Stoke City 0 - 1 Coventry City

[dutchman]

Simms hits Coventry winner as Stoke lose again



Ellis Simms scored his second goal in successive games as Coventry City beat Stoke City to rack up their fifth Championship win since the turn of the year.

The summer signing from Everton, who also scored in the 2-2 midweek draw at Plymouth, was set up by Callum O'Hare to plunder the only goal of the game on 52 minutes - finding the bottom corner for his sixth goal of the season.

Sixth-placed Coventry, who have lost just one Championship game since early December, move to within a point of fifth-placed West Bromwich Albion.

Stoke's fifth defeat in six league matches leaves Steven Schumacher's side 19th, just three points clear of trouble.

Both managers made six changes to the teams that started their midweek games - and that resulted in a real lack of first-half fluidity, although Coventry did go very close in one triple let-off for the home side.

Stoke keeper Jack Bonham saved Haji Wright's header via a deflection off Ben Wilmot, before blocking Simms' effort. The rebound then fell kindly to O'Hare, who looked certain to score, but Wilmot diverted the ball off the line, on to the post and away to safety.

But Stoke went behind on 51 minutes when Wright caught Ki-Jana Hoever in possession and prodded the ball to O'Hare, who played in Simms to slot home from close range.

Stoke boss Schumacher made a triple substitution just after the hour mark in an attempt to inject some life into his side.

Nathan Lowe's left-foot shot on the turn went just over, while Lewis Baker's goal-bound attempt deflected behind for a corner off Sky Blues defender Bobby Thomas and substitute Million Manhoef could only find the side-netting.

But, by then, Coventry should have doubled their lead when, after a neat one-two with Josh Eccles, US international Wright blazed his shot over.

After the tonic of keeping a first clean sheet since before Christmas, Coventry are back in action next Friday night when they host bogey side Preston North End.

Coventry City boss Mark Robins told BBC CWR:

"That's the best Ellis Simms has played for us - he picked his spot well for the goal. It was a really good finish.

"And it's great for us to have got a clean sheet. That will do our confidence the world of good as it's our first in 12 games.

"When the fixture list came out, we looked at it and thought that's going to be a tough week. The fact that we've picked up seven points is brilliant."