Coventry 1-4 Ipswich: Town Match report & player ratings as McKenna admits “Goals Will Be a Confidence-Booster For Clarke”
Coventry 1-4 Ipswich: Town Match report & player ratings as McKenna admits “Goals Will Be a Confidence-Booster For Clarke”
Town secured a place in round five of the FA Cup for the first time since 2007 following a comfortable 4-1 win at Coventry City. George Hirst netted from the penalty spot in the second minute after Sammie Szmodics had been fouled after only 20 seconds, but the Championship side levelled on eight through Joel Latibeaudiere’s header. However, Jack Clarke netted twice before half-time and then Jaden Philogene completed the scoring with his first for the club on his birthday from a Clarke pass in the second half.
Boss Kieran McKenna made the expected 11 changes to his team, who were wearing their pink third kit, with new keeper Alex Palmer making his debut.
The former West Brom man was behind a back four of Ben Godfrey, Luke Woolfenden, who skippers as he did in the previous round, Cameron Burgess and Conor Townsend.
Kalvin Phillips and Jack Taylor were the central midfielders with Philogene on the right, Sammie Szmodics returning from his ankle injury in the middle and Clarke on the left with Hirst the out-and-out striker.
Cieran Slicker was the sub keeper on a bench with Aro Muric among a number of players who started the last game left out, along with Omari Hutchinson, Jacob Greaves, Dara O’Shea and the cup-tied Julio Enciso.
Coventry, wearing a one-off dark blue shirt to raise funds for charity with the numbers all but unreadable, made four changes from the team which lost 2-0 at home to Leeds on Wednesday with another Championship game against QPR at the CBS Arena this coming Tuesday.
Lewis Binks came into the back three, Jay Dasilva at right wing-back, Josh Eccles in midfield and Tatsuhiro Sakamoto behind main striker Brandon Thomas-Asante.
Jake Bidwell dropped out of the squad, while Milan van Ewijk, Ellis Simms and Victor Torp were on the bench.
The game got under way at 3.10 due to congestion around the CBS Arena and 20 seconds after the kick-off, taken by the home side, the Blues were awarded a penalty.
Taylor threaded in Hirst towards the left of the area by Taylor before the striker cut inside to Szmodics, who was clumsily upended by Binks. Referee Ben Toner pointed straight to the spot.
Hirst took the kick and hit it powerfully past home keeper Oliver Dovin to his left into the corner of the net to send the 5,000-strong Blues support wild.
On four, Hirst, who had taken his season’s tally to two, was sent away again in the same area but this time the flag was raised prior to the former Leicester man finding the corner of the net for a second time.
But Town’s lead was to last until only the eighth minute. Jack Rudoni swung over a corner from the right and Latibeaudiere nodded home unmarked.
In the 14th minute Brandon Thomas-Asante broke down the middle and was through on former teammate Palmer but the linesman’s flag was raised.
Four minutes later, from another corner on the right, Liam Kitching flicked a header well over.
The home side were seeing most of the ball but on 22 a Jaden Philogene cross from the right was cut out and from the corner Szmodics slammed well wide at the near post.
Two minutes later, the Blues worked a slick move out from the back on the right and Clarke eventually swept a pass out wide to Townsend on the left but the left-back’s low cross was cut out.
Nevertheless, it was Town’s best passing move with the Blues taking control, and in the 28th minute they went back in front.
Clarke tricked his way in from the left on the edge of the area using his quick feet to work himself room to shoot right-footed and the former Sunderland man’s powerful low strike – his second goal of the season, both in the FA Cup – found the same corner of the net as Hirst’s penalty.
Szmodics, back in the team following his ankle problem, picked up a knock in the build-up but continued after treatment.
Town successfully defended a couple of Coventry corners before a Blues break ended with Philogene hitting a shot from an angle on the right which Dovin saved comfortably to his left.
Szmodics immediately took to the turf again indicating he wanted to come off and after treatment Nathan Broadhead took over.
Three minutes after coming on, the Wales international helped create Town’s third goal. Coventry gifted possession and Broadhead swiftly cut the ball inside to Clarke, the winger holding off two defenders before planting the ball in the corner of the net, his third goal of the season.
Thomas-Asante smashed a 20-yard free-kick into the Town wall in the 41st minute, Eccles subsequently blazing wide.
That was the last action with the Blues thoroughly deserving their 3-1 lead at half-time.
