Both City goals were scored in the first-half as the Sky Blues claimed victory over local Warwickshire side Nuneaton Town...
Tony Mowbray's side opened their preseason account with a 2-1 win over non-league neighbours Nuneaton Town, as first-half goals from forward pairing Ruben Lameiras and Devon Kelly-Evans proved decisive.New signing Marvin Sordell entered the field at half-time to make his first appearance in a Coventry City shirt and was among the chances as he saw a volleyed effort rebound off the crossbar and a header float just wide.
Both goalkeepers, Lee Burge and Reice Charles-Cook were called in to action in their respective 45-minute halves, with both pulling off fine saves to reduce the Nuneaton scoring tally to one solitary goal.
Newly re-signed Sam Ricketts and Marcus Tudgay began the first 45, as Mowbray elected to mix youth with experience. The particularly impressive Jacob Whitmore and Ryan Haynes gave City plenty of first-half width, with Haynes providing Lameiras with the assist for the opening goal.
The 20-year old - who spent the backend of last season on loan at Cambridge United - carried the ball down the left flank and found Lameiras who had worked himself a yard of space. With the pairing having combined well for most of the half, Lameiras was able to expertly dispatch the cutback in to the top righthand corner of the net, putting City one ahead.
Six minutes later Devon Kelly-Evans doubled the visitors lead, as he pounced on a mistake by the Nuneaton goalkeeper. Having shown great desire to chase the ball down, the teenager dispossessed De La Pas and slotted in to an empty net.
Jodi Jones and George Thomas partnered Marvin Sordell in an attacking three in the second-half, with Jones in particular a threat going forward. Vladimir Gadzhev also showed promise, displaying his range and depth of passing from midfield.
Jordan Willis looked authoritative and commanding from the back, wearing the captains armband for the second-half City side, and gave a strong defensive performance as he returns from a longterm knee injury.
Having dominated possession during both halves of the game, City were punished late on as Nuneaton Town's Luke Shorthouse grabbed a consolation goal for the home side. Sordell perhaps had the best sight of goal for City during the second-half, but couldn't convert to leave the score 2-1 in favour of the visitors.
Attendance: 1,675.
Teams
Coventry City first XI: Burge (GK), Vincelot, Ricketts (C), Leahy, Whitmore, Maycock, Rose, Haynes, Lameiras, Tudgay, Dev. Kelly-Evans.
Coventry City second XI: Charles-Cook (GK), Willis (C), Harries, Finch, Di. Kelly-Evans (Spence 71'), Gadzhev, Stevenson, Shipley (Sayoud 73'), Thomas, Jones, Sordell.