Development League leaders Charlton Athletic extend their grip on the title...
City’s U23s had their second consecutive fixture at the home of the Sky Blues first-team, as the young charges set up to play Charlton Athletic at the Ricoh Arena.
Jordan Ponticelli led the line and had the home side’s best chance of the half in the 20th minute. Working as a lone frontman, Ponticelli was put through one on one with Dimitar Mitov in the Charlton net, cleverly found by Jak Hickman.
He took a touch to steady himself, and shot low, but the Charlton stopper produced a good save with his feet. The visitors had a chance of their own just before the interval, as Louis-Michael Yamfam headed over from a corner.
The No.10 found himself unmarked inside the six yard box and connected well with the delivery, but wasn’t able to direct his effort on target.
Chris Camwell tried from distance moments later, found by Jordan Shipley from a set-piece routine, but the shot was comfortably saved by Mitov.
Goalless at the break, the second 45 didn’t offer much by way of goalmouth action. Matt Carter’s volleyed effort in the 53rd minute tested Reice Charles-Cook, but the City stopper was alert to the danger and pushed it around the post.
Perhaps Charlton’s brightest player, Karlan Ahearne-Grant had the visitors best chance ten minutes from time. The ball fell rather fortuitously to him in the area, as he attempted to round Charles-Cook, but the 23-year old was alive to it and clawed the ball away from the feet of the Addicks striker.
Shipley engineered himself a chance in the dying moments, as he collected a pass from Hickman, and curled a solo effort towards the Charlton goal. The strike clipped the top of the crossbar, before flying in to the stands.
A draw looked to be a fair result, as an acrobatic save from Charles-Cook denied Ahearne-Grant once more, but there was to be a sting in the tail. Defender Jo Cummings produced the decisive touch seconds from time, converting a corner with a close range header to give the visiting side all three points.
Teams:
Coventry City: Charles-Cook (GK), Whitmore, Camwell, Bayliss (Doyle 90'), Thompson (C), Harries, Hickman, Shipley, Ponticelli, Spence (Finn 75'), Sayoud (Stedman 87').
Subs: Addai (GK), Ford.
Charlton Athletic: Mitov (GK), Barnes (C), Edwards, Dijicsteel, Cummings, Bowry, Carter (Doughty 71'), Lapslie, Ahearne-Grant, Yamfam, Hanlan.
Subs: Beeney (GK), Fox, Millar, Willis.