Peterborough United 1-2 Coventry City
City: Burge, Sterling, Mason (Brown 58),Hyam, Willis, Kelly, Bayliss, Thomas (Shipley 74), Enobakhare. Hiwula, Bakayoko. Subs: Addai, Grimmer, Meyler, Ponticelli, Wakefield.
Peterborough:O'Malley, Naismith, White, Reed, Cooke,(Dempsey 46), Ward, Toney, Lafferty, Maddison, Denton (Tomlin 56), Godden. Subs; Chapman, Woodward, Bennett. Cooper, Stevens.
Att 7,808
Goal Amadou Bakayoko 42, Bright Enobahare 48, Louis Reed 98
Coventry City put in an excellent performance to keep their play-off hopes alive with a 2-1 win at Peterborough United.
At the end of a week where there had been press statements with Sisu claiming they will build a new stadium, responses from the Council and an all parties meeting in Westminster, the often overlooked and neglected matter of a football match took place.
Having beaten Fleetwood Town on Tuesday night and a draw for Doncaster last night, a win for City would take them a point behind the final play-off place.
For Peterborough, having sensibly ditched Steve Evans since the last time we played them, it was also a massive game and one where a win would strengthen their play-off hopes.
There was a welcome return from Dominic Hyam following his car crash and with Bright Brighton Enobakhare back from suspension for a City side in their white away kit.
City had to defend early on a windy afternoon, conceding a corner and Liam Kelly using his hand to clear another chance, something not spotted by the badly placed referee but not the City support who were behind the goal in the new stand which offered a very decent view with very decent facilities.
Peterborough were somehow given a free kick in the 6th minute when Marcus Maddison fell over, conning the referee and it was only thanks to a terrific save from Lee Burge who pushed over for another corner, following a Callum Cooke pile driver.
City had their first corner in the tenth minute won by Jordy Hiwula, whose song boomed out and despite the wind on a grey afternoon.
Maddison drove across the goal, Hiwula had a shot blocked and Sterling saw his cross cut out before Cooke fired wide again.
Brandon Mason sent over a ball which came off the woodwork and Hiwula had the ball in the net in the 25th minute but the flag had long gone up.
Burge, then made a stunning 28th minute to deny Cooke and concede a corner. A good piece of defending with Hyam involved got City out of that as Peterborough had more of the ball.
Burge just saved as Maddison cut in from the right to shoot from twenty yards. In the 37th minute, City had a corner which led to another that went straight into the side netting.
Three minutes before the break and the noise level in the away end went up plenty when Amadou Bakayoko got through and colly slotted into the net.
That took City in at half-time ahead after a good half of football ended.
Maddison won the first corner of the second half. Burge grabbed and sent it long to Bright Enobakhare who slipped it past O'Malley for the second goal and more wild scenes in the away end.
The Peterborough keeper took out Luke Thomas and was only booked. He then got an hand to an inswinging 52nd minute free kick which led to another Kelly corner.
The effort from the City players was excellent but they were forced into a change when Brandon Mason went off and Junior Brown came on.with 32 minutes to go.
Toney headed wide as “Twist N Shout” rang out from the City support who fumed when Bakayoko was chopped by Naismith who was only booked when it should have been a straight red.
Kelly sent the free kick onto the keeper's right hand post and Bakayoko knocked it in, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside.
Luke Thomas fired wide before another bad foul on him left him needing treatment after being kicked in the head by Lee Tomlin and the referee told that he did not know that he was doing.
Medical staff were called as was a stretcher came in on the 67th minute. The City support continued to fume at the referee Michael Salisbury who had got this so wrong.
Thomas was finally lifted in to a stretcher with his head in a neck brace and left to a standing ovation from the City support who cheered Jordan Shipley onto the pitch.
After a ten minute delay, the game continued with Hiwula making a cracking run. Burge and Willis made great blocks.whilst at the other end O'Mally was looking like gaelic football was more his game as the keeper who was given the man of the match by the local radio station, looked well out of his depth with handling the ball in the wind.
Bayliss put in a lovely cross and Burge saved as City dominated the play.
The away end with 1,888 City supporters in it was bouncing and they watched Enobakhare, who had a fine game win a corner before a bad foul on Bayliss by Maddison went unpunished as the rain came down and eleven minutes were added on.
Louis Reed scored with a deflected shot in the 98th minute to give it a bit of a grandstand finish but City continued to boss the game and took an excellent win.
Picture copyright of CNS Sport