Tore Andre Flo hit two quick-fire goals to earn Gianluca Vialli's unimpressive
Chelsea a draw with battling Coventry at Highfield Road.
Vialli had challenged his players to show the consistency needed to get back
into the title race as they played the first of their games in hand on leaders
Leeds United.
But the Londoners failed to spark for long periods against Gordon Strachan's
men although they did manage to end their run of four successive defeats at
Highfield Road.
Only the quick thinking of Flo got them any tangible reward as he cancelled
out goals from Cedric Roussel and Robbie Keane in super-fast fashion.
It means the Londoners are still 13 points adrift of Leeds with only two
matches in hand - and they will have to improve massively if they are to be a
title force to be reckoned with.
Coventry, conquerors of Arsenal on Boxing Day, can again take great heart from
a performance which combined skill and commitment and any threat of relegation
must surely soon be banished on current evidence.
Chelsea briefly threatened in the opening exchanges and Coventry defender Paul
Williams made a fine tackle to halt Flo in his tracks after Didier Deschamps had
threaded the ball into his path.
But it was Strachan's side who looked more purposeful and there was no
shortage of confidence after their success over the Gunners a week earlier.
Coventry skipper Gary McAllister was clearly unhappy after being caught by a
late challenge from the recalled Chelsea skipper Dennis Wise.
The first semblance of an opening fell to Coventry in the 15th minute when
Cedric Roussel headed a Paul Telfer lob into the path of Mustapha Hadji whose
low shot flashed across the face of goal.
Roussel was winning his fair share of the ball and another flick from the
Belgium under-21 international found its way into the path of Robbie Keane,
whose shot from a narrow angle was blocked by De Goey.
Keane was causing problems for Descamps with his trickery but it was Roberto
Di Matteo who was yellow carded for bringing down the Republic of Ireland star.
The resulting free-kick from McAllister picked out Carlton Palmer but he
flashed his header just wide.
A mistake by Gianfranco Zola then almost proved costly as Keane intercepted
and sent in a low centre which Emerson Thome was forced to clear at full stretch
as Roussel prepared to pounce.
Little was seen of Chelsea as an attacking threat until the five minutes
before the interval when Flo headed a Zola free-kick over the bar and Thome shot
wide when well placed in the Coventry area.
McAllister took some retribution on Wise with a late challenge before the
interval and the pair were clearly involved in a running battle during the
opening 45 minutes.
Coventry also started the second half brightly and Roussel set up Keane for a
vicious dipping 25 yard effort which flew just past the post.
But there was a slice of good fortune on their side when Roussel finally broke
the deadlock in the 54th minute.
Hadji's low shot was going well wide of the far post but it struck Roussel and
fell perfectly for him in front of goal.
The on-loan Ghent player needed no second invitation as he drilled his shot
past De Goey and then raced the the dug-out to celebrate with Strachan.
But those celebrations were premature for within 30 seconds Chelsea were back
on level terms.
The creator was Zola who broke into space on the left of the area before
pulling the ball back to Flo.
He had time to steady himself before planting the ball past the stranded
Hedman for his 11th goal of the campaign.
Chelsea then found a bit of rhythm at long last and Telfer came to Coventry's
rescue when he blocked Di Matteo's shot on the line after he had seized on
Wise's low cross.
But Coventry were still giving as good as they got and De Goey was forced to
tip a low drive from the impressive Hadji around the post.
The Sky Blues thought they had again clinched victory when the unmarked Keane
headed in at the far post after Roussel had flicked on a cross from Telfer.
But Chelsea's reply was instant once again, with Zola the creator for the
second time before Flo calmly chipped the ball over Hedman.
Teams
Coventry: Hedman, Telfer, Williams, Breen, Froggatt, Chippo, McAllister, Palmer, Hadji, Roussel (Whelan 87), Keane.
Subs Not Used: Ogrizovic, Normann, Eustace, Gustafsson.
Booked: Hadji.
Goals: Roussel 54, Keane 81.
Chelsea: De Goey, Ferrer, Desailly, Thome, Babayaro, Poyet (Petrescu 74), Deschamps (Morris 78), Wise, Di Matteo (Sutton 85), Flo, Zola.
Subs Not Used: Cudicini, Lambourde.
Booked: Di Matteo.
Goals: Flo 55, 82.
Att: 20,164
Ref: P Durkin (Dorset).
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