City fall just short against the Lions despite Shaun Miller scoring from distance in the first half...
Coventry City Under-21s lost 2-1 to Millwall at the Ricoh Arena in a closely fought encounter.JP Rylah gave Millwall the lead before Shaun Miller equalised for the Sky Blues just before half-time. Kyron Farrell scored the winner for the Lions with five minutes remaining.
The first chance came six minutes in when Alfie Pavey intercepted Ryan Haynes' pass and bore down on goal. Haynes did brilliantly to get across and stop Pavey from getting a shot away.
The Lions had another chance four minutes later, when Jamie Philpott had an effort from the edge of the area saved comfortably by keeper Jake Richards.
Shaun Miller was looking lively up front for the Sky Blues, looking to latch onto a final ball from the midfield. The trialist featured in the opening stages too, showing a good turn of pace on a number of occasions.
Just after a quarter of an hour Miller fed a lofted ball through to Bassala Sambou who dragged his shot wide of the goal.
Just before the half an hour mark Miller went for an audacious lob from 40 yards as he saw Tom King off his line, but the ball sailed harmlessly over.
JP Rylah gave the Lions the lead on the half hour mark when he hit a sweet strike that went across Richards and into the far corner.
The Sky Blues were doing their best to get back in the game and Jack Finch had a half chance seven minutes before the break when he hit a low drive that took a deflection, but King saved comfortably.
Miller nearly equalised for the hosts two minutes later when he headed Finch's excellent delivery just wide.
On the stroke of half time Sambou got the end of the trialist's corner but King stopped the ball on the goal line, despite appeals from the forward that the ball had crossed the line.
City equalised with one of the last kicks of the half. Millers cross-cum-shot took a deflection and looped over King and into the far corner.
Eight minutes into the second half and Miller missed a glorious chance to give City the lead. He sprang the Millwall offside trap and cut inside from the left, but his shot went high and wide.
It was an even second half with chances being at a premium. Subsitute George Thomas blazed over with 20 minutes to go after good work from Sambou.
With nine minutes remaining City nearly took the lead in bizarre fashion when substitute Kyle Spence's cross hit a Lions player, which in turn hit the trialist and early crept over the line, King frantically grasping the ball.
Five minutes remained and Millwall regained the lead. Kyron Farrell picked up the ball on the edge of the box and curled his shot past Richards, who had no chance.
There were no further chances and City tasted defeat in a close game at the Ricoh Arena.
Teams
Coventry City U21s: Richards (GK), Phillips, Lawton, Harries, Haynes, Thomas, Bangura, Finch, Miller (G. Thomas 65'), Trialist, Sambou (Spence 75').
Subs: Addai (GK), Dev. Kelly-Evans.
Millwall U21s: King, Siaf, Casey, Thompson, Wood, Parr, Rylah, Powell (Eze 70'), Pavey, Philpott, Farrell.
Subs: Bray, Girling, Brown, Ndjoli.