PREVIEW: Sky Blues Begin Leasing.com Campaign

City entertain Walsall tonight...

3 September 2019

The Sky Blues begin their Leasing.com Trophy campaign on Tuesday as they entertain Darrell Clarke’s Walsall side at St Andrews. Here is all you need to know about the opposition.

Fact File

Name: Walsall Football Club

Nickname: The Saddlers

Founded: 1888

Stadium: Banks’s Stadium, originally known as Bescot Stadium

Address: Bescot Crescent, Walsall, WS1 4SA

Capacity: 11,300

Pitch dimensions: 110 x 73 yards

The Opposition

After last season’s relegation to Sky Bet League 2, Walsall began the season well with an opening day victory at Northampton. However, since the first win the Saddlers have since failed to pick up another victory with two draws and three defeats in the league; the most recent coming at home in Saturdays 3-1 defeat to Grimsby.

A 3-0 defeat at Plymouth as well as a 1-0 defeat at Crewe means Walsall sit 21^st in the Sky Bet League Two Table with five points having scored three goals and conceding eight.

In the Checkatrade Trophy last season, now known as The Leasing.com Trophy, Walsall qualified as runners up from group E alongside Port Vale but were eventually knocked out in the second round at Shrewsbury Town.

Manager

Darrell Clarke was appointed Walsall manger on a three-year deal in May 2019 after managing over 400 games with Sailsbury City and Bristol Rovers.

Clarke began his time in professional football as a player for his home town club Mansfield Town, where he made over 150 league appearances.

He also had spells with Hartlepool United, Rochdale and Sailsbury Town where he became player manager in 2010.

Clarke enjoyed immediate success as he led Sailsbury to promotion from the Southern League Premier Division with a penalty shootout victory over Hednesford.

In the following season he made history with the club as Sailsbury went on a club- record cup run to the FA cup third round where they faced Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.

With an impressive 84 wins from 157 games, Clarke joined Bristol Rovers as assistant manager to John Ward in June 2013 and was appointed manager the following March.

Despite relegation after his appointment, Clarke guided Bristol back to the football league at the first attempt which was then followed with a third-place finish in League Two resulting in back to back promotions.

Over the next two seasons Rovers finished 10^th and 13^th in League One before Clarke left the job in December 2018.

Last six games

Drew- Walsall 1-1 Forest Green

Lost- Walsall 2-3 Crawley

Lost- Crewe 1-0 Walsall

Drew- Walsall 0-0 Newport County

Lost- Plymouth 3-0 Walsall

Lost- Walsall 1-3 Grimsby

Last Time We Met

The Sky Blues hosted Walsall in February 2019 in Sky Bet League One with City running out 3-0 winners with goals from two former Walsall players.

Amadou Bakayoko and Jordy Hiwuala scored goals just five minutes after each other to send the Sky Blues 2-0 up at the break before a Bright Enobakhare penalty 15 minutes from the end sealed all three points.

Head to Head

Coventry wins: 23

Draws: 15

Walsall wins: 15

Club Connections:

Amadou Bakayoko

Bakayoko began his youth career in Dutch football however he was offered his first professional contract at Walsall and made his debut on 5^th April 2014 against Port Vale.

He made 93 appearances for the Saddlers over five years as well as loan spells at Southport and Worcester scoring 13 goals in total.

In August 2018 Bakayoko joined the Sky Blues and featured 31 times in the league last season scoring seven goals.

The forward has made seven appearances so far this season, scoring a single goal.

Jordy Hiwula

Fellow attacker, and team mate, Jordy Hiwula has also featured for both Walsall and the Sky Blues during his career.

Hiwula began his career at Premier League Champions Manchester City where he scored 20 goals in 31 games for the Under- 21 side however, he never made a senior appearance for the club.

During his time at City Hiwula had loan spells at Yeovil and Walsall with his time at the Banks’s stadium being the most successful as he scored nine goals in 19 appearances.

Hiwula then made a permanent move to Huddersfield Town in 2015 however the striker fell out of favour at the club and had loan spells at four different clubs including Bradford City and Walsall for the second time.

In August 2018 Hiwula joined the Sky Blues and featured 39 times in Sky Bet League One in the 2018/19 season scoring 12 goals.

Hiwula has started all six Sky Bet League One games this season scoring one goal.

Match Officials

Will Finnie will be the man in the middle for Tuesday’s clash with Walsall.

Finnie has been in charge of three games this season showing 10 yellow cards and no reds.

He will be assisted by David Benton and David Plowright whilst Ian Smedley will act as fourth official.

