Football: Coventry City 2 - 1 Rochdale

Date published: 17 November 2019


Coventry City remain unbeaten at home after coming from behind to beat Rochdale on Saturday 16 November. Ian Henderson netted his 10th of the season when he swept home a ball from Callum Camps, but the hosts hit back just before half-time

Jordan Shipley capitalised on a mix up between Eoghan O’Connell and Robert Sanchez to bundle the ball over the line. Coventry edged in front through Liam Walsh’s mazy run and finish. Rekeil Pyke’s cross-cum-shot which forced keeper Marko Marosi into evasive action to tip the ball over was the closest Dale came to levelling.

Aaron Wilbraham came back into the starting eleven with Rhys Norrington-Davies away with Wales U21s in the only change from the side that drew with Wrexham last Sunday.

Coventry came into the game unbeaten at their temporary home of St Andrew’s which is Birmingham City’s ground.

Rochdale will feel they should have taken the lead when a mistake by young defender Declan Drysdale gave the ball to Henderson. The debutant, in trying to play back to his goalkeeper, under hit the backpass with Henderson seizing upon the loose ball. The captain made room to play in Wilbraham but the veteran striker's effort lacked power and the defence got a block in.

Minutes later, Dale took the lead with a well worked goal from Henderson. The ball broke to Camps on the right and he sent in a perfect ball behind the defence which Henderson ran on to and swept it past Marosi for his 120th goal in Rochdale colours.

Rochdale were in the ascendency and it took a brave block from Drysdale to block Henderson when it looked like he would net his second and when Pyke beat Dom Hyam for pace to a ball over the top; the on loan striker just couldn’t get the ball into a shooting position and the defender cleared for a corner.

With the clock ticking towards half-time, Coventry levelled. Westbrooke’s ball over the top was taken on his chest by Shipley and as he went towards goal, Sanchez was quickly out to block but the ball hit O’Connell and fell kindly to Shipley who scrambled the ball over the line.

Coventry improved after the interval and should have took the lead eleven minutes in; Bakayoko leading a claim for miss of the season. Fankaty Dabo did well to make room for a cross which looked simple for Bakayoko to score when he inexplicably put the ball back across goal and Dale were able to clear.

Henderson flashed a shot narrowly wide of the right hand post after he got onto a Matty Done flick and that chance proved costly as Coventry got their winner.

On loan Bristol City midfielder Walsh jinked his way past four Dale players and shot low into the bottom corner past Sanchez.

Dale tried to get back on terms in the latter stages. Camps’ shot went straight at Marosi whilst Henderson went close again after a Tavares lay off. Marosi tipped Pykes right wing cross-cum-shot over the bar before time ran out for Brian Barry-Murphy’s side.

 

Rochdale: Sanchez, Keohane, O’Connell, MJ Williams, Done, Morley, Ryan (Tavares 78), Camps, Henderson (c), Wilbraham (Andrew 81), Pyke
Substitutes: (not used) Lynch, McShane, Baah, Gillam, Hopper

Coventry: Marosi, Rose (c), Hyam, Drysdale, Mason, Dabo, Walsh, Eccles (O’Hare 88), Westbrooke, Shipley, Bakayoko
Substitutes: (not used) Wilson, Allen, Watson, Kastaneer, Bapaga, Burroughs

Referee: Mr M Edwards
Assistants: Mr R Atkin and Mr H Karaivanov
Fourth Official: Mr M Smith

Attendance: 5,433 (293 from Rochdale)

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