|
SECOND half strikes from Jonathan Stead and Sammy Clingan brought the Sky Blues to within three points of the play-offs with a vital win over Scunthorpe at the Ricoh Arena. Stead opened the scoring for the Sky Blues on his home debut nine minutes after the interval and Clingan got a second with a superb free kick on 68 minutes. Iron substitute Grant McCann made it a tense closing period with a strike eight minutes from time but City managed to hang on to make it six wins from seven at home. The Sky Blues put Scunthorpe under some early pressure, Clinton Morrison holding the ball up well in the Iron area on three minutesand only just failing to get a shot off on the turn. Paul Hayes registered the visitors' first effort on target after nine minutes with a low shot from 15 yards that did not trouble City 'keeper Keiren Westwood. Stead thought he was in on goal after 15 minutes after dispossessing David Mirfin on the edge of his area. The City striker struck straight at the legs of Joe Murphy but it did not matter as the referee had already ruled his challenge on Mirfin as a foul. A clever set piece saw Morrison go close two minutes later, a deep free-kick from Clingan headed back into the box on the by-line from Stead for Morrison who made the best of an awkward bounce and hooked his half volley across the goalmouth and wide. Clingan went close with an effort of his own from a dead ball on 21 minutes after Carl Baker was fouled by Marcus Williams 20 yards out, the Northern Ireland international curling a shot over the wall but straight at Murphy. He was inches wided a minute later, shooting from the edge of the area after being teed up by Michael McIndoe only slice his shot marginally wide. A well worked flowing move from the away side three minutes before the half hour saw Martin Cranie and Leon Barnett have to launch themselves to block Hayes' effort from the edge of the area. But City hit right back on the next counter-attack, Aron Gunnarsson's long range forcing a great save out of Murphy who had to tip the ball over his bar. Gunnarsson also dragged an effort wide after 29 minutes, running through the centre from midfield and receiving a through ball from Morrison only to drag his effort across goal while under pressure from Mirfin and Michael Raynes. The Sky Blues were lining up for a crack at goal on the half hour mark, Morrison doing well to hold up the ball again, this time choosing to lay the ball on for Baker who fired over the bar from a tight angle. City had a mini scare four minutes later when a pass intercepted by Gary Hooper found its way to the feet of the onrushing Sam Togwell who could only stab his shot wide of Westwood's near post. McIndoe went inches from scoring the opener a minute later when Martin Cranie's volley from 25 yards was hit into the ground, the ball bouncing up for McIndoe to head a glancing touch at goal only to see it roll beyond the reach of Murphy but the wrong side of the far post. Baker had the Coventry crowd up on their feet on 37 minutes with a superb run past three defenders before dragging his low effort from 18 yards wide of the post. He then provided an almost inch-perfect delivery across the face of goal with five minutes of the first half to go, Stead sticking a leg out with the ball needing just the feintest of touches only to see it whizz past just inches away from his boot. Scunthorpe started the second half with a free-kick in a dangerous position a yard outside the City area although Wright could only curl it over the bar. Baker then went close at the other end a minute later with a volley he lashed just wide of the foot of Murphy's far post. The Sky Blues were deservedly ahead after 54 minutes though when Stead fired home from just inside the Scunthorpe Area. Some great play on the touchline between the tall forward and Baker allowed the latter to cut Stead in with a pass for him to dribble just inside the area and fire through bodies and past Murphy. The game took another turn just a minute later though when Leon Barnett was dismissed for a second bookable offence after referee Paul Taylor adjudged him to have brought down Hooper in the area as he recovered from a slip. The drama continued though as Hooper stepped up to take his own penalty only for Westwood to dive to his right to deny the Iron top scorer an equaliser. The Sky Blue Aermy were treated to more seven minutes after the hour mark with another sublime free-kick from Clingan. Gunnarsson was credited with winning the free-kick after floating past two defenders before being dragged down by Matthew Sparrow, a challenge which earned the midfielder a yellow card. Clingan then stepped up on his favourite right side to curl the dead ball over the wall and past Murphy inside the top corner of his near post. The City midfielder then forced a solid stop out of Murphy on 73 minutes, picking up a ball in the centre of the pitch and continuing his run before firing at goal from the edge of the area, the Scunthorpe shot stopper managing to get in the way. Hooper should have done better with a chance with 12 minutes to go, a ball bouncing fortunately into his path only for the striker to swing at the ball eight yards out, not make a clean connection and see the ball roll wide. Some superb twisting and turning from Baker with ten minutes to go saw the wideman pull a deserved effort across the face of goal for the second time of the afternoon. The visitors refused to lie down though and cut the deficit in half with eight minutes to go, a ball pulled low into the City area allowing substitute Grant McCann to fire home from close range. Scunthorpe then thought they had an equaliser with three minutes to go, McCann's long range effort taking a deflection off Williams to loop over Westwood and into the net only for the assistant referee to flag the defender in an offside position. That was the closest the visitors got to a leveller though as the Sky Blues saw out five minutes of added time to collect a second consecutive three-point haul.
Attendance: 16,197 (489 away) Teams Coventry City: Westwood, Wright (c), Cranie, Barnett, McPake, Gunnarsson, Clingan, McIndoe, Baker, Stead (Deegan 82), Morrison (Eastwood 86) |
