Two Wins In A Week For Wembley Bound City

FT  CCFC.1-0  BRFC

ATT 11,946

 

Goals George Thomas 79

 

Some times all you can ask for is a workman like performance and grind out a result and that is exactly what Wembley bound Coventry City did as they beat Port Vale 1-0 at the Ricoh Arena.

 

Boosted by the win over a poor Port Vale side, the Sky Blues, who appear to be off-loading the neerdowell Mark Venus, took on Bristol Rovers at the Ricoh Arena.

 

Mark Robins named a side which had Jones in for Kwame Thomas who was injured in training against a Rovers side which was backed by a side which had sold 4,097 tickets and had their supporters, in four blocks of the away end.

 

After a minute’s silence to remember those affected in the attack on London on Wednesday, City started positively with a second minute corner which Callum Reilly over-hit.

 

Ten minutes later and Bodin had a shot deflected for a corner that was as poor as City’s.

 

Jodi Jones was lively throughout the game and sent a free kick at Joe Lumley before City won another corner.  Rovers replied with a side footed that had to be cleared for a corner and  then a free kick, neither of which troubled Lee Burge.

 

Jordan Willis playing at right back crept up to head at Lumley and Ollie Clarke fired at Burge as the game which saw every time a player went down in front of the away following there were shouts for a penalty, enter its 25th minute.

 

Burge saved and then there was a block in the 28th minute, which allowed City to counter through Reilly who drove wide when he really should have scored.

 

Reilly, fired at Lumley in the 35th minute and Ollie Clarke drove over from twenty yards.

 

A Lockyer tug on Jones saw a booking and Beavon getting his right foot to the free kick and directing his effort at Lumley as a good solid half for the Sky Blues ended.

 

With “Sky Blue Army chants” ringing round, City had a 48th minute corner and in came Beavon to force Lumley into a great save as the number of tickets sold was given as 11, 946.

 

Burge was forced into a wonderful save in the 54th minute to concede a corner which a combination of Burge and Bigirimana on the left hand post cleared.

 

Reilly, who worked and battled well, sent over a poor corner in the 58th minute and the away side went straight up the other end and won one.

 

Dion Kelly-Evans came on for Jordan Willis who had taken a knock and it was City who won the next corner but that was cleared and Burge had to again save at the North Stand end and keep the score 0-0.

 

George Thomas giving the ball away set up Byron Moore for a shot from the edge of the area but thankfully his 69th minute shot was wide of Burge’s left hand post. There were calls from some of the City supporters to get him off but it was Jodi Jones who limped off in the 74th minute and was replaced by Ruben Lameiras.

 

The Wembley bound City support and those not making the trip to North London for whatever reason, had backed the team well and in the 79th minute, they and City got their rewards when George Thomas came in on the right and thumped home a shot past Lumley for a goal that was duly celebrated by the City support and saw some of the away fans heading for the exit.

“If we win we’re on the pitch” and the “Sky Blue Song” were belted out, forcing a turn out of even more stewards before Kyel Reid went off to good applause with five minutes left of a game in which City had again been a lot better in.

Again the City support by the scoreboard sang songs supporting Mark Robins whose tightening of the defence and encouraging more work from the midfield had ensured that City have taken maximum points from their two games this week and its off to Wembley with a it of confidence that many would not have thought possible seven days ago.