Match Zone

Match Report – Crewe Alexandra vs Coventry City

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First-half goals from Jonson Clarke-Harris and Tom Bayliss gave Coventry City their 5th undefeated game in succession at the Alexandra Stadium yesterday afternoon, despite Jordan Bowery`s 8th goal of the season levelling the scores just after the half-hour mark.

Manager David Artell made 2 changes from last Saturday`s draw at Stevenage with former Coventry loanee Jamie Sterry returning to right-back and scorer of last week`s equaliser Charlie Kirk coming into the team with Perry Ng moving back into central midfield and both Tom Lowery and Callum Ainley dropping down to the bench.

The opening chance of the game came in the 5th minute as Clarke-Harris was played in down the Coventry left before coming inside and driving the ball goal-wards, coming off the heel of Eddie Nolan, and nestling into the bottom corner past Ben Garratt. The next effort came on 20 minutes as a Marc McNulty shot went straight at Garratt before Crewe`s first meaningful effort came in the 29th minute as it brought a superb save out of Liam O`Brien with the former Portsmouth youngster tipping Shaun Miller`s header wide of the post following a Bowery cross.

Eddie Nolan would head the resulting Harry Pickering corner wide of the target but Crewe would draw level a few minutes later. Substitute Ainley`s low cross was shot goalwards by Paul Green with O`Brien making another top save only for Bowery to head home the rebound. Coventry would take the lead 4 minutes before the break as Bayliss played a 1-2 with Clarke-Harris following a quickly-taken free-kick with the young midfielder scoring off the post for his third goal of the season.

After a quiet opening period to the second-half, half-time substitute Liam Kelly robbed Green of the ball in midfield, exchanging passes with Clarke-Harris before curling his effort just wide of the post. Another chance fell to Clarke-Harris which was saved by Garratt before Jack Grimmer`s cross was headed down by the striker for McNulty to also force Garratt into a save. The final chance came in the final minute as City substitute Kyel Reid pulled his shot wide.

Crewe`s next game sees Forest Green Rovers make their first ever appearance at the Alexandra Stadium on Tuesday night.

Crewe: Garratt; Sterry, Nolan, Ray ©, Bakayago (Ainley 20); Pickering, Green, Ng, Kirk; Miller (McKirdy 72), Bowery (Dagnall 80)

Coventry: O`Brien; Grimmer, McDonald, Hyam, Haynes; Vincenti (Ponticelli 87), Doyle ©, Bayliss (Kelly 46), Shipley (Reid 77); McNulty, Clarke-Harris

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