Will Roberts and Billy Daniels score in a 2-1 win at St. Andrews
Coventry City Under-21's secured a terrific away win at Birmingham City thanks to Billy Daniels' second-half strike.
Akwasi Asante had put the home side ahead but goals either side of the break from Will Roberts and Billy Daniels secured the win.
Development Coach Lee Carsley named a strong side to face the Blues but it was the home side who took an early lead.
Despite an early opening for Shaun Jeffers, Joe Henderson lost possession to Akwasi Asante at the back and he raced on goal to finish into the bottom corner past Chris Dunn in the 4th minute.
City thought they had equalised in the 11th minute when good work from Callum Ball lead to Danny Philliskirk crossing for Shaun Jeffers, but Colin Doyle somehow saved his diving header.
Asante almost doubled the home side’s lead when he got on the end of a Emmitt Delfouneso low cross but Jordan Clarke’s excellent sliding challenge in the six-yard box denied him in the 16th minute.
Whilst Birmingham controlled much of the play in the first 30 minutes, Philliskirk and Ball provided a constant threat on the break.
Blues fielded a side which included first team players Darren Ambrose and Morgaro Gomis, and it was Ambrose who turned inside from the right before seeing his low drive hit the post in the 26th minute.
Carsley’s side got a deserved equaliser just past the half-hour when the lively Philliskirk broke down the left and he picked out Will Roberts in the area who found the bottom corner.
After the half-time break, it was Coventry who asserted themselves on the game and looked the most likely to score. Philliskirk continued to find gaps in the Birmingham defence and he forced a good save out of Doyle with his fierce shot from the right.
From the resulting corner, Darren Ambrose cleared a towering Jordan Willis header off the line as Carsley’s side went in search of the winner.
Derby loanee Ball had a low-drive saved by Doyle in the 66th minute before Billy Daniels put City ahead in the 71st minute.
After playing a neat one-two with Philliskirk on the edge of the area, Daniels rifled home a low shot into the bottom corner from 20 yards.
Koby Arthur forced Chris Dunn into a smart save as his close-range shot took a deflection off Jordan Clarke in the 76th minute.
Darren Ambrose missed a great chance to equalise for Birmingham but he could only put his effort over the bar from Arthur’s cutback from the left with two minutes to go.
Teams
Coventry City: Dunn, J Clarke, Willis, Henderson, Haynes, Roberts, Daniels, Ruffels, Jeffers, Philliskirk, Ball (Maund 86)
Subs: Lawton, Garner, Rankin, Finch
Birmingham City: Doyle, Higgins, Bell, Mullins, Fry (Gnahore 86), Delfouneso, Arthur, Gomis, Asante (Deaman 60), Hales, Ambrose
Subs: Townsend, Adams, Truslove