Coventry City vs Leeds United. Sky Bet Championship.
The Coventry Building Society ArenaAttendance30,232.
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Coventry City and Leeds United at the Coventry Building Society Arena on Saturday | Joel Piroe halves deficit for Daniel Farke's side, but goals from Ellis Simms and Haji Wright seal win for Sky Blues
Saturday 6 April 2024 18:25, UK
Leeds missed the chance to go top of the Championship after suffering their first defeat in 16 league games at the hands of Coventry.
Ellis Simms nodded in his 17th of the season inside the first 10 minutes before Haji Wright's brilliant finish shortly after half time but the Sky Blues in control
Joel Piroe gave Leeds hope with 14 minutes remaining but Mark Robins' men remain within four points of the top six.
It was an important victory for Coventry, who kept pace after Norwich's 1-0 victory over Ipswich in the lunchtime kick-off.
Simms put the Sky Blues ahead with his 14th goal in 11 games in all competitions when he nodded in from close range.
It followed good work from Bobby Thomas, who hooked Josh Eccles' corner back into the danger zone before Liam Kitching's header found Simms inside the six-yard box.
It was a welcome contribution for Kitching, who had scored two own goals in Coventry's 2-1 home defeat to Cardiff on Monday.
From there Robins' men went in search of a second as they carved the shaky Leeds back-line apart minutes later.
Kasey Palmer's smart pass played in the returning Callum O'Hare but his shot was well blocked by the legs of Illan Meslier in the Leeds goal.
Palmer then saw his effort ricochet off a Leeds defender to safety, while Simms flashed an effort wide following Haji Wright's knock down.
At the other end, Junior Firpo's cross looked to be on a plate for Patrick Bamford but the forward couldn't make a clean contact in what proved to be Daniel Farke's side's best chance of the first half.
Coventry deservedly doubled their lead after the break after an incisive breakaway from Crysencio Summerville's free kick.
Milan van Ewijk brought the ball away from danger and laid off to Eccles, whose mesmerising ball into the box was met by a brilliantly-improvised finish by Wright with the outside of his right foot.
Leeds went in search of a goal to halve the deficit and looked most threatening through Summerville, who forced Brad Collins into action for the first time in the afternoon at his near post.
Jake Bidwell's acrobatics then prevented the Dutchman from equalising as he cleared Summerville's effort off the line for a corner.
Substitute Piroe gave Leeds hope in the closing stages when he calmly side-footed home following persistent work from Georginio Rutter.
Piroe had a golden chance to salvage a point in injury time but his effort was kept out by Collins as Leeds' automatic promotion hopes were dealt a blow at the CBS Arena.
Coventry's Mark Robins:
"I thought they were brilliant really. We're coming up against a top team with top players, with pace, with power, with quality.
"The two goals were absolutely brilliant, one from a set play, Ellis is on his toes to finish that one off and the second one is a fantastic ball.
"It's Josh Eccles' birthday today, brilliant ball in, great shape on it and Haji (Wright)'s put it in with the outside of his foot and that gave us a bit of a cushion.
"I thought we defended pretty well where you have to, I think we slashed at one or two things during the game but mostly we were pretty good and calm and when we were calm we got a bit more control and had a little bit more of the ball.
"Second half we were without it a lot more than in the first half when we started to tire and then they made changes and brought full international players onto the field, every one of them, to a man, some of them were asked to play in different roles, they've done really well.
"They deserve it for their work rate but some of the quality that we showed is really pleasing. The noise was incredible, my ears are ringing and I thought they were outstanding."
Leeds' Daniel Farke:
"We started really well into this game, dominated possession, had many good scenes in their box.
"But when you have such a comfortable start you sometimes lose a bit of aggressiveness and greediness and I got the feeling this was the case especially in the first half.
"We dominated against a normally good possession side with 70 per cent possession, had more chances, more shots on target.
"From the statistics, a really good away game but we didn't win the decisive duels and this was crucial today.
"The first goal we conceded out of our corner kick on the counter-attack, literally the first time they were in our half if I'm honest. Then with their first corner kick they scored out of it.
"We could have been a little bit more smarter and if you give away two goals relatively cheaply then it is always tricky against a really good home side.
"We had a good reaction, scored the first goal, calm finish and would have been happy had he (Piroe) taken his big chance.
"I have to be careful because if you lose the first game of the calendar year in April it is difficult to be over critical after such an outstanding run.
"But I still feel we had a bit more to give, especially in the first half and for that I want them to be a bit disappointed."
