Wycombe Wanderers 0-2 Coventry City
City: Burge, Willis, Hyam Sterling, Mason, Kelly (McCallum 78), Shipley, Thomas, Bayliss, Hiwula (Clarke-Harris 60), Chaplin (Doyle 75), Subs: Addai, Grimmer, Davies, Westbrooke.
Wycombe Wanderers: Allsop, McCarthy, Harriman, Jombati, Stewart, Onyedinma, Freeman (Kashket 70), Gape, Thompson, Tyson (Mackail-Smith 86), Samue (Akinfenwa 64). Subs: Yates, El-Abd, Cowan-Hall, Williams.
Att 6,183 (1,458 City)
Goals: Conor Chaplin 33, Jonson Clarke-Harris 62
Coventry City started 2019 with a win at Wycombe Wanderers and their third double in three matches.
New Year Day and over a thousand City supporters arrived at Adams Park to see the Sky Blues, playing today in white, take on Wycombe who were four places below them in the league.
City had Luke Thomas back after missing the win over Southend with concussion and were on the back foot early on.
Liam Kelly who had also taken a bang to the head and had a protective bandage around his skull, had to work clearing a ninth minute corner after Nathan Tyson wasted a good chance at the far post.
Shipley drove over following a City corner a minute later for City who had Kelly firing at former City loanee Ryan Allsop in the 15th minute after some good work from Dujon Sterling.
Lee Burge easily dealt with an Samuel effort and went up and won a 22nd minute free kick that was scrambled away before a deflected Kelly shot ended back at the hands of Allsop.
Hyam was excellent in the air and that led to a 27th minute free kick after Chaplin was sent out crashing.
Luke Thomas then had a good run and shot go narrowly wide as the game approached the half hour mark.
In the 33rd minute, City took the lead when they were awarded a penalty after Dujon Sterling was upended and Conor Chaplin kept his cool as Allsop went the wrong way to score.
The goal lifted the City support which had been their normal vocal selves as the intensity from City continued.
Sterling whipped in a lovely cross which helped bring about a free kick before Lee Burge did Alex Samuel a treat.
The referee somehow missed a shove on Bayliss who was fouled on the edge of the area after Wycombe's corner had been cleared as the half ended with City ahead.
There were no changes at the break for City who sent Hiwula on his way. he beat his man and cut inside for Chaplin to get in a shot which was deflected for a 48th minute corner that Chaplin sent wide.
Allsop was getting “City Reject” chants aimed at him left, right and centre by the City support who watched some good passing from the Sky Blues.
Mark Robins made his first change after an hour switching Hiwula for Jonson Clarke-Harris who had an immediate effect when he was played in and beat Allsop to score the second, some ninety seconds after coming on.
The City support celebrated a good finish before advising Akinfenwa that his “tits were offside” when he came on for the injured Alex Samuel.
Clarke-Harris won a 68th minute corner against a Wycombe side that sent on Kashket.
Thomas, who ran well all game, had a shot saved in the 71st minute in front of the City support who had packed the away end at Adams Park.
For the last fifteen minutes, Michael Doyle came on for Conor Chaplin.
it was a worry when Liam Kelly went down, seemingly writhing in pain after conceding a free kick, so Robins sent on Sam McCallum as Kelly made his way down the tunnel.
Clarke-Harris won City a corner in the 84th minute before Willis made a great block to concede a corner that Burge caught well.
City should have had a penalty in the 88th minute when Jonson Clarke-Harris was clearly fouled by Anthony Stewart but the referee waved away the appeals.
Seven minutes were added on at the end of a half which saw Doyle go close with a free kick.
One effort at the other end went harmlessly wide but it was a good afternoon's work from Coventry City and it was a third consecutive win to get the new year off to a good start.