City concede three goals in the first 45 minutes as they come away empty handed against Oxford United...
The Sky Blues suffered defeat on the road after a disappointing display against Oxford United at the Kassam Stadium.
Kane Hemmings scored the first before his deflected effort cannoned off Jamie Sterry to double their advantage. Chris Maguire scored from the penalty spot and Alex Macdonald added a fourth in what was a day to forget for the away side. Marcus Tudgay netted a consolation from the penalty spot after Sterry was tripped in the box, but it will be of little comfort to the 1,500 travelling City contingent.
Oxford started brightly as they looked to gain an advantage in the opening minutes. Maguire escaped down the left and put in a low cross towards Hemmings. The striker looked to hit it first time towards goal, but Lewis Page was there to block his effort.
The home side continued to come forward and nearly took the lead from a set piece. A cleared corner fell to defender Chey Dunkley and his goalbound effort look destined to find the net until Gael Bigirimana intervened and cleared it off the line.
The early pressure soon told as Oxford took the lead. Maguire brought down a long ball forward fantastically and it fell to Hemmings, through on goal the striker placed the ball under Lee Burge for the early advantage.
After a frantic opening ten minutes the game began to settle, but it was the home side still in the ascendancy. The tireless Hemmings held the ball up well and fed it into the path of Macdonald. The midfielder took once touch before flashing it across the face of goal, narrowly missing the far post.
Oxford would not have to wait long for a second goal as Hemmings was again causing the City defence problems. He twisted and turned inside the area before his effort hit the back of Jamie Sterry and the fullback couldn't prevent the ball from rolling over the line.
Things quickly turned from bad to worse for the Sky Blues as a Lewis Page foul inside the area gave Oxford a chance to add a third. Inevitably, Maguire stepped up and placed it into the bottom corner to give City a mountain to climb.
Oxford nearly added a fourth before the break, but Burge somehow denied Hemmings a second goal of the day with a fantastic close range save.
Cian Harries replaced Ben Stevenson at the break, and the move to three at the back seemed to gain a response. Andre Wright and Page linked up well down the left before the defender pulled it back to Ruben Lameiras, but his effort was well blocked.
The Sky Blues continued to go in search of their first goal, and went close through Vladimir Gadzhev. The Bulgarian advanced from midfield before bending an effort just over from 25 yards.
Despite City pressure at the start of the second half, Oxford wrapped up the three points on the hour mark. Maguire found space down the left and pulled it back towards Macdonald. The midfielder took one touch and bent it into the bottom corner to add a fourth goal.
Marcus Tudgay scored a consolation goal in injury time, finishing from 12 yards after Jamie Sterry was fouled inside the area.
Attendance: 9,199 (1477)
Yellow: Ledson, Hall, Skarz.
Teams
Coventry City: Burge (GK), Sterry, Willis (C), Turnbull, Page, Bigirimana, Stevenson (Harries 45'), Gadzhev (Maycock 68'), Wright, Lameiras (Tudgay 68'), Sordell.
Subs: Charles-Cook (GK), Agyei, Jones, Reid.
Oxford United: Eastwood (GK), Skarz (Ruffels 81'), Lundstram (C), Nelson, Maguire, Macdonald, Hemmings, Edwards, Hall (Thomas 57') (Roberts 68'), Ledson, Dunkley.
Subs: Buchel (GK), Taylor, Raglan, Welch-Hayes.