Stoke secured victory over Coventry and probably another season in Division
One thanks to the most bizarre of penalty conversions.
Potters substitute Chris Iwelumo, with his first touch of the game, had sent
Gary Montgomery the wrong way from 12 yards only to see the ball rebound from
the woodwork and then the sprawling keeper too before finally crossing the line
for the only goal of the game.
The win for City meant Sheffield Wednesday and Grimsby have been relegated to
Division Two, while Brighton must win their two remaining games and hope Stoke
slip up if they are to survive.
Hostilities had effectively commenced in the 12th minute when a backpass from
Vicente Engonga, starting in place of player-manager Gary McAllister who had
succumbed to a back injury, was suspiciously intercepted by former Sky Blues
frontman Lee Mills.
And with referee Paul Robinson waving away shouts for handball, possession was
spread left to Peter Hoekstra who supplied the pin-point centre which Clive
Clarke met on the half-volley, keeper Montgomery needing two grabs before
finally gaining control.
The hosts' first chance of note came on the quarter-hour when John Eustace met
a Mo Konjic free-kick with which was still climbing as it passed over the Stoke
crossbar.
Clarke's dead ball effort from 20 yards was easily saved at the other end
moments later before Stoke's Mark Crossley dealt with Craig Pead's 30-yard
drive.
Montgomery was momentarily threatened by a long-range tilt from Clarke late in
the first half before Wayne Thomas chanced his arm in a crowded penalty area in
the aftermath of a Stoke corner though that shot also scudded wide of the
target.
And though Coventry endeavoured to mount a telling response, Eustace,
advancing from midfield, was unable to find the pass which would have put
Christian Yulu clear on goal.
Stoke boss Tony Pulis rang the changes early in the second half when Mills and
Peter Hoekstra were replaced by Iwelumo and Chris Greenacre.
And it was Iwelumo's first duty to convert the 52nd-minute penalty awarded by
the Hull-based official, Gary Caldwell being adjudged to have pushed Brynjar
Gunnarson in the penalty box following a chip into the danger area from Thomas.
Two minutes passed before the protests died and Iwelumo stepped up to send
Montgomery to the striker's left and the ball to the right, a ricochet off the
post travelling across the face of goal before hitting the helpless goalkeeper
on the back and eventually trundling into the back of the net.
Sergey Shtaniuk went close to adding a second for the visitors but the central
defender's powerful header was directed over the bar.
Meanwhile, desperate times were dictating desperate measures for Coventry who
abandoned their wing-back formation for the traditional 4-4-2, skipper Konjic
being released from his defensive duties in order to support Gary McSheffrey up
front.
Crossley needed to be on his mettle to deal with Dean Gordon's fearsome
long-range effort before Coventry's reshuffle came close to paying dividends, a
Konjic effort rattling the junction of post and bar with little more than 10
minutes and formalities remaining.
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