PREVIEW: Coventry City v Grimsby Town - The Sky Blues face Grimsby Town as they enter their final five home games of the season

City welcome Grimsby to the Ricoh Arena...

23 March 2018

Venue: Ricoh Arena

Competition: Sky Bet League Two

Date: Saturday, March 24th

Kick-off: 3pm

The Sky Blues welcome a Grimsby Town side to the Ricoh Arena who are yet to win a game since the turn of the year are are without a win on the road since November.

Manager Michael Jolley has only been at Blundell Park for three weeks in his second role as a first team manager after a spell at AFC Eskilstuna last season.

In his first game in charge the 40-year-old earnt his side a 1-1 draw with Port Vale. Impressive, when you consider the side has picked up just three points in fourteen games prior to his appointment.

The Sky Blues remain without Tom Davies (collar bone), Jordan Maguire-Drew (appendix) and Jordan Willis (ankle) willl all miss-out through injury. Jodi Jones (ACL) and Tony Andreu (ACL) both remain out with their long-term injuries.

Grimsby are hoping to have Mallik Wilks back after the forward scored two for the reserves on his return from a hamstring injury.

While Gary McSheffrey could be set to make his first start, Luke Summerfield, Karleigh Osborne and Simeon Jackson are still out.

The Opponents

During his time with the Mariners, former City boss Russel Slade brought with him defender Nathan Clarke to Blundell Park, who featured 18 times for the Sky Blues during last season’s campaign. Partnering him at the back are fellow experienced heads: Danny Collins and Ben Davies, who share nearly 1000 league appearances between them, with Collins playing over 100 games in the Premier League for Stoke City and Sunderland.

Number ten for the Mariners is a player who needs no introduction for Coventry fans. McSheffrey made 281 appearances in Sky Blue over two spells, scoring 72 goals along the way, enough to make him City's ninth all-time goal scorer.

Alongside him up-front will likely be former Aberdeen striker Scott Vernon who enjoyed a successful League Two campaign with the Lincolnshire club last season. The tall striker brings with him a very different threat to McSheffrey and could be one to watch on Saturday.

Earlier this season

The Sky Blues made it back-to-back win thanks to goals from Marc McNulty and Jack Grimmer as City claim a 2-0 victory at Blundell Park.

McNulty gave Coventry the lead in controversial fashion just after the hour mark before Grimmer’s bullet header capped off the performance with fifteen minutes to go.

Tony Andreu was given his debut late on as City climbed to the top of the table in SkyBet League Two.

Grimsby's Away Form

L - 1-3 v Lincoln City

L - 0-2 v Carlisle United

L - 1-3 v Cambridge Untied

L - 0-3 v Crawley Town

L - 0-3 v Yeovil Town

D - 1-1 Colchester United

Match Previews

Match Reports

REPORT: Coventry City 4-0 Grimsby Town - McNulty hat-trick seals a comfortable City win

Peter Vincenti and Marc McNulty on target for the Sky Blues...

24 March 2018

The Sky Blues have beaten Grimsby Town 4-0 at the Ricoh Arena thanks to an opener from Peter Vincenti and a hat-trick from top-scorer Marc McNulty.

Vincenti's opener was followed by a remarkable second half hat-trick to send McNulty's goal tally into the twenties.

Mark Robins' side now climb to sixth in SkyBet League Two and are six-points behind the automatic promotion places with a game in hand.

McNulty started the afternnon just four goals away from being City's record goal-scorer in a single season for twenty-five years, and almost crept even further towards that record after just nine minutes. A quick give-and-go with Tom Bayliss found him inside the area and curling the ball towards the far corner with his left - but for a timely block by Grimsby skipper Danny Collins.

The visitors were yet to win a game this year, but new boss Michael Jolley had clearly injected some life into the side, adding former Coventry favourite Gary McSheffrey to his attack and the number ten was looking as lively as ever.

Peter Vincenti had only scored once for the Sky Blues at the start of the month, but the former Rochdale man made it back-to-back goals at the Ricoh Arena just before half-time as City took the lead.

Grimsby were not looking menacing and Mark Robins' side capitalised ten minutes after the break. Michael Doyle won the ball in midfield and played a pin-point ball over the top for Clarke-Harris. The striker's first touch was immaculate - and allowed him to calmly slot the ball across McKeown's goal and into the path of McNulty who would have found it harder to miss.

McNulty was not done yet, though. The former Blades striker saw his close-range effort saved by McKeown from point-blank range before delicately nodding in the rebound. City were three goals to the good.

As the final whistle approached McNulty completed his hat-trick with a stunning strike on the turn. Kyel Reid's deep cross was met ferociously by the 25-year-olds right foot, as he blasted it into the far corner.

It was four; It was City's biggest win of the season.

Goals: Vincenti 36', McNulty 56', 76' & 87'.

Attendance: 8,755 (Away: 878).

Yellows:

Reds:

Sky Blues Xl: Burge (GK), Grimmer, Hyam, McDonald, Haynes, Vincenti (Reid 74'), Doyle, Bayliss (Kelly 73'), Shipley, McNulty, Clarke-Harris (Biamou 75').

Subs: O'Brien (GK), Stokes, Barrett, Ponticelli.

Grimsby Town Xl: McKeown (GK), Davies, McAllister (Berrett 61'), Collins (C), McSheffrey, Mills, Clifton, Wilks (Vernon 57'), Fox, Woolford (Jaiyesimi 61'), Dembele.

Subs: Killip (GK), Clarke, Jaiyesimi, Matt, Hall-Johnson

Match Reports

Standings