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COVENTRY City moved one point closer to the top six with a well earned point at home to Plymouth Argyle. Pilgrims defender Kari Arnason gave the visitors the lead on the stroke of half time with a glancing header off of Damien Johnson's free kick. Michael McIndoe though picked the perfect time to get his first goal for the Sky Blues, sweeping home an equaliser just three minutes after the interval. Sammy Clingan's 4th minute half volley caught a deflection to hand the Sky Blues the first corner of the afternoon and the Northern Irish international obliged with a whipped in delivery across the six-yard box which marginally evaded Carl Baker's boot. Jamie Mackie managed the visitors' first effort at goal four minutes later, dragging an effort wide from 20 yards out. Clinton Morrison nearly sliced open the Argyle defence on 13 minutes with a delicate through ball to strike partner Jonathan Stead only for goalkeeper David Stockdale to get there first. Plymouth came closest to the opener though after 20 minutes when Mackie found a way through and fired from an acute angle eight yards out only for City shot stopper Keiren Westwood to push the ball over his bar. McIndoe went close seven minutes later, Baker doing well on the left and swinging a ball in for the Scotsman who pushed a header across the face of goal and just wide of Stockdale's far post. Morrison displayed a superb piece of back-to-goal play soon after, taking down a high ball and shooting on the turn only to pull his shot wide and marginally over the bar. But it was the visitors who took the lead with virtually the last action of the first half when Arnason glanced a header into the net off Johnson's free kick, won after City skipper Stephen Wright was adjudged to have fouled Mackie while contesting a high ball. It took the Sky Blues just three minutes after the break to get back on level terms though, Baker swinging in a ball across the six-yard area which first evaded half-time substitute Gary Deegan but fell to McIndoe to sweep a shot through the legs of Stockdale at the back post. Stead forced a solid stop out of Stockdale on 55 minutes, taking a great first touch with his back to goal on the edge of the Argyle area before turning and firing at 'keeper who did well to hold onto the ball. The Sky Blues needed the stray leg of Clingan to keep them on level terms six minutes after the hour when Argyle skipper Carl Fletcher received a ball in the City area and swung a shot which was heading goalwards but for Clingan's block. But Coventry went even closer on 73 minutes, going a bootlace away from taking the lead when Stead fired a powerful effort across the face of goal from a tight angle and McIndoe sliding in almost on the goalline but just missing the vital touch needed to direct the ball into the net. A nervous four minutes of injury time then saw Plymouth twice denied off the back of a corner by some desperate Sky Blues defending, first youngster Yannick Bolasie's shot blocked by two City bodies and then Mackie whose effort was shepherded away for a corner. It was hearts in mouths at the other end straight afterwards though when substitute Freddy Eastwood's header was clawed away from the top corner of the Argyle goal by Stockdale. All in all an exciting end to an entertaining game which saw the Sky Blues move one point closer to the top six. Attendance: 18,127 (734 visitors) Teams Coventry City: Westwood, Wright (c) (Hall 45), Cranie, Wood, McPake, Gunnarsson (Deegan 45), Clingan, Baker, McIndoe, Morrison (Eastwood 89), Stead Plymouth Argyle: Stockdale, Duguid, Fletcher (c), Clark, Johnson, Mackie, Wright-Phillips (Mason 73), Arnason, Barker, Eckersley (Sawyer 56), Bolasie |
