Bristol City vs Coventry City. Sky Bet Championship.
Ashton Gate StadiumAttendance22,718.
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Bristol City and Coventry City at Ashton Gate on Saturday | Rob Dickie scores first Robins goal in narrow win for Nigel Pearson's men
Saturday 21 October 2023 18:48, UK
Centre-back Rob Dickie was Bristol City's match-winner in a 1-0 Sky Bet Championship victory over Coventry at Ashton Gate.
Having survived incessant pressure, the home side took the lead in first-half stoppage time when Dickie rose to net with a downward header from Taylor Gardner-Hickman's free-kick.
Coventry had squandered several chances and were not the same force after the break as their opponents leapfrogged them in the table with a dogged display.
Both managers made four changes, injury-hit Bristol bringing in Haydon Roberts, Andy King, Andreas Weimann and Tommy Conway, with five academy players on the bench, while Coventry named Ben Sheaf, Luis Binks, Milan van Ewijk and Matty Godden in their starting line-up.
The half-time score was completely against the run of play. Cheered on by one of the loudest contingents of travelling fans at Ashton Gate this season, Coventry dominated from the opening whistle without finding a finish to match impressive approach play.
Tatsuhiro Sakamoto had a fourth-minute shot palmed over by Max O'Leary and three minutes later Sheaf clipped the crossbar.
City, with experienced midfielder King operating in the middle of a back-three, looked all over the place as their former player Jay Dasilva revelled in yards of space on Coventry's left flank.
Sakamoto went close again and Ellis Simms fired narrowly wide before the visitors hit the bar again through Godden's drive.
A head injury to midfielder Matty James after 20 minutes allowed Bristol time to regroup. He continued swathed in a bandage, but still Coventry piled forward and Godden shot wide after being set up by Simms.
The hosts at last featured as an attacking force after 34 minutes when a crunching tackle by James led to Weimann cutting in from the right to force a diving save from Ben Wilson.
Even so, by the 38th minute City manager Nigel Pearson had seen enough and sent on Jason Knight for youngster Roberts, switching to a back-four, with Mark Sykes dropping to right-back. His team improved, but Dickie's goal just before the break still came out of the blue.
The hosts looked better-balanced at the start of the second half and Cameron Pring had a 53rd-minute shot blocked. Nine minutes later Knight's powerful long-range effort was held by Wilson.
Sakamoto fired wide, but Coventry were struggling to re-establish their first-half superiority.
Chances were few and far between after the break, substitute Haji Wright shooting wide of the near post for the Sky Blues after 79 minutes.
The home side were better organised and more tenacious, Sykes nullifying the threat of Dasilva and Dickie producing a goal-saving challenge in injury time to complete what for 45 minutes looked an unlikely success.
Bristol City's assistant Curtis Fleming:
"We lost a couple of players to injury in the build-up to the game and it was a great win in the circumstances. Coventry were really good, but sometimes you have to win horribly and the change of shape made a big difference. It was tough on young Haydon coming off in the first half, but the change needed making. We didn't start with Jason Knight because he had run 12k in two games on international duty with Ireland and picked up a 24-hour bug on his return.
"He has gone on and done a great job for us. But the team as a collective responded so well in the second half. I thought Andy King was superb at the back. We can't shy away from the fact that Coventry were better in the first half. But we showed a real character with several players operating out of position and put bodies on the line. Rob Dickie has shown his worth at both ends, with a big challenge at the end. He lost his place through being sent off against Birmingham and he has come back strong."
Coventry's Mark Robins:
"I should be talking about a brilliant away performance because that's what it was. Instead, we are reflecting on a defeat because we lacked that finishing touch and have lost to set-piece goal we should have defended better. We could have played until midnight and not scored. It wasn't our day, but you make your own luck and some of our decision-making on the ball was lacking. We have to be better in that respect. When you don't take your chances, you are always vulnerable.
"I am disappointed with the goal because Rob Dickie has just moved Kyle McFadzean out of the way. Ben Wilson has done well even to get a hand on the header because there was pace on it. They changed shape to cope with us and offered more what we expected. I'm so frustrated because we should be looking back on a brilliant three points against a good side. They had injuries, but still boasted a lot of experience in the likes of Andy King and Matty James. We remain a work in progress, but we still created enough chances to have won. That's the disappointment, but we will take the positives out of the game and move on."
