The Sky Blues Under-23s continued their unbeaten start to the season with a point against Sheffield Wednesday at the CBS Arena.
City began the game on the front foot with Josh Reid having a shot blocked in the opening minute when he was picked out by Fankaty Dabo before Fabio Tavares was narrowly flagged offside when one on one with Wednesday ‘keeper Jack Hall.
Tavares then cut inside and played a teasing ball across the six-yard box, but it just alluded Reid and Jordan Shipley and the visitors cleared.
Wednesday won their first corner in the 15th minute but Declan Thompson’s effort from Jayden Owen’s cross didn’t trouble Ben Wilson in the Sky Blues goal.
City went close moments later when Bright Enobakhare found Jonny Ngandu in space 25 yards out, but his effort just curled wide of Hall’s right-hand post.
However, it would be the Owls that took the lead when a deflected through ball fell kindly to Basille Zottos on the edge of the box whose tidy finish beat Wilson.
City’s response saw Tavares play in Dabo with the full back’s cross finding the head of Enobakhare, but the forward couldn’t direct his header goal bound.
City won a corner from Sam Woods’ clearance and from Shipley’s set piece Dabo set up Ngandu but his effort from range went wide of the goal.
The half ended with a corner for the visitors after the Owls broke through Paulo Aguas, with Will Trueman’s cross blocked by Ryan Howley, but the set piece aimed for Alex Bonnington at the back post flew just over the forward’s head.
HALF TIME: Sky Blues U23s 0-1 Sheffield Wednesday U23s
The half began with City earning a succession of corners, but a Shipley free kick would cause the most danger for the Owls’ defense when the midfielder’s cross forced Hall into action, but his punch only went out to as far as Reid whose shot was deflected wide.
Wednesday looked to extend their lead when Jay Glover set up Bonnington just outside the D, but the striker’s effort curled just wide of the post.
Trueman’s cross then found Bonnington but he couldn’t quite get the ball under control and George Burroughs cleared to set up a City attack.
Wilson was needed to stop Trueman’s shot from 16 yards out before the ‘keeper set the Sky Blues on an attack of their own with his long kick finding Tavares, with Owls skipper David Agbontohoma doing enough to deny Tavares getting his shot away.
Enobakhare’s cross picked out Shipley, but he could only head into the side netting before Howley could also only head wide from a Shipley free kick with the Sky Blues pushing for an equaliser.
With Coventry camped in the Wednesday half, after careful build up play Shipley and Tavares had low shots blocked before Enobakhare fired wide.
The lively Shipley crossed to Howley but again Hall wasn’t trouble before Ngandu tried from range, but he couldn’t keep his effort down.
But in the last minute the Owls resolve was broken when Tavares netted his fifth of the season after he received the ball from Aaron Evans-Harriott in the box, beat two defenders and shot with his effort brushing the cross bar and hitting the back of the net!
FULL TIME: Sky Blues U23s 1-1 Sheffield Wednesday U23s
SCORERS: Basille Zottos (19’); Fabio Tavares (90’)
CARDS: Basille Zottos (44’), Jack Hall (53’), Josh Dawodu (87’)
Sky Blues U23s Xl: Ben Wilson (GK), Fankaty Dabo (C), Julien Dacosta, George Burroughs (Marco Rus 64’), Blaine Rowe, Josh Reid, Jonny Ngandu, Ryan Howley (Harrison Nee 90'), Jordan Shipley, Bright Enobakhare (Aaron Evans-Harriott 75’), Fabio Tavares.
Unused Subs: Luke Bell (GK), Fionn O’Brien.
Sheffield Wednesday U23s XI: Jack Hall (GK), Lewis Farmer, Sam Woods, David Agbontohoma (C), Paulo Aguas, Basille Zottos, Jay Glover (Leojo Davidson 76’), Decan Thompson, Will Trueman, Jayden Owen (Murtadha Al-Jahadhmy 72’), Alex Bonnington (Josh Dawodu 80’).
Unused Subs: Josh Render (GK), Fuad Sessay.