Huddersfield Town vs Coventry City. Sky Bet Championship.
The John Smith's Stadium.
Report and highlights from the Sky Bet Championship clash between Huddersfield and Coventry at the John Smith's Stadium as the Terriers confirmed their second-tier status thanks to Danny Ward's equaliser.
Saturday 1 May 2021 18:53, UK
Huddersfield confirmed their Sky Bet Championship status for another season after a 1-1 draw against Coventry.
Jordan Shipley broke the deadlock for the Sky Blues in the 69th minute but Danny Ward snatched an equaliser for the home side 10 minutes later.
The struggling Terriers had the first effort of note inside seven minutes when Yaya Sanogo - looking for his first EFL goal since February 2016 - fired an effort from an acute angle narrowly wide of the target.
Carlos Corberan's side, who have only one win to their name at the John Smith's Stadium in 2021, nearly opened the scoring when Josh Koroma latched onto a Lewis O'Brien dink and fired a low strike goal-wards, only for goalkeeper Ben Wilson to parry.
After guaranteeing their Championship safety last weekend in what Coventry boss Mark Robins called a 'miracle' and his 'proudest achievement', the visitors gradually grew into the game, with the lively Callum O'Hare testing Ryan Schofield.
Former Sky Blues man Richard Keogh spurned a glorious opportunity for an opener when the ball fell fortuitously in the six-yard box, only for the veteran defender to hopelessly miss his swipe at the ball.
Viktor Gyokeres was left feeling aggrieved moments before the half-time whistle when his penalty appeals were waved away by official Keith Stroud, with replays showing that the forward's goal-bound effort was blocked illegally by the hand of centre-back Keogh.
Seconds after the restart, substitute Shipley combined well with Gyokeres, with the latter's accurate strike destined for the far corner before Terriers keeper Schofield tipped the effort onto a post.
The Sweden international was again thwarted by Schofield moments later as Gyokeres skipped past two half-hearted tackles before seeing his low strike kept out by the onrushing Schofield.
No side has fewer points in the second tier than Huddersfield in 2021 and that statistic was evidenced further in the 69th minute when Coventry capitalised on poor play, with substitute Shipley's first-time strike deflecting beyond a wrongfooted Schofield to break the deadlock.
However, the Sky Blues, who looked destined to coast towards a third consecutive away victory in the Championship for the first time since August 2007, surrendered their advantage with 10 minutes of normal time remaining.
Wilson struggled to deal with a deep corner kick and dropped his catch into the path of Ward, with the substitute taking advantage and firing the leveller low into the net.
The home side threatened to complete a late turnaround, with Rolando Aarons trying his luck late on, but they did not need a winner to secure their survival after Rotherham failed to defeat Blackburn.
Huddersfield's Carlos Corberan: "I think it's a mix of feelings because we knew how important it was to get our target. We knew for a long time that we needed to keep the team in the Championship, and we were facing difficult moments that made us feel our target was more important every time. We played well in the first half but after they scored, I liked the reaction of the team, trying to get one point that was important because we didn't want to finish the season at home losing the game.
"We wanted to be more aggressive in the second half and we changed some ideas and we were more balanced. But they had some good opportunities to score the goal and in one of these opportunities, they scored. After, we showed a good reaction that allowed us to take the result that we wanted.
"We arrived with a clear target that we wanted to get our target by ourselves with a win and we didn't get it, but in the last part of the season we have suffered with many defeats and at the same time we need to appreciate that we kept the target without defeat."
Coventry's Mark Robins: "I'd have enjoyed it more if we'd have taken the three points. What I've enjoyed is watching my team playing more like my team. The second half was much better, we got a foothold, there were some decent opportunities and we deserved to win it.
"The goal came after some really decent play and the goal that we conceded was typical of what we do. It was really sloppy, so that's disappointing and that's something that we have to put right for next season. We'll be working hard over the summer to make sure that doesn't happen again."
