Sky Blues surrender lead to lose to Boro
Coventry City suffered defeat at the hands of Stevenage after surrendering an early lead at the Ricoh Arena.
David McGoldrick opened the scoring with a piledriver from 20 yards after ten minutes but Shroot levelled for the visitors 11 minutes later against the run of play with substitute Marcus Haber grabbing the winner for the visitors with 20 minutes to go.
Caretaker boss Richard Shaw rung four changes to his side with Jordan Clarke, Adam Barton, Stephen Elliott and William Edjenguele all returning to the first team fold in place of Cyrus Christie, Reece Brown, Cody McDonald and Gary McSheffrey who all featired in Tuesday night's Johnstone's Paint Trophy clash with Burton Albion.
City almost got off to the perfect start in the first minute when Clarke's cross from the right dropped into the six-yard area where Elliott threw his head at the ball only to just miss a connection and what would have been a certain opener from three yards out.
Edjenguele was next in line for a chance at goal three minutes later when Carl Baker's corner delivery to the far post evaded the flapped atempt at a clearance from Stevenage 'keeper Chris Day and found the City central defender at the back post but he could only tap wide.
The Sky Blues thought they had finally found there breakthrough after eight minutes when David McGoldrick bullied his way inside the six-yard area and fired home only for his strike to be ruled out for a foul.
There was no such argument about his stunning opener though two minutes later when he cut inside two defenders before rifling a drive, a shad over 20 yards, into the top corner of the net.
City's lead was relatively shortlived though when, against the run of play, Adam Barton was dispossessed in midfield by James Dunne whose through ball found Luke Freeman to shoot at goal.
Joe Murphy made the save from the initial shot but could only parry the ball into the path of Shroot who fired home from 12 yards after 21 minutes.
McGoldrick very nearly reinstated City's lead three minutes later though when, after good work from Carl Baker to win the ball by the touchline, the City striker picked the ball up and fired from 20 yards, his shot going just over the bar.
Elliott then thought he'd got City's second when, on 26 minutes, he found the ball at his feet in the six-yard area and turned the ball home, this time though the goal being disallowed for offside.
Stevenage were inches away from a second of their own just after the half hour when Lucas Akins got the better of a tussle with Chris Hussey and poked the ball into the path of Patrick Agyemang whose first attempted finish came off the inside of the post and then off Murphy's back before trickling just wide of the post.
McGoldrick had another chance to put City ahead on the hour mark when Richard Wood's shot from the edge of the area deflected into the path of the striker who threw the full force of his body behind a header which was palmed away by Day.
Wood went close from the resulting corner when he connected with Baker's cross at the back post but guided the ball just over the bar.
McGoldrick was involved again on 65 minutes when he showed a great first touch to bring down a long ball from William Edjenguele before playing in Elliott whose shot was fired into the side netting.
Stevenage had another chance to take the lead on 69 minutes when Freeman played a through ball for Darius Charles who tried an audacious one-on-one chip over Muprhy, the City 'keeper palming the ball over the bar.
The visitors were ahead from the resulting corner though which was swung in for substitute Haber to head home off the underside of the crossbar which handed the visitors all three points.
Attendance: 9,458 (461 away)
Teams
Coventry City: Murphy, Hussey (McDonald 75), Clarke, Woood, Edjenguele, Baker, Barton (Thomas 70), Jennings, Kilbane (c), Elliott (Ball 85), McGoldrick
Subs: Dunn (GK), Brown, McSheffrey, Daniels
Stevenage: Day, Gray, Charles, Ashton (N'Gala 45), Grant, Dunne, Akins, Roberts (c), Freeman, Agyemang (Haber 63), Shroot (Risser 45)
Subs: Arnold (GK), Tansey, Comminges, Lopez
Bookings: Kilbane (COV), Jennings (COV), Gray (STE)