in the throes of a recruitment drive and now we've lost Gus we're looking at what we can do next to fill the void but also to give us the squad depth that we crave."