The Sky Blues take on Wycombe Wanderers this weekend and here’s everything you need to know about our opponents.
Kit: Coventry City will be wearing the 2 Tone kit on Sunday.
Fact File
Name: Wycombe Wanderers
Founded: 1887
Stadium: Adams Park (first opened 1990)
Capacity: 10,137
Nickname: The Chairboys
Address: Adams Park, Hillbottom Road, High Wycombe, HP12 4HJ
Pitch Size: 115 x 75 yards
The Opposition
Wycombe are currently top of the Sky Bet League One table and have enjoyed an excellent season to date under the stewardship of Gareth Ainsworth. They’ve won 12 of their 22 league matches, losing just three times and are six points clear of closest challengers Ipswich Town.
Wanderers have been particularly sturdy in defence, leaking just 17 goals this season, with only Ipswich conceding fewer and have shown a marked improvement in form this term after a 17th place finish last season.
The Chairboys squad has plenty of talent with the likes of Ryan Allsop, Rolando Aarons and Fred Onyedinma all on their books. They also boast notable striker Adebayo Akinfenwa as well as fellow veterans Joe Jacobson and Matt Bloomfield.
Manager
Gareth Ainsworth finished his playing career with Wycombe at the end of the 2012/13 season, having acted as caretaker manager since September 2012.
After a successful stint as caretaker, Ainsworth was appointed as the Chairboys permanent manager ahead of the 2013/14 campaign.
Having narrowly kept Wycombe in the Football League in his first full season in charge, Ainsworth then took the club to the 2014/15 Sky Bet League Two play-off final where they were beaten on penalties by Southend United having conceded in the final seconds of extra-time. He did at least win the League Two LMA Manager of the Year award at the end of the season for his efforts.
This was followed by two seasons of solidarity in League Two before Ainsworth finally achieved promotion to the third-tier in 2017/18 ending their six-year stay in the division.
They achieved their highest league finish in over a decade last term and have kicked on accordingly in 2019/20 with 46-year-old Ainsworth being courted by a number of teams in the Sky Bet Championship.
Last Six Games
Lost – Portsmouth 2-0 Wycombe Wanderers
Lost – Oxford United 1-0 Wycombe Wanderers
Won – Wycombe Wanderers 2-0 Burton Albion
Drew – Ipswich Town 0-0 Wycombe Wanderers
Won – Wycombe Wanderers 1-0 Doncaster Rovers
Lost – Wycombe Wanderers 1-2 Tranmere Rovers (Emirates FA Cup)
Last Time We Met
The two sides last met on New Year’s Day in 2019 with the Sky Blues recording a 2-0 away win at Adams Park.
Conor Chaplin opened the scoring from the penalty spot, coolly slotting the ball into the bottom left corner, after Dujon Sterling had been fouled in the box.
He almost added a second goal to his tally after the break but saw his effort from Jordy Hiwula’s cutback deflected wide of the goal.
Substitute Jonson Clarke-Harris wrapped up the points with his first touch of the game when he raced onto Tom Bayliss’ through ball before clinically firing past Ryan Allsop just past the hour mark.
The hosts almost pulled a goal back at the death when Adebayo Akinfenwa headed goalwards, but his effort was easily held by Lee Burge.
Head-to-Head Record
Sky Blues Wins – 8
Draws – 0
Wycombe Wins – 1
Club Connections - see more here
Franck Moussa
Belgium youth international Franck Moussa enjoyed an excellent two-season spell with the Sky Blues whilst also featuring for Wycombe earlier in his career.
Moussa spent time in the academies of both Anderlecht and West Ham United before turning professional with Southend United in 2006. He played 90 times for the Roots Hall club scoring seven goals.
During his time with the Shrimpers, Moussa was loaned to Wycombe and made nine appearances for the Chairboys on 2008/09.
After opting not to renew his deal at Southend, Moussa signed for Leicester City, but made just eight appearances for the club during his two seasons at the King Power Stadium and spent time on loan at both Doncaster Rovers and Chesterfield, netting four goals in 10 appearances for the latter.
This impressive form saw him snapped up by the Sky Blues on a short-term deal in September 2012 before signing an 18-month deal the following January.
Moussa was at his best in a City shirt, scoring 18 goals in 77 league appearances, which included scoring the Football League Goal of the Season against Leyton Orient during the 2013/14 season, with that goal one of many spectacular strikes he scored whilst wearing a Sky Blues jersey.
He struggled for form following his departure from City in the summer of 2015 and has since had spells with Charlton Athletic, Walsall and Gillingham, as well as a short stint back at former side Southend. He is currently without a club, having last featured for the Gills in 2018.
Stuart Beavon
Striker Stuart Beavon enjoyed the best season of his professional career whilst with Wycombe before later turning out for the Sky Blues.
Beavon was a prolific striker in non-league football scoring 107 goals in 139 games for Didcot Town before then netting 24 times in 86 appearances for Weymouth.
That form earned him a loan move to Wycombe in February 2009 who then signed him permanently in the summer.
He would go on to play 115 times for the Chairboys, scoring 28 goals over a five-season spell, which included 21 strikes in a single season during the 2011/12 campaign despite Wycombe’s relegation from League One.
Beavon departed the club in August 2012 and spent two seasons with Preston North End before then enjoying a two-and-a-half-year spell with Burton Albion.
The striker signed for the Sky Blues in January 2017 with Marvin Sordell heading in the other direction to Burton as part of the deal.
He netted a crucial goal for City in their EFL Trophy semi-final win against former club Wycombe, before then starting in the final at Wembley as the Sky Blues saw off Oxford United 2-1.
In total, Beavon made 35 appearances for City, scoring three goals and was released by the club at the end of the 2018/19 season, having spent the entirety of the campaign on loan at Wrexham in the National League. He currently plays for Nuneaton Borough who he signed for in June 2019.
Match Officials
Kevin Johnson will be the man in the middle on Saturday afternoon, taking charge of his 19th game of the season.
He has officiated in seven Sky Bet League One matches, as well as five Sky Bet League Two clashes, one Emirates FA Cup tie, three Carabao Cup ties and two Leasing.com Trophy fixtures.
In the 18 matches he has officiated in this season, Johnson has so far produced 57 yellow cards and five red cards.
This will be the second Sky Blues fixture that Johnson has overseen this season having taken charge of the 3-3 draw at Fratton Park against Portsmouth back in August
He will be assisted by Louis Marks and Stephen Brown with Carl Fitch-Jackson acting as fourth official.