The Sky Blues have begun the Boro Tournament with a goalless draw with Liverpool XI at Liberty Way...
Peter Vincenti and Marc McNulty both came closest for Coventry but failed to find a breakthrough.
The first chance of the afternoon fell to Liam Kelly, who was quickest to react to a loose ball on the edge of the Liverpool area but fired his effort just over the bar.
Moments later, and it was Liverpool’s turn. Yan Dhanda’s wonderful curling free-kick certainly caught Liam O’Brien off guard but thankfully the post was on hand to prevent the Reds from taking an early lead.
Jack Grimmer and Chris Stokes caused most of Liverpool’s problems, charging forward from defence, and getting the better of their challengers. Stokes was nearly rewarded for his good work when his long-range attempt was close to catching Red’s keeper Shamal George off guard.
George was tested again minutes later when a quick corner gave Marc McNulty a look at goal from a narrow angle, forcing the best save of the game so far.
Liverpool’s Toni Gomes came close just before the break. The forward skipped a number of challenges before seeing his first shot saved well by O’Brien and his second brilliantly blocked by Grimmer on the line.
The Sky Blues were frustrated to go into the interval level after enjoying the better of the chances just before the break. Notably a far-post header from Vincenti, again forcing a strong hand from George.
The second-half started far slower than the first, with a Devon Kelly-Evans shot that whistled wide of the far post the most notable moment of the period.
A foul of Kelly-Evans with ten minutes to go presented McNulty with a last chance to go for goal from a set piece, but after a dummy from substitute Chris Camwell the former Portsmouth forward did not quite get the dip his free-kick needed as it breezed over the bar.
Our pre-season preparations will continue tomorrow, at Liberty Way, against Nuneaton Town.
Teams:
Coventry City XI: O'Brien (GK), Grimmer, Stokes (Camwell 75'), Willis, McDonald, Kelly (Bayliss 70'), Doyle (C), Vincenti, McNulty, Dev. Kelly-Evans, Biamou (Ponticelli 80').
Coventry City Subs: Addai (GK), Hickman, Trialist, Thompson, Ford, Maycock, Finn, Sayoud.
Liverpool XI: George (GK), Whelan (C), Juanma, Phillips. Jones, Williams, Adekanye, Virtue, Gomes, Kane, Dhanda
Liverpool Subs: Firth (GK), Coyle, Hart, Masterson, Brannagan.