Gianluca Festa and Hamilton Ricard eased the pressure on Middlesbrough manager
Bryan Robson as they fired their side to a first victory since December 18.
The Italian defender struck with just eight minutes gone to bring the game to
life, and the Colombian striker collected his ninth of the season with a
20th-minute piledriver to ease, but certainly not end, his side's relegation
fears.
But just as it was the manner of defeat against Aston Villa on Monday night
which was of more concern than the 4-0 scoreline, it was the way in which the
Teessiders bounced back which will have impressed their manager.
There was a steel and a confidence about them which has been sadly lacking in
recent times, and as the belief started to grow once again, they produced
flashes of the football Robson knows they can play.
Coventry, who have not won a league game away from Highfield Road all season,
never looked like doing so at the Riverside Stadium, but that was in no small
part due to the efforts of their opponents.
Robson was at least able to welcome back three of his more experienced players
as keeper Mark Schwarzer returned in place of Marlon Beresford, Ricard took over
up front in place of the injured Keith O'Neill, and German international
Christian Ziege resumed in midfield for Paul Gascoigne, who broke his arm in
controversial circumstances during the home defeat by Aston Villa.
Coventry, too, made changes, and they meant returns for David Burrows, Paul
Williams and Carlton Palmer, who got the nod ahead of Steve Froggatt, Gary Breen
and John Eustace.
Robson had urged his players, if they could not produce attractive, flowing
football, to make up for it with aggression and passion, but he will have been
delighted to see them produce both in the opening 45 minutes.
With Ziege operating at left wing-back and Ricard looking sharp up front, they
had an all together better shape, allowing the midfield trio to get forward in
support of the front men.
It took them just eight minutes to claw their way in front after Paul Williams
was forced to concede a corner as Ziege made his presence felt down the left.
The German's second ball in caused real problems for the Coventry defence in a
tricky wind, and when Williams completely missed his kick six yards out, Festa
calmly slotted a shot past Magnus Hedman to finally give the home fans something
to cheer.
But if the Boro faithful enjoyed that, they were purring with pleasure on 20
minutes when Ricard produced the kind of finish that has been all too
conspicuously absent from his game in recent weeks.
Again it was a Ziege corner which caused the problems, and when Juninho fed
the ball back to the Colombian 25 yards out, he dispatched it with such venom
that Hedman was only halfway through his dive when the ball hit the back of the
net.
A Coventry side which had scored twice at Old Trafford in their last away
game, never really got to grips with their opponents in the opening 45 minutes,
and had Ince not miscontrolled Ziege's cross in front of goal, it could have
been all over before the break.
The German just failed to find Andy Campbell on 42 minutes after Ricard had
split the City defence with a superb pass, but in the meantime, there had been a
let-off when Robbie Keane burst clear, only to fire wide of Schwarzer's right
post.
Boro maintained the tempo after the break, but created few clear chances as
Coventry tried to close ranks.
But Juninho almost made it three on 56 minutes as his side launched a
counter-attack from a City corner.
Campbell raced 70 yards from his own half before feeding the Brazilian, and he
cut inside on to his right foot to curl a shot just wide.
Gary Pallister went close with a near-post header from Ziege's corner three
minutes later, but although the game remained reasonably open, neither side
troubled the opposing keeper unduly.
City striker Cedric Roussel was stretchered off 14 minutes from time after
going down under Pallister's challenge, Barry Quinn taking his place, but
although the visitors battled hard in the closing stages, the game had been won
and lost long before then.
Teams
Middlesbrough: Schwarzer, Fleming, Festa, Pallister, Cooper, Ziege, Juninho (Maddison 89), Ince, Summerbell, Ricard, Campbell.
Subs Not Used: Beresford, Moore, Armstrong, Stockdale.
Goals: Festa 8, Ricard 20.
Coventry: Hedman, Gustafsson (Breen 68), Shaw, Williams, Burrows (Eustace 68), Hadji, McAllister, Palmer, Chippo, Keane, Roussel (Quinn 76).
Subs Not Used: Hyldgaard, Strachan.
Booked: Shaw, Palmer, Hadji.
Att: 32,798
Ref: G Barber (Tring, Herts).
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