The Sky Blues make it four wins from their final five League One games, as Adam Armstrong completes the celebrations with his 20th goal...
Coventry City confidently dispatched Oldham Athletic 2-0, on the day Adam Armstrong signed off Sky Blue duty with his 20th goal of the season.
After 12 games without netting, Armstrong broke his goal drought in impressive style to cap a wonderful season spent in the West Midlands. Romain Vincelot had put the Sky Blues ahead with a well directed header from a Murphy corner.
The Norwich loanee was the provider again for Armstrong, as he slipped the ball through to Armstrong who turned his defender and slotted beneath keeper Joel Coleman.
Tony Mowbray included four bright performers from Coventry City’s U21s side in the matchday squad for the trip to Oldham Athletic. Cian Harries was the surprise selection of the day - with Aaron Martin ruled out through injury - the 19-year old centre-half was thrown in to the starting XI for his senior debut.
George Thomas retained his place up top, whiles Ben Stevenson and Dion Kelly-Evans were included on the Sky Blues’ bench.
Coventry City started brightly, with the wingback formation allowing Any Rose and Stephen Hunt to advance down the flanks. Ruben Lameiras was also involved in plenty of early action, causing issue with his pace and trickery, and consequently winning a succession of free-kicks on the edge of the Oldham area.
Adam Armstrong took the second of them, as he went in search of that seemingly elusive 20th goal. His curled effort went a yard high of the crossbar, but gave the Sky Blues the impetus to drive the ball in to their attacking third.
Reice Charles-Cook was called in to action on the quarter hour mark, as his acrobatics produced a fine save from a Liam Kelly header. The home skipper looked almost certain to head his side in to the lead, but for the outstretched glove of Charles-Cook who tipped the ball to safety.
Moments later, Adam Armstrong had the chance to add to his City goal tally for the season and break the 20-goal barrier. The frontman rounded the Oldham goalkeeper in impressive fashion, before Timothee Dieng recovered to make a latch ditch tackle.
As if fate were tempting him in, Armstrong rounded the keeper for the second time on the 43rd minute. His touch took him slightly wide of the goal, as he played a square ball for strike parter George Thomas but the youngster fired over.
A second City debutant was introduced at the half-way point, with Dion Kelly-Evans replacing Andy Rose at right fullback. Vladimir Gadzhev and Jacob Murphy completed the second-half substitutions as City looked to add something extra in attack.
It wasn’t long before Murphy made his presence felt, as his inviting corner was met by an assertive Romain Vincelot head to put the visitors one ahead on the 75th minute. City were now making their dominance in possession count, with Murphy flying down the wing and beating players on every occasion.
Sky Blues fans were willing Armstrong on again in the 80th minute as Gadzhev found the striker on the edge of the Oldham 18-yard. Armstrong engineered a yard of space on his left foot, before his shot was smothered by the Oldham defence.
Merely a minute later, the Newcastle loanee was rewarded for all his efforts this season by capping his final City appearance with a well deserved 20th goal. Electrifying pace from Murphy and wonderful vision to find Armstrong, the striker beat the offside trap and cooly slotted beneath Coleman to double the lead for City.
It finished 2-0 to the Sky Blues, making it four wins from their final five League One games. City finish in eighth place, on 69 points - their highest tally since the ‘3 points for a win’ ruling came in.
Teams
Coventry City: Charles-Cook (GK), Harries, Stephens, Vincelot (C), Rose (Kelly-Evans 45’), Hunt (Murphy 75’), Fleck, Bigirimana, Lameiras (Gadzhev 60’), Thomas, Armstrong.
Subs: Addai (GK), Jones, Stevenson, Tudgay.
Oldham Athletic: Coleman (GK), Dieng, Wilson, Kelly (C), Poleon, Forte, Winchester, Gerrard, Wilson, Main, Dummigan.
Subs: Cornell (GK), Brown, Mills, Croft, Jones, Cassidy, Edmundson.