City have to settle for a point after Oldham Athletic stalemate at the Ricoh...
The Sky Blues were left frustrated as a stubborn Oldham Athletic side held them to a goalless draw at the Ricoh Arena.
City seen a lot of the ball at the beginning of the game but a solid looking Oldham defensive unit limited them to mainly long-range efforts at goal. Gael Bigirimana and Jodi Jones both looked to give the Sky Blues the lead from all of 25 yards, with neither able to beat Latics goalkeeper Connor Ripley.
The first real chance of the game fell to last weekend’s goalscorer Marvin Sordell. Bigirimana and Marcus Tudgay linked up well down the right hand side before the former fed it into the path of Sordell. The striker hit it first time but his scuffed effort went wide and out for a goal kick.
The Sky Blues continued to press in search of the opening goal but remained frustrated, as the Latics seemed difficult to break down. Tudgay and Jones the latest to let loose from distance but with the same result. At the other end, Reice Charles-Cook saved well from an angled Freddie Ladapo shot as the visitors struggled to get out of their own half.
Oldham grew into the game after the half hour mark, as successive corners presented experienced midfielder Paul Green with a chance. Both corners were cleared to the edge of the box but Green couldn’t direct his effort goalbound on either occasion.
Just minutes before the half-time whistle Coventry should have taken the lead. Lewis Page found space on the left and delivered a fantastic ball into the six-yard box, where an unmarked Tudgay could only head wide.
The second-half started on a negative note for the home side. In an apparent clash of heads Jamie Sterry was stretchered off and replaced by Dion Kelly-Evans. Not long after the restart it was Oldham’s turn to come close. The ball fell to Lee Erwin and the striker’s thunderous effort cannoned off the crossbar and out of play.
Oldham continued to have the better of the second half with the pace of substitute Darius Osei causing problems for the City defence. From a cleared corner the striker raced onto a ball and found space near the penalty area but his shot was blocked and cleared to safety.
Osei was again causing problems, but this time with his back to goal. He shielded the ball well before turning his man and getting a shot away. His effort was again blocked but into the path of Ollie Banks who couldn’t find a way past Charles-Cook in the City goal.
With time running out City went close to opening the scoring again. Sordell burst down the left hand side, beating his man for pace, and delivered a wonderful low ball across the six-yard box, but an onrushing Tudgay was millimetres away from making contact.
An additional eight minutes was played at the end of the game due to Sterry’s earlier injury and City had a chance to win it deep into time added on. A scramble on the edge of the box resulted in a free kick for the home side, but Jodi Jones’ effort went over the crossbar as the game finished goalless.
Yellow: Gadzhev, Green.
Teams
Coventry City: Charles-Cook (GK), Sterry (Di. Kelly-Evans 53'), Willis (C), Turnbull, Page, Gadzhev (Lameiras 45'), Bigirimana, Jones, Tudgay, Reid (Stevenson 63'), Sordell.
Subs: Burge (GK), Ricketts, Agyei, Wright.
Oldham Athletic: Ripley (GK), Law (Croft 45'), Wilson, Burgess, Klok (Flynn 80'), Banks, Ladapo (Osei 67'), Erwin, Clarke (C), Green, Dunne.
Subs: Kettings (GK), McKay, Dummigan, McLaughlin.