Coventry City Academy Manager Gregor Rioch was delighted after the Under-18s recorded a 4-1 win over Sheffield United...
Coventry City Academy Manager Gregor Rioch was delighted with his young side's performance after the Under-18s recorded a 4-1 win over Sheffield United.
The Sky Blues won the game after scoring three goals in four minutes just past the half-hour in the first half.
Eli Bako found time and space just outside the area to put in Courtney Baker-Richardson through on goal to put City ahead in the 33rd minute.
Just a minute later, City doubled their lead after captain Ivor Lawton won the ball in midfield, found James Maddison just inside the area who produced a wonderful piece of skill to turn his defender and flick the ball into the bottom corner.
Baker-Richardson put City three up just two minutes later in a brilliant spell for City and Lawton netted a fourth with 15 minutes remaining to seal the win.
United did grab a late consolation in the 82nd minute but it was City's day and Rioch has praised the style of the performance.
Rioch said: "The boys have performed brilliantly against a very good Sheffield United side and in what was actually a really tight game other than the four-minute spell in the first half.
"I was really pleased with the way the boys pressed on and made it difficult for them after we scored the first. It put us on a really good platform coming into half-time, the first time this season we have been ahead at the break.
"We are always strong in the second half and we didn't drop our style of play so it made it difficult for them to come back into the game.
"Other than a late goal against us, we almost kept a clean sheet which would have been nice but the boys can be very proud with the way they performed.
"It gives us a real platform now to press on and perform to those standards every week."