Despite a mostly dominant performance, the Sky Blues are unable to attain all three points...
It was stalemate between the Sky Blues and Shrewsbury Town, as the Ricoh Arena played host to the 2016/17 League One season for the first time.
The majority of the game was dominated by the host as they created multiple chances throughout the game, but they were unable to convert to claim all three points.
New signing Lewis Page made his debut for the Sky Blues at the Ricoh Arena. Jodi Jones and Kyel Reid also came into the team replacing George Thomas and the Marvin Sordell in the City attack.
The Sky Blues began the game as the better team, with Vladimir Gadzhev coming close in the ninth minute. Jodi Jones collected the ball in midfield before spreading it out to Ruben Lameiras on the left flank, who played in Gadzhev. The midfielder managed to jostle his way into the area before hitting a shot into side netting.
City came close again in the 12th minute as Jordan Willis rose highest to meet a Lameiras corner, but his effort towards the back post was gathered by Jason Leutwiler. In the 22nd minute, Kyel Reid did well to hold onto the ball down the right flank before playing a cheeky back heel to the overlapping Lewis Page who whipped in a ball that the on-rushing Andy Rose met, but his header flew just wide of the bottom corner.
Tony Mowbray’s men were in the ascendency and came close again to opening the scoring the in the 31st minute. A well worked corner from the right saw Lameiras pass the ball into the box to Reid, but the forward blazed his shot over the bar.
City continued to press for the opener, but the teams were to go in level at 0-0 at the end of the first-half.
However, the Shrews almost took the lead five minutes into the second half. Ian Black curled in a dangerous ball from a free-kick on the right, which was punched away by Reice Charles-Cook only to fall at the feet of Louis Dodds amongst the commotion, but the Shrews player fired his effort into the stands.
Mowbray’s men still had a foot-hold in the game however, as Rose once again came close on the hour mark. Substitute Marcus Tudgay played a delightful ball to Lameiras out left who cross eluded those at the near post finding Rose at the back. Rose brought the ball down and steadied himself before volleying just wide of the bottom left.
Jim O’Brien almost capped his return to the Ricoh Arena with a goal seven minutes later, as the former Sky Blue drove an effort from 25 yards inches wide of the bottom right corner.
Into the final minutes of normal time, Kwane Thomas was stretched off the field of play after picking up an injury. This allowed the Town to gain momentum with a player extra in the final moments of the game, as Ivan Toney hit the crossbar in the 88th minute after being played in by O’Brien in the box.
Into added time, it was anybody's guess as to which team would emerge victorious, but neither side would find that match-wining goal as the game ended in a scoreless draw.
Attendance: 10,296 (530 away)
Yellow: Riley, Dodds, El-Abd, Ricketts, Stevenson, Harries, Gadzhev, Toney
Teams
Coventry City: Charles-Cook (GK), Ricketts (C), Willis, Harries, Page, Stevenson, Rose, Lameiras (Spence 66’) , Jones (Tudgay 55’), Reid (K. Thomas 74’).
Subs: Burge (GK), Di. Kelly-Evans, Finch, Haynes.
Shrewsbury Town: Leutwiler (GK), Riley, McGivern, Toney, Dodds, O’Brien, Brown, Sarcevic (Black 46'), Deegan, El-Abd (C), Jones.
Subs: Halstead (GK), Sadler, Lancashire, Ogogo, Whalley, Mangan.