Lee Hughes fired two goals as Coventry overwhelmed Bradford to climb into the
Nationwide First Division play-off positions.
The Sky Blues blitzed the visitors with three goals in seven minutes either
side of the half-time interval, and by the end the Yorkshire club were fortunate
not to lose by a bigger score.
Coventry began brightly but the match then settled into an evenly-balanced
affair which exploded into life in the run-up to the half-time whistle.
Bradford striker Ashley Ward missed a point-blank range shot in the 39th
minute when Robbie Blake crossed low into the goalmouth. From that moment
Coventry took charge.
In the 41st minute Youssef Safri shook off two challenges to side-foot a
perfect ball into Hughes' path and the striker ran into the penalty area to
shoot across the face of goalkeeper Aidan Davison into the far corner.
Sixty seconds later Coventry midfielder David Thompson scored a brilliant goal
when he picked up a Bradford clearance and hammered a shot into the top corner
of the net from 30 yards.
Coventry increased their lead at the start of the second half when they were
awarded a penalty.
Stephen Caldwell inexplicably fell to his knees to try and chest down a cross
from Chippo in the 48th minute.
The ball bounced away from him and as he tried to recover he bundled over
Coventry striker Lee Mills.
Davison had been replaced at half-time because of injury and his replacement
Gary Walsh was equally busy, producing even better saves to keep the home side
at bay.
Coventry scored their fourth goal in the 80th minute when Lee Carsley hit a
pass to Thompson who knocked it into the penalty area for Julian Joachim, on the
field as substitute for Mills, to jink around a defender and shoot home from
close range.
It was Joachim's first goal for the club since his move from Aston Villa in
the summer.
Teams:
Coventry: Hedman, Edworthy, Shaw, Konjic, Hall (Quinn 45),
Delorge, Safri, Chippo (Carsley 79), Thompson, Hughes,
Mills (Joachim 63).
Subs Not Used: Martinez, Goram.
Booked: Edworthy.
Goals: Hughes 41, Thompson 43, Hughes 49 pen, Joachim 81.
Bradford: Davison (Walsh 45), Halle (Jorgensen 27), Caldwell,
Jacobs, Tod, Jess, Sharpe (Juanjo 72), Locke, Etherington,
Ward, Blake.
Subs Not Used: Molenaar, Makel.
Booked: Locke.
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