Town had started brightly, creating the opening from which they won the penalty in the opening seconds despite the home side having kicked off.
The Blues defended a Coventry corner poorly, something they did on a couple of occasions early on, to allow the leveller and the Sky Blues had a brief spell on top in the spell immediately after that.
However, Town’s class quickly began to tell and Clarke took his first goal in a manner which will be very familiar to Sunderland fans from last season and then confidently added the final touch as the Blues seized upon a Coventry error for his second.
The Sky Blues struck the first shot of the second half, Sakamoto hitting a low effort from distance which Palmer diverted past the post at full stretch to his right. Following the corner, the keeper unconvincingly came out a long way to punch, colliding with two Coventry players. While there were appeals from the home fans, referee Toner showed no interest.
The Sky Blues’ support was getting behind their side despite the scoreline and they were seeing a fair amount of the ball in the early stages of the half but without causing further problems for Town.
The game was becoming increasingly open and on 55 Clarke fed in Hirst on the left of the box but a Coventry boot intervened.
A minute later, Hirst moved the ball wide to Philogene and the former Aston Villa man hit a shot from a tight angle which Dovin saved.
Coventry were seeing most of the ball with the Blues looking to counter-attack but with passes going needlessly astray on a number of occasions.
In the 61st minute, Rudoni had the ball in the net after Town had struggled to clear from the edge of their six-yard box but the linesman’s flag was raised against Thomas-Asante.
As the Blues prepared to take the goal-kick, Coventry made a double change with Thomas-Asante and Rudoni making way for Norman Bassette and Torp.
And almost immediately after play restarted, it was 4-1 to the Blues. Following a poor Latibeaudiere pass, Broadhead played a ball down the line to Clarke, who cut across goal to Philogene and the England U21 international slammed in his first goal for the club into the net off the keeper to celebrate his 23rd birthday in style.
Town made their second change in the 67th minute, Massimo Luongo taking over from Phillips, who had impressed in the Blues midfield.
Broadhead, who had been excellent since coming on in the first half, tried an audacious 40-yard effort from wide on the right with Dovin off his line but failed to find the target.
At the other end, Eccles hit a low shot which Palmer saved confidently down to his right, then on 75 Coventry skipper Jamie Allen was replaced by Raphael.
Two minutes later, Palmer saved to his right from Bassette with the Blues dealing with the corner more comfortably than they had the home side’s early set pieces.
A minute later, Torp hit a shot from not far outside the area in space which was too close to Palmer.
Town subsequently made a triple change with Taylor, Hirst and Philogene making way for Jens Cajuste, Liam Delap and Ben Johnson.
With three minutes left on the clock, Coventry brought on Jack Burroughs for goalscorer Latibeaudiere.
Late on, Delap saw a shot blocked but with the game having been over as a contest once the fourth goal went in.
At the whistle there were scenes reminiscent of the Blues’ last visit to the CBS Arena in April with skipper-for-the-day Woolfenden doing the now traditional fist-pump and then man of the match Clarke being persuaded to follow him in doing so.
Town’s second string never looked in any danger of being defeated by a Coventry side which until Wednesday’s loss to Leeds had won five in a row, perhaps illustrating the difference between the divisions.
Clarke was perhaps the biggest of plenty of positives for Town, the summer signing netting twice and assisting one and giving the Coventry defence a tough time all afternoon.
Hirst similarly gave the Sky Blues backline a difficult afternoon, while Philogene will be pleased to have opened his Town account.
Aside from corners and shots from distance, the Town defence prevented too much threat on their goal with Palmer on his debut handling confidently for the most part and neat and tidy with his feet.
The draw for the fifth round will take place on Monday’s One Show on BBC One at around 7.10pm.
Coventry City: Dovin, Latibeaudiere, Thomas, Binks, Kitching, Dasilva, Allen (c), Eccles, Rudoni (Torp 62), Sakamoto, Thomas-Asante (Bassette 62). Subs: Collins, Wilson, Simms, Burroughs, Sandiford Jr, Raphael, Van Ewijk.
Town: Palmer, Godfrey, Woolfenden (c), Burgess, Townsend, Phillips (Luongo 67), Taylor (Cajuste 79), Philogene (Johnson 79), Szmodics (Broadhead 35), Clarke, Hirst (Delap 79). Subs: Slicker, Tuanzebe, Davis, Morsy. Referee: Ben Toner (Lancashire). Att: 30,055 (Town 4,843).
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