Coventry City 2-1 Fleetwood Town
City: Burge, Sterling, Davies, Williams (Grimmer 82), Mason (Brown 59), Meyler, Bayliss, Thomas, (Wakefield 74), Shipley, Hiwula, Bakayoko. Subs: Addai, Ponticelli. Westbrooke, Burroughs.
Fleetwood: Cairns, Coyle, Holt, Eastham, Burns, Evans, Souttar, Madden, Wallace (Hunter 68). Nadesan (Rydel 75), Sheron (Sowerby 46) Subs: Jones, Higgins, Husband, Beggley.
Att 9,920
Goal Amadou Bakayoko 5, Ched Evans 32, Jordy Hiwula 42.
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Coventry City made hard work of it but beat Fleetwood Town 2-1.
Much was said after the defeat to Burton Albion on Friday night with issue of players costing City victories, somewhat deflected by an attack by Mark Robins on the comments from some supporters who were in the Main Stand behind him.
Robins called for everyone to “Rise Together” and changed his team with Morgan Williams coming into defence with David Meyler in midfield due to Liam Kelly being stuck in traffic and Jordan Ponticelli on the bench.
City kicked off, attacking the North Stand with Fleetwood attacking the end where their 53 fans were.
Now the best way to silence supporters is by scoring a goal and after as Joey Barton's side had the first corner that was scrambled away in front of a crowd which looked no more than 7,000, Lee Burge took a couple of early catches and launched one down field for Amadou Bakayoko to run onto.
Alex Cairns came out to a back pass from Lewie Coyle. In came Amadou Bakayoko and the ball span due to what touch either Bakayoko or Cairns got on in and trickled into the net.
There was a Sisu Out chant but that soon turned into support for City who should have done better to stop a free header from Ched Evans going over the bar.
Again, the referee was riling some of the City support and booked Tom Bayliss whilst ignoring some of the antics of the visitors.
The kicking of Lee Burge was better than on Friday night and his shot stopping was good as he saved well to concede a 30th minute corner.
The handful of Fleetwood fans thought they should have had a penalty, following that corner but in the 32nd minute they had more to celebrate when captain Ched Evans headed home from a corner to make it 1-1.
Parity lasted for ten minutes thanks to Jordy Hiwula, getting the ball on the left and running for twenty five yards and cut in to curl a lovely shot in to the net and see City ahead at the break where "Anarchy In The UK" blasted out over the tannoy, presumably something aimed at the Brexit situation rather than the off the field goings on at Coventry City and at the Ricoh Arena.
City were lively early in the second half with Hiwula firing over early doors and were working hard with Mason, Meyler and Shipley complimenting the work done by Hiwula.
Fleetwood should have scored in the 55th minute when a back pass was intercepted by Paddy Madden and just went wide.
Lee Burge blocked well from Evans in the 57th minute before Brandon Mason was replaced by Junior Brown coming on.
Bakayoko went just wide with a cracking header in the 64th minute as the away fans started a “Barton Out”
Luke Thomas had a pretty quiet night and was replaced by Charlie Wakefield and Morgan Williams the victim of a bad tackle that had gone unpunished unlike a foul by Sterling on Ched Evans in the 78th minute, went off with eight minutes left.
Fleetwood had a number of efforts late on but City held firm and took the win in what could be the final midweek game at the Ricoh Arena for a very long time.
Pictures by CNS Sport