Sky Blues U23s followed up last week’s victory at Ipswich with a 2-0 win over Colchester United U23s at the Coventry Building Society Arena this afternoon.
Marco Rus went close with the first shot of the game, after Ryan Howley set him up on the edge of the box, but his effort was deflected off U’s skipper Harry Beadle on its way into Ted Collins’ hands.
Jordan Shipley then won the ball back for City and passed to Rus who played in Godden, but his off-balance effort was saved by Collins.
City won another corner and from Shipley’s delivery George Burroughs headed over the bar.
Colchester went close on the 20-minute mark, when Marley Marshall-Miranda’s forward pass found Jake Hutchinson, but the forward could only put his effort wide.
Five minutes later the Sky Blues took the lead after Blaine Rowe’s cross into the box was intercepted initially by Beadle, but his clearance went straight to Shipley who calmly finished into the bottom corner.
The U’s response would see them go close minutes later when Andre Hasanally’s cross was headed wide by Bunmi Babajide.
City went in search of a second goal with Rus initially playing in Godden, whose shot rebounded off Collins to Rus only for himself to see his shot blocked by Beadle before Jodi Jones’ curling effort was headed away with the bombardment only coming to end when Howley’s long range effort was caught by Collins.
The Sky Blues kept up the pressure as Shipley found Godden out wide, his cross found Rus in the middle who saw his headed effort go just over the top of the bar.
Wilson was called into action next when, from a visitor’s corner, Marshall Miranda’s cross found the rising Beadle who headed the ball back across goal with the City ‘keeper reacting well to deny the defender.
The final action of the half would see Howley try his luck from range again with the young midfielder’s deflected effort smashing against the post with Collins stranded.
HALF TIME: Sky Blues U23s 1-0 Colchester United U23s
City earned an early corner, and from that Josh Reid saw an overhead kick cleared off the line by Al-Amin Kazeem, but from the next corner, City doubled their lead.
Shipley’s set piece wasn’t dealt with by the U’s back line and Collins could only push the ball into the path of Burroughs who fired the ball home!
A minute later Shipley went close again, taking Godden’s cross on the volley, but he was unable to hit the target.
Shipley was playing a key role in the City attacks and his next piece of play saw him put in Rus with the summer signing unlucky to be denied by the advancing Collins.
Marshall-Miranda tried an effort from distance as Colchester looked for a route back into the game but Burroughs put his head on the line to block the midfielder’s long range effort.
City were still creating chances themselves as Sky Blues skipper Jonny Ngandu’s curling effort saw Collins called into action.
The visitors wasted another good chance when Hasanally’s free kick went straight into the clutches of Wilson after Reid had been adjudged to have fouled the Colchester number 11.
Colchester thought they had got one back after Kazeem’s cross hit Wilson and rebounded off the head of Babajide but just before the ball crossed the line Reid was on hand to smash it away to safety.
FULL TIME: Sky Blues U23s 2-0 Colchester United U23s
SCORERS: Jordan Shipley (25’), George Burroughs (48’)
CARDS: Matty Godden (6’)
Sky Blues U23s Xl: Ben Wilson (GK), Blaine Rowe, Declan Drysdale (Ricardo Dinanga 45’), George Burroughs, Josh Reid, Ryan Howley, Jonny Ngandu (C), Marco Rus, Jordan Shipley (Fabio Tavares 74’), Jodi Jones, Matty Godden (Harrison Nee 74’).
Unused subs: Luke Bell (GK), Aaron Evans-Harriott.
Colchester United U23s XI: Ted Collins (GK), Junior Tchamadeu, Al-Amin Kazeem, Sam Cornish, Harry Beadle (C), Diogo Freitas-Gouveia (Bunmi Babajide 18’), Marley Marshall-Miranda (Ryan Lowe 85’), Jake Hutchinson, Donell Thomas, Andre Hasanally, Billy Cracknell.
Unused Subs: Endurance Johnson (GK), Lordon Akolbire.