City suffer defeat on the road as the Addicks claim all three points at the Valley...
The Sky Blues were denied back-to-back away victories after suffering defeat against Charlton Athletic at the Valley.
Ricky Holmes’ first half strike had put the Addicks ahead, before Ademola Lookman and Josh Magennis added late goals to seal the victory for Charlton.
The home side began the game on the front foot with promising youngster Lookman and striker Magennis causing problems for the Sky Blues. An Addicks corner, won by Magennis, was swung in by Lookman and Patrick Bauer rose highest to head against the post, via a deflection inside the six-yard box.
City could have been ahead shortly after through defender Jamie Sterry. Ruben Lameiras drove at the Charlton defence, beating one man before returning it to the overlapping Sterry. He drove into the box and fired a shot past the goalkeeper, but only into the side netting.
Lameiras was again at the centre of the Sky Blues’ attacking play. A lovely Gael Bigirimana flick found the forward, who brought it back onto his left foot before firing goalwards. Addicks ‘keeper Rudd looked beaten, but the effort came crashing back off the post.
Charlton took the lead shortly after through midfielder Holmes. A cleared corner was lofted back into the Sky Blues box, and despite calls for offside from the visitors, Holmes had space to turn and poke the ball past Lee Burge to give the home side narrow advantage.
Buoyed by their opening goal, Charlton went in search of a second before half time. Goalscorer Holmes put a teasing ball across the six-yard box, and Magennis was inches away from making contact.
The Sky Blues began the second half well, and a period of sustained pressure very nearly brought the equaliser. Successive corners were put into the Charlton box, and when the ball fell to Chris McCann only a superb Rudd save denied the midfielder his second goal in as many league games.
Despite the sustained City pressure, Charlton should have double their advantage on the hour mark. Midfielder Fredrik Ulvestad slipped a ball through to Lee Novak, but he couldn’t beat Burge as the ‘keeper rushed out to deny the striker.
Mark Venus looked to freshen the attack for City with a double change, as Kyel Reid and Jodi Jones entered the action, but it was Charlton who nearly wrapped up the three points. Holmes’ in-swinging free kick found the head of Magennis, who was denied by Burge once again as he produced a fantastic save to deny the frontman.
City continued to push men forward in search of an equaliser, but Charlton were not to be denied a second as they caught the Sky Blues on the counter attack. Magennis won the ball off Jordan Turnbull and put it on a plate for Lookman to all but seal the three points for the Addicks.
The home side wrapped it up not long after, the tireless Magennis racing onto a ball over the top to lift it over Burge and into the City net to add Charlton’s third of the afternoon.
Attendance: 11,406 (1,387)
Yellow: McCann, Holmes
Teams
Coventry City: Burge (GK), Sterry, Willis (C) (Reid 65'), Turnbull, Page (Ricketts 24'), Stevenson, McCann, Bigirimana, Lameiras, Wright (Jones 65'), Sordell.
Subs: Charles-Cook (GK), Gadzhev, Agyei, Tudgay.
Charlton Athletic: Rudd (GK), Solly (C), Bauer, Pearce, Fox, Crofts, Ulvestad, Holmes (Hanlan 86'), Lookman, Novak (Jackson 71'), Magennis.
Subs: Phillips (GK), Chicksen, Lennon, Konsa, Ajose.