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Coventry City player ratings v WBA as Frank Lampard suffers first Sky Blues defeat
Frank Lampard suffered his first Coventry City defeat as the Sky Blues failed to take their chances at The Hawthorns.
The visitors were always in the game but fell behind to an unlucky early Baggies’ goal and then conceded a second midway through the second half when Karlan Grant took the sting out of City’s fightback.
Albion took the early lead when the ball fell kindly to Alex Mowatt just outside the box and the midfielder hit a clean shot first time that took a wicked deflection off Josh Eccles to wrong-foot and beat goalkeeper Brad Collins to put the home side in front with just 11 minutes on the clock.
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Norman Bassette and Eccles went closest to pulling level in an entertaining first half, the first thwarted by a block by Torbjorn Heggem and the second by impressive keeper Alex Palmer.
Substitute Victor Torp sent a diving header wide as City launched a second half fight-back that also saw Jake Bidwell head inches wide at the back post, as the visitors looked the better of the two sides. Sakamoto was then denied by the keeper after sending a far post header on target from a Brandon Thomas-Asante cross.
But all of City’s encouraging work and momentum suddenly came to a halt when Albion bagged a second goal against the run of play, with the ball being fed into Karlan Grant who waltzed his way past three players before drilling home inside the box to secure the three points 16 minutes from time.
STARTING FORMATION: 4-2-3-1
BRAD COLLINS: 5.5/6
Beaten by a wicked deflection off Josh Eccles for the early goal but otherwise untroubled in the first half in terms of having to make saves. Pushed an in-swinging corner away well as Albion enjoyed five flag kicks in the opening 45. Well beaten by a well-placed shot from Grant for the second.
MILAN VAN EWIJK: 6.5
Got forward one the overlap well in the opening minutes to get some crosses into the box. Took a heavy knock early on when he was taken out by Styles. Made a clever run to get in behind and defended pretty well for the most part.
BOBBY THOMAS: 7.5
Got a couple of early tackles in to win back possession and a crucial headed clearance as he defended really well. Sparked City’s first meaningful attack in the opening minutes when he hit a long ball over top for Bassette to chase and create a chance in the box.
JOEL LATIBEAUDIERE: 6.5
Cool and calm at the back and decent distribution, including pinging a long ball over the top for Bassette to run onto. Good positioning and defended well, heading clear a number of crosses, but allowed Grant to waltz through in the 74th minute for Albion’s second.
JAKE BIDWELL: 6
Had his work cut out keeping tabs on Tom Fellows who proved to be a decent outlet for Albion down their right early on, which is where he opening goal originated from. Timed his tackle to perfection to stop Karlan Grant on the break. Headed inches wide from a early second half corner. Strong and determined in the tackle.
JOSH ECCLES: 5.5/6
Attempted to block Mowatt’s shot but inadvertently wrong-footed Brad Collins with the deflection for the early goal. Busy and determined in midfield and denied by the keeper just before the break when played through by Bassette.
BEN SHEAF: 6
Got in a good block to deny Maja in the box and worked hard in the midfield battleground in a relatively quiet first half by his standards. Could have done more to stop Grant en-route to goal for Albion’s second. Headed frustratingly over the bar from Rudoni cross as City attempted to pull a goal back.
TATSUHIRO SAKAMOTO: 6.5
Struggled to get going but continued his good understanding for Van Ewijk down the right flank and grew into the game, coming to life after the break when he almost scored with his head, only to be denied by a good save.
JACK RUDONI: 7
Deliveries from corners were a bit hit and miss but he was involved in a thick of the attacking action when City got forward. Linked the play really well on transition from back to front, finding little pockets of space to receive the ball and then release it.
EPHRON MASON-CLARK: 5.5
Slow to get going and impose himself on the game but showed more as the opening half went on, turning his marker to get a decent cross into the back post where Rudoni and Sakamoto couldn’t quite connect.
NORMAN BASSETTE: 6.5/7
Got in behind for an early chance that was snuffed out by a last ditch block from Heggem, and again later in the first half when he raced through on the left and put in a teasing square ball, only for no-one to get on the end of it. Lively throughout.
SUBSTITUTES:
BRANDON THOMAS-ASANTE (62 mins, for Mason-Clark): 5
Lively down the left and created a good chance for Sakamoto, which was denied by a decent save.
VICTOR TORP (62 mins, for Eccles): 5
Gets straight into the game by launching himself to get on the end of a Milan cross but can’t get it on target.
ELLIS SIMMS (76 mins, for Sakamoto): 4
Never really got into the game.
Subs (not used): Oliver Dovin (GK), Liam Kitching, Luis Binks, Jay Dasilva, Jamie Allen, Fabio Tavares.
WBA (4-4-2): Alex Palmer; Darnell Furlong, Mason Holgate, Torbjorn Heggem, Callum Styles; Tom Fellows, Jayson Molumby, Alex Mowatt, Mikey Johnston; Josh Maja, Karlan Grant.
Subs (not used): Joe Wildsmith (GK), Kyle Bartley, Jed Wallace, John Swift, Ousmane Diakite, Lewis Dobbin, UrosRacic, Gianluca Frabotta, Devante Cole.
GOALS:
BAGGIES: Mowatt (11), Grant (74)
SKY BLUES:
REFEREE: John Busby
ATTENDANCE: 24,859 (2,516 City)
NEXT UP: Hull City (h), Saturday, December 14 (12.30pm).
