Blackpool 0 - 1 Coventry City

Sky Blues return to winning ways



The Sky Blue Army headed home chanting Marc-Antoine Fortune’s name after his first-half goal secured a desperately-needed victory.

The veteran striker, who has been signed three times by Tony Mowbray, continued his fine form from the midweek reverse at Shrewsbury and was rewarded with a close-range finish that gave him his third goal of the season.

But City had to survive seven nerve-shredding minutes of injury time with ten men after league ever-present Chris Stokes was stretchered off with a head injury.

Mowbray made one change from the side that played well but lost at Shrewsbury, James Maddison getting the nod over Joe Cole in midfield.

Blackpool created the first chance, Charles-Cook getting down well to stop a Smith 25-yarder that skidded through the heavily sanded goalmouth, but although it was almost unbearably tense in the opening ten minutes, City gradually began to string some passes together.

Vincelot and Stokes were off-target with dead-ball headers before Murphy cut in from left and blasted a fierce right-footer wide of far post.

And the Sky Blues made the breakthrough in the 26th minute as Colin Doyle, wearing the armband for the Seasiders, fumbled Murphy’s corner under pressure from Fortune who gleefully rammed the ball into the roof of the net from point-blank range.

Blackpool almost conjured up an instant equaliser as : Redshaw’s 20-yarder flew dangerously close to the top angle.

But City had their sights on a reassuring cushion and Ricketts, Maddison (twice) and Fleck all had shots charged down in the space of six minutes.

They so nearly made it 2-0 three minutes before the break as a brilliant one-two between Murphy and Fortune – the latter’s first-time pass positively inspired – but Armstrong’s shot from Murphy’s low cross was deflected wide.

Doyle – who had a very brief loan spell with Aidy Boothroyd’s Sky Blues in 2010 – was out early to inspect the area he had to occupy for the second half but there was no need to worry about playing surface as Vincelot smacked his shot high over from the 18-yard line.

Maddison was crowded out as he tried to cash in on Fleck’s fine through-ball and shortly afterwards he was replaced by Andy Rose as Mowbray looked to add a more direct dimension to his midfield.

The substitute was soon involved, clipping in a cross that the stretching Murphy headed over the bar, but Vincelot then had to put his body on the line to charge down Potts’s fierce drive.

Mowbray added Joe Cole to the mix for the final 25 minutes before Marcus Tudgay replaced Fortune who departed to a huge ovation.

But having used all their options City were left a man short when Stokes was pole-axed in a clash of heads and stretchered off and although the match had ticked past the official finish by that stage the referee signalled seven minutes of overtime.

Three had passed when Rose’s foul on Ikpeazu prompted a spell of intense Pool pressure and desperate City defence that was finally relieved when Potts blazed high over.

And City survived one last-gasp scare when the ball was pumped into their box and ended up in the net but Bright Osayi-Samuel was penalised and booked for handball.