The Sky Blues got another 90 minutes in the tank this afternoon at the Jonny-Rocks Stadium against Cheltenham Town.
In a fairly even first half it would be the home side that would open the scoring with Andy Williams converting from close range.
The Sky Blues would create plenty of chances of their own ensuring Cheltenham ‘keeper Owen Evans would have a busy afternoon but in a game that was on a knife edge the next goal would go the way of the home side as Williams put the game to bed with four minutes left to play.
City’s Simon Moore would be the first ‘keeper called into action when Liam Sercombe picked up the ball on the halfway line and drove at the Coventry back line cutting inside, but his shot was well saved by Moore’s outstretched leg.
The home side would be the home side that would break the deadlock as May’s ball across the box was bundled in close range by Robins’ forward Andy Williams.
The Sky Blues cranked up the pressure as O’Hare laid off Shipley on the edge of the box, but the midfielder’s effort was well saved by Owen Evans diving to his right
City would have the chance to equalize on the stroke of half time as Robin’s skipper Will Boyle caught Sheaf on the edge of the area, but Hamer’s effort dipped just over the cross bar.
HALF TIME: CHELTENHAM TOWN 1-0 SKY BLUES
The second half began with the Sky Blues earning a succession of corners as they sought for an early leveler with the introduction of Jones and Waghorn gave Coventry new impetus with Jones’s well-timed pass finding Waghorn in the box who’s strong shot bought a good save from Evans before Waghorn went close again with an attempted back heal moments later.
Cheltenham looked to double their lead in the 67th minute but Moore reacted well to May’s attempt to round the keeper and forced the Robin’s midfielder to only find the side netting with his shot.
Waghorn’s well worked short corner with Hamer found the forward out wide and only a firm save from Evans denied the Sky Blues a deserved equalizer.
Viktor Gyokeres would be the next man to go close, latching onto a through ball from Hamer only for the strong hand of Evans to deny what would have been a well worked goal.
Waghorn would be next to go close but his attempted back heal from Gyokeres’s fizzing cross would only find the hands of Evans.
Gyokeres was proving to be a thorn in the Cheltenham back line’s side drawing them out before firing his shot just wide of the far post with Waghorn not far behind.
However, it would be Cheltenham that would score the next goal of the match as Williams netted his second of the game after Moore had done brilliantly to deny substitute Ellis Chapman when one on one, with the goal very much coming against the run of the play.
Coventry were undeterred however with Bapaga unable to keep the ball down as he attempted to convert a fizzed in cross that would have kept the game alive.
FULL TIME: CHELTENHAM TOWN 2-0 SKY BLUES 0
SCORERS: Williams (24’, 86’)
CARDS: Drysdale (6’)
Sky Blues Xl: Simon Moore (GK), Fankaty Dabo © (Dacosta 46’), Trialist (Waghorn 54’), Josh Pask (McFadzean 25), Declan Drysdale (Rowe 74’), Josh Reid, Ben Sheaf (Allen 54’, Gustavo Hamer (Howley 81’), Jordan Shipley (Jones 54’), Callum O'Hare (Bapaga 62’) Tyler Walker (Gyokeres 54’).
Subs: Ben Wilson (GK), Kyle McFadzean, Blaine Rowe, Julien Dacosta, Ryan Howley, Jamie Allen, Jodi Jones, Will Bapaga, Martyn Waghorn, Viktor Gyokeres.