Cardiff City vs Coventry City. Sky Bet Championship.
Cardiff City StadiumAttendance19,861.
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship clash between Cardiff City and Coventry City at the Cardiff City Stadium as Viktor Gyokeres seals victory for the Sky Blues on Saturday afternoon.
Saturday 15 October 2022 19:06, UK
Coventry ended a run of nine successive away defeats in the Championship as they notched only their second win of the season thanks to a first-half goal from Viktor Gyokeres at Cardiff City Stadium.
The 1-0 victory by Mark Robins' side moved them closer to their relegation rivals with games in hand due to the problems they had at the start of the season in using the Coventry Building Society Arena.
Coventry were almost gifted the dream start when home goalkeeper Ryan Allsop completely missed a clearance kick and left Swedish striker Gyokeres with an open goal to aim at.
He lined up his shot but somehow managed to miss the target to allow Allsop and his defenders to heave a heavy sigh of relief.
It was the wake-up call Cardiff needed against the side at the bottom of the table and they came up with a positive response.
A short corner from Ryan Wintle allowed Callum Robinson to get a shot away and then the Republic of Ireland striker was sent racing through the middle only to push his shot inches wide of the post.
Seeking to extend their unbeaten run under interim manager Mark Hudson to four games, the Bluebirds kept pushing forward and looked the more likely to score.
But then they got hit on the break and Coventry struck in the 34th minute.
Matt Godden headed on a pass forward to Jamie Allen on the right-hand side of the box and his shot was only parried away by Allsop.
The loose ball was just two yards out from the home goal and Gyokeres was on hand to redeem himself for his earlier miss and tap home.
It was only the second time in four games under Hudson the Bluebirds had fallen behind and whatever the new boss said at half-time it certainly lifted the spirits and effort of his side.
They forced three corners and a free-kick within a matter of minutes and thought they had got on level terms from one of them in the 50th minute.
Joe Ralls swung in a corner and after it was headed out and back in again, the ball fell to Robinson, who rounded the keeper and tapped in.
The referee appeared to let the goal stand with no offside flag but after going over to consult with his linesman he ruled out the goal.
As Cardiff kept pressing forward, the Sky Blues tried to once again catch them on the break and had Gyokeres' aim been slightly better in the 52nd minute he might had doubled his tally.
He first slipped past Cedric Kipre and then powered into the box before unleashing a thunderous strike that crashed into the side-netting.
Robinson screamed for a penalty in the 80th minute, when he was grappled in the box, and then shot over after being gifted a golden chance five minutes later when another corner was headed down to him.
Another quick break down the right by Coventry almost earned them a second goal but Jake Bidwell's header from the penalty spot was acrobatically pushed over the top by Allsop.
Cardiff's interim manager Mark Hudson: "It's disappointing but overall we didn't work their keeper hard enough, so it's not an excuse. We weren't quite at it. We weren't at the level we were last week in the first half. We started the second half really well and scored a goal that was disallowed. That's the moment where you get yourself back in the game but it's taken away from you. I am still trying to work it out. I have watched it back again and again. He's onside but they have given it offside because of a rule that the defender isn't in control of the ball.
"But my argument is that Robbo has done what all good strikers do and has got himself onside. We will have to agree to disagree. Apparently, even if the defender mis-controls the ball it doesn't count as being in possession. It's something that has changed this season. I don't understand it. The referees don't understand it and it's not good for the game. You'll have to ask the hierarchy."
Coventry's Mark Robins: "It was a good result, although we didn't start off great and gave the ball away too much. There were too many turnovers of possession and Cardiff have got some pace and power in their team. Thankfully, we grew into it and any time they had a spell of pressure we withstood it and any chances they had they missed the target.
"We had a little bit of luck with their goal that was disallowed. It was one that was diverted from Kyle McFadzean and wasn't an intentional thing - which is offside. We got away with that but other than that we did OK. It was a battling three points and a battling away performance. However you come about them, you have to take them and this result will help us to build confidence."
