City remain top of League One after a solid point away to Bradford City...
Coventry City stretched their unbeaten run in League One to ten games following a tight 0-0 draw against Bradford City at the Coral Windows Stadium.
Adam Armstrong went the closest in the game when he smashed the post in the first-half, before Jacob Murphy forced an excellent save from Ben Williams late on.
John Fleck was ruled out with a slight hamstring strain, so Gael Bigirimana made his first start since returning to the club, while Ruben Lameiras and Marc-Antoine Fortune came in for Jim O’Brien and Ryan Kent after Saturday’s resounding 4-1 win over Gillingham.
The Sky Blues had the best chance of an even first-half after 20 minutes, when a good period of possession saw Jacob Murphy eventually release Adam Armstrong on the left hand side of the area, and the Newcastle United loanee smashed the right-hand post with a great left-footed effort.
City had to be defensively sound at the back and Ben Turner made a fabulous block just before the half-hour mark to deny a cross that was in the path of James Hanson for a tap in.
It was a tight first-half, but City came out the stronger at the start of the second. After a good counter attack, Murphy tested Williams with a great left footed strike from 20-yards out but the keeper dived low to palm the ball away.
Jim O’Brien then came on for Fortune and the Sky Blues had plenty of the ball but had to remain patient as the hosts kept a rigid shape to stop Tony Mowbray’s men penetrating the back-line.
But the Sky Blues were almost caught out by a long ball which found Hanson at the back-post but his volley was well saved at the near post by Reice Charles-Cook.
Ryan Kent then came on for Lameiras with just under 20 minutes to play and the flying winger was instantly involved, cutting in from the left and curling a sublime effort towards the top right corner but Williams flew across to touch the effort away.
The final minutes of the game were tense as both sides chased a late winner, but City had a great chance when Kent steamed towards the penalty area past two men, fed Murphy who got free in the area, but the winger’s attempted chip from eight-yards was well saved by Williams who came out quickly to deny the in-form Norwich loanee.
But that was the final real action as City earned a solid point which keeps them on top of the League One table.
TEAMS
Coventry City: Charles-Cook, Ricketts, Martin, Turner, Stokes, Vincelot, Bigirimana, Lameiras (Kent 71), Murphy, Armstrong, Fortune (O’Brien 58).
Subs: Burge, Phillips, Haynes, C.Thomas, Kent, Tudgay.
Bradford City: Williams, Darby, Evans (Liddle 85), N Clarke, Hanson (Bowery 74), B Clarke (Cole 74), Knott, Leigh, Reid, McArdle, McMahon.
Subs: Cracknell, Marshall, Morris, James.
Referee: N Miller
Attendance: 17,757 (631 Sky Blues fans)