Match Previews

Match Reports

REPORT: Sky Blues 0-0 Walsall- City win 5-4 on penalties

Sky Blues pick up bonus point after penalty shoot-out win...

3 September 2019

The Sky Blues opened their Leasing.com Trophy campaign with a 5-4 penalty victory over Walsall after a goalless 90 minutes.

Making his first start for the Sky Blues, Tennai Watson scored the winning penalty after Ben Wilson saved Liam Kinsella’s spot kick.

After a cagey opening it was the Sky Blues who created the first opening as Amadou Bakayoko chased a long ball into the corner before muscling the Walsall defender aside, and drilling a low cross across the box to Callum O’Hare whose effort was deflected wide.

Fourteen minutes in, Bakayoko then tried his luck from the left-hand side as the forward made a driving run from the half way line and fired a ball across the six-yard line which was again cleared by the Walsall back line.

Walsall’s first chance came after 21 minutes as the ball bounced kindly for Elijah Adebayo on the edge of the penalty area but the forwards volley was tipped over the bar by Sky Blues ‘keeper Ben Wilson.

On the half an hour mark midfielder O’Hare tried his luck from 25 yards out however his effort flew over the bar.

Just moments later the Sky Blues worked a short corner to Sam McCallum who whipped in a teasing cross which was glanced on to the back post by Morgan Williams, however the angle was to tight for Gervane Kastaneer and his chested effort hit the side netting.

Ten minutes before half time Adebayo tried his luck from distance again as he curled a right footed shot towards goal, however Wilson was equal to it as he produced a fine save diving to his left to tip the ball wide for a corner.

HALF- TIME: Sky Blues 0 – 0 Walsall

Eleven minutes after the restart Walsall had their best opportunity of the game as Danny Guthrie floated a corner towards the back post which was headed back across goal by Adebayo to the unmarked Josh Gordon who planted a header over the bar from six yards out.

Walsall had another chance to break the deadlock 20 minutes before the end as Adebayo drove down the right wing before picking out substitute Rory Gaffney who failed to control the cross and the danger was cleared by Kyle McFadzean.

Adebayo continued to look lively and a few moments later the forward tried an acrobatic effort from 15 yards out but his improvised shot looped just wide of Wilson’s goal.

With just eight minutes to go Walsall midfielder Alfie Bates took aim from 20 yards after a ball broke from a corner however his effort didn’t trouble Wilson.

Just two minutes later, Sky Blues substitute Will Bapaga broke with the ball down the left before cutting inside and forcing Jack Rose into a save down low at his near post.

One minute from time, Bapaga then produced an almost identical run down the left however this time the youngster curled his shot towards the far post narrowly wide.

With the scores level after 90 minutes the tie went straight to a penalty shootout.

Goals: N/A

Penalties:

Sky Blues:

1. Max Biamou- Goal

2. Amadou Bakayoko- Miss

3. Kyle McFadzean- Miss

4. Josh Eccles- Goal

5. Will Bapaga- Goal

6. Sam McCallum- Goal

7. Tennai Watson- Goal

Walsall

1. Rory Gaffney- Miss

2. Cameron Norman- Goal

3. Elijah Adebayo- Miss

4. James Hardy- Goal

5. Gary Liddle- Goal

6. Alfie Bates- Goal

7. Liam Kinsella-Miss

Yellows: Tennai Watson 25’, Alfie Bates 38’, Cameron Pring 62’, Will Bapaga 90’.

Reds: N/A

Attendance: 1005 (Away 326)

Sky Blues XI: Ben Wilson (GK), Tennai Watson, Kyle McFadzean (C), Morgan Williams, Sam McCallum, Josh Eccles, Dan Bartlett, Callum O’Hare (Will Bapaga 75’), Charlie Wakefield (Max Biamou 78’), Amadou Bakayoko, Gervane Kastaneer (Jack Burroughs 59’).

Unused Subs: Marko Marosi, Dom Hyam, Blaine Rowe, Jonny Ngandu.

Walsall XI: Jack Rose (GK), Cameron Pring, Liam Kinsella, Josh Gordon (Rory Gaffney 66’), Elijah Adebayo, Rory Holden (Cameron Norman 67’), Danny Guthrie (James Hardy 61’), Alfie Bates, Shay Facey, Gary Liddle (C), Zak Jules.

Unused Subs: Liam Roberts (GK), Stuart Sinclair, Caolan Lavery, Callum Cockerill-Mollett.

Match Reports

Coventry City

Standings

PREVIEW: Sky Blues Begin Leasing.com Campaign

REPORT: Sky Blues 0-0 Walsall- City win 5-4 on penalties