Stoke midfielder Kris Commons effectively ended Coventry's hopes reaching the
First Division play-offs with the only goal of a scrappy match at the Britannia
Stadium.
Commons enlivened a disappointing game between two mid-table sides when he was
fouled 25 yards out by Stephen Warnock and crashed the free-kick into the top
corner.
Stoke, back on home turf after four away games, suffered a major setback in
the opening minutes when goalkeeper Ed de Goey was stretchered off unconscious.
Coventry striker Gary McSheffrey was shown a yellow card by referee Mike Dean
for clattering into the former Chelsea man, with Neil Cutler going on.
McSheffrey tried his luck from 35 yards but failed to test Cutler, who has
only just recovered from an ankle injury.
Coventry were hit by a setback of their own after half an hour as midfielder
Bjarni Gudjonsson, who was a slight doubt with a hamstring strain before the
game, limped off to be replaced by Graham Barrett.
The former Arsenal trainee tried his luck with a curling shot from 25 yards
only for Cutler to save, before Commons struck from range.
The visitors forced four successive corners in the closing stages of the half
after Barrett's 25-yard strike was brilliantly tipped over by Cutler, but
Coventry's pressure came to nothing.
Coventry started the second half as they ended the first and were unlucky not
to equalise in the 48th minute.
Warnock unleashed a powerful 35-yard drive with his left foot which came
crashing off the woodwork.
Potters midfielder Karl Henry also went close from range with a 25-yard
strike, but goalkeeper Scott Shearer was equal to the danger.
Back came Coventry as McSheffrey cleared the crossbar with a rising drive from
well outside the area which prompted a double substitution by Black.
Andrew Whing and Sebastian Olszar came on for the ineffective Michael Doyle
and Brian Kerr as Coventry sought the goals that would keep their promotion
ambition on track.
Stoke striker Ade Akinbiyi, who had a quiet game, fired wide when in a good
position, while at the other end Steve Staunton curled a free-kick wide from 20
yards.
Akinbiyi's match came to an end after a rash challenge on Whing which earned
him a yellow card and he was instantly replaced by Gifton Noel-Williams.
Teams
Stoke de Goey (Cutler 7), Halls, Thomas, Taggart, Marcus Hall,
Russell, Commons, Henry, Clarke, Asaba,
Akinbiyi (Noel-Williams 82).
Subs Not Used: Hill, Gunnarsson, Svard.
Booked: Akinbiyi.
Goals: Commons 41.
Coventry Shearer, Deloumeaux, Konjic, Davenport, Staunton,
Gudjonsson (Barrett 31), Kerr (Olszar 59), Doyle (Whing 59),
Warnock, Joachim, McSheffrey.
Subs Not Used: Ward, Shaw.
Booked: McSheffrey, Deloumeaux.
Att: 12,855
Ref: M Dean (Wirral).
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