Coventry continued their fine run of form as they blitzed Barnsley at
Highfield Road.
Roland Nilsson's men made it four wins on the run and had the points tied up
before half-time as Barnsley suffered a hangover from the defeat at Birmingham
last week which ended their 12-match unbeaten run.
The Highfield Road side could not have made their intentions clearer as they
took the lead after 14 seconds.
Defender Marcus Hall played a long pass forward allowing Lee Mills to nod the
ball into the path of David Thompson. The former Liverpool midfielder played in
Youssef Chippo inside the area and the Moroccan finished with a low right-foot
effort.
That, surprisingly, knocked Barnsley back on their heels and they never really
recovered.
Barnsley keeper Kevin Miller twice made saves from Chippo.
A second Coventry goal seemed inevitable and it came in the 19th minute when
Barnsley's defence failed to deal with a curling corner from Moroccan Safri.
His cross floated over Miller allowing Thompson to force the ball over the
line from a yard out.
Coventry goalkeeper Tim Flowers, on loan from Leicester, had to make one save
from a Mitch Ward free-kick but was a spectator for the majority of the half.
Coventry could well have had a penalty in the 37th minute when Mo Konjic
skipped his way into the area before going down under challenge from Steve
Chettle. Coventry appealed but referee Lee Cable was unmoved.
Coventry's third came two minutes before half-time when Colin Healey flicked
on a Safri free-kick allowing Thompson to notch his second from close range.
That killed off any Barnsley hopes, and, as a result, the second half was an
anti-climax.
Mills got in on the act to give Coventry their fourth goal when, on the hour,
Thompson fed the former Portsmouth striker whose left-foot shot from 20 yards
hit Chettle and deflected in past Miller.
Teams:
Coventry: Flowers, Quinn, Breen, Konjic, Hall (Joachim 64),
Thompson (Fowler 80), Healy, Safri, Guerrero (Betts 87), Mills,
Chippo.
Subs Not Used: Zuniga, Montgomery.
Goals: Chippo 1, Thompson 19, 44, Mills 60.
Barnsley: Miller, Mulligan, Morgan, Chettle, Barker, Ward,
Lumsdon, Gary Jones (Crooks 80), Barnard (Donovan 64),
Sheron (Rankin 64), Dyer.
Subs Not Used: Marriott, Regan.
Booked: Barnard, Lumsdon, Chettle.
Att: 15,092
Ref: L Cable (Woking).
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