Coventry City 0-1 Oxford United
City: Burge, Mason, Willis, Sterling, Hyam, Kelly, Bayliss (Ponticelli 79), Thomas (Shipley 72), Enobakhare, Bakayoko, Hiwula. Subs Addai, Grimmer, Davies, Meyler, Brown.
Oxford: Eastwood, Garbutt, Dickie, Nelson, Brannagan,, Graham (Moushino 83), Browne (Henry 66),, Ruffels, Mackie (Sinclair 77), Long, Kashi. Subs: Stevens, Sykes, Lopes, Jones.
Att 14,044
Goal Curtis Nelson 56
Coventry City needed a win but it was a defeat at home to Oxford United which dented their play-offs hopes a touch.
Legends Day at the Ricoh Arena and with the likes of Darren Huckerby, Keith Houchen, David Speedie and Jim Blyth in attendance, City took on Oxford United, needing a win to get into the play-offs if Doncaster lost against Luton Town..
City were unchanged from the side that had beaten Peterborough and were on the attack against a side they had beaten away and at Wembley nearly two years ago, right ftonm the start.
The referee was the deserved recipient for abuse for getting things wrong during that win at London Road and this week's man in black mysteriously gave Oxford a corner in the tenth minute, getting some equallly deserve short thrift.
City looked good going forward and were unlucky when a 22nd minute Bakayoko header was just cleared.
However, Oxford has come with a game plan of clamping down on Tom Bayliss and Liam Kelly and controlling the midfield. This they were able to do with Curtis Nelson nodding wide from a corner on the half hour mark.
The match official continued to blunder, missing Dickie's arm around Bakayoko's throat and two fouls but saw enough to book Hiwula in the 41st minute.
Burge, fumbled a Garbutt shot for a corner. That was cleared so Garbutt tried again with another run and shot.
In order to help control that midfield, Oxford started to foul and there were two cautions with the second for a bad foul on Brandon Mason which had the City support baying for blood
City went for it at the start of the second half, which had seen a parade of former players at halftime, with a penalty shout ignored by Mr Oldham and one save from Eastwood from a Luke Thomas shot.
The crowd of 14,044 in City's final home Saturday game of the season, did their best to lift the players but this was a poor game crying out for a goal.
And it came following a 55th minute mistake which saw City conceding a corner and when that came over Curtis Nelson was at the far post to scramble into the net.
Oxford had the momentum and they brought on James Henry before Mark Robins made a change bringing on Jordan Shipley for Luke Thomas.
Garbutt was booked for diving in the area and Jordan Ponticelli came on for the final eleven minutes replacing Tom Bayliss, who had worked but had not any luck like the rest of his team mates.
With Eastwood in the Oxford goal totally under-worked, today was not City's day and a defeat it was.
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