Plymouth Argyle 2-1 Coventry City
City: Burge. Grimmer, Davies , Mason, (McCallum 92), Hyam. Kelly, Bayliss (Westbrooke 85), Thomas, Hiwula (Clarke-Harris 62), Enobakhare, Chaplin. Subs: Addai, Willis , Doyle, Shipley.
Plymouth Letheran, Smith-Brown, Edwards. Canavan (Wootton 81), Sawyer. Songo'o, Fox, Sarcevic, Lameiras (Riley 93), Carey, Ladapo (Taylor , Subs: Macey, Riley. Ainsworth, Threlkeld, Jephcott.
Att 10,686
Goals: Conor Chaplin 55, Ruben Lameiras 62
Coventry City were hit by a brace by Ruben Lameiras and went down to a 2-1 defeat at Plymouth Argyle.
The longest trek of the season for Coventry City and just under eleven hundred City supporters left extremely early or went the night before in order to get to Home Park, Plymouth.
The sun was shining as we made our way into the ground which was now three sided thanks to much needed building work on the site of the old main stand
Mark Robins again changed the team with Jack Grimmer in for Dujon Sterling and Brandon Mason in for McCallum and wanted the same sort of commitment from his players that the City support had shown in getting here for a game against a side 23rd in the table and one that included former City Midfielder Ruben Lameiras.
However, Robins' plans had to change when Jordan Willis was injured in the warm up and had to be replaced by Tom Davies.
Playing a 4-5-1 formation, Jordy Hiwula got through and fired at Letheran in the Pilgrims goal and then had a sixth minute shot blocked off by a covering defender.
Plymouth won a ninth minute corner. City went up the other end and a Hiwula volley struck a defender, knocking him over and went for a corner.
The home side were relying on half chances whilst City tried to build their play.
Thomas won another corrner and got through in the 16th minute after a peach of a ball from Liam Kelly, only to poke it wide of the far post.
Thomas then ran down the right and won a 19th minute corner which again was hacked away.
City won another corner and Kelly fired at Letheran as a good showing from City continued .
Tom Bayliss got in a header for City who had Brandon Mason making some excellent tackles.
Carey drove over from twenty yards before the referee missed a nasty challenge on Enobakhare who got up to play in Hiwula for a shot which Letheran did well to beat away
In the 35th minute. Sarcevic was booked for hacking down Hyam and then blasted high and wide as did Lameiras to in the 40th minute as Plymouth started to create chances.
Sarcevic hit another shot straight at Burge and Letheran save from Hiwula before the half ended.
Songo'o was booked very early in the second half for a foul on Enobakhare who was coming in for some heavy tackles.
With Plymouth getting men behind the ball, getting through was not easy but City kept trying.
Burge made a good block as did Davies before Burge saved from Sarcevic.
A foul and booking for Smith-Brown gave City a 55th minute free kick on the edge of the area. Conor Chaplin took it and sent it high into the net before running over to the City support, sparking some wild scenes in the away stand which was literally shaking.
It was a leads that City deserved and that was nearly added to by Chaplin a couple of minutes later when he get in a header from a Hiwula cross after a great run by Enobakhare.
City sent on Jonson Clarke-Harris but Plymouth were level in the 62nd minute when Ruben Lameiras ran in and fired past Lee Burge. Green flares came out of the stand at the other end of the ground and smoke bellowed across the pitch.
Plymouth were lifted by this and won a 68th minute corner that Enobakhare did brilliantly well to clear away.
Chaplin won a corner and Lameiras won one for the Home Park side who were ahead in the 70th minute when Ruben Lameiras was allowed to run and fire past Burge on his right hand side to see the Sky Blues now losing 2-1 after having failed to deal with Lameiras and a spell of pressure.
Letheran denied Chaplin before Zain Westbrooke came on for the last five minutes.
As another City fan was ejected, adding to those thrown out for being “drunk” or for any excuse by the over-zealous stewards, many of whom were no better than our last visit in 2009 , Chaplin fired across the goal.
Five minutes were added on. City won a corner and a Mason shot was deflected over before he was switched for Sam McCallum
Lameiras left to good applause from both sets of supporters as the game ended with a defeat for Coventry City.