Coventry City v AFC Bournemouth - 6 Games To Go

billythekid

UTC Legend
First Time This Season AFCB Have Gone Three Games Without Scoring

Going into our game against Middlesbrough on Good Friday we knew that Nottingham Forest had lost at Luton and a win at Dean Court against Middlesbrough would have put more ground between Forest and ourselves. As it turned out we gained a point, but the other results in the chasing pack finished in our favour, with Blackburn Rovers and Sheffield United losing and Huddersfield Town drawing at home with QPR.

The game against Middlesbrough was the first time this season we have gone three games in succession where our side haven’t scored. With six games to go now our second game over the Easter Holiday is away against Coventry City on Monday at 3 pm. The Sky Blues moved back to the Ricoh Arena for the start of this season.

After our game back in November at Dean Court which finished honours even with a 2-2 draw. The Cherries were 2-0 up with goals from Anthony and Billing, two minutes after our second goal Lerma was straight red carded and City came back with two late goals from Godden and Kane, the equaliser coming in injury time. After 20 games the Cherries were in 2nd place in the table with 42 pts and City 6th with 33 pts.

Since that game, Mark Robins team have slipped back in the table and going into this game are after 42 games sitting in 9th position in the table with 62 pts. At home since November they have beaten Stoke City, Barnsley and Sheffield United, drawn with Blackpool, Preston and Blackburn Rovers and lost against West Brom, Millwall, QPR, Luton Town and Hull City. On their away trips they have W 4 (including this month 1-3 at leaders Fulham, D 2, L 4. Their most recent game was at St Andrew’s, the home of Birmingham City, the ground Coventry City played their home games last season. It finished in a 2-4 Coventry City win.

The last time we played the Sky Blues was the fourth game of the 2020-21 season, the game was played at St Andrew’s (mentioned above), it finished in a 1-3 AFCB victory, the opening goal was scored by Lerma in the 7th minute, Godden equalised from the penalty spot in the 39th minute and in the second half two further goals from Gosling in the 51st and 60th minute sealed the victory. Hamer received a straight red card in the 69th minute for the home club.

In our visits to play away against Coventry City, AFCB have W 7, D 2, L 14. In all competitions, the Cherries have W 18, D 1, L 23.

Coventry City Team News
They have lost their second leading scorer Matt Godden for the rest of the season with a calf tear and Jake Clarke-Salter who is out for the rest of the season with a groin injury. Josh Eccles ankle injury and Jordan Shipley has been out ill.

Coventry City Player To Watch
Viktor Gyokeres their Swedish striker is in form and is their leading scorer with 15 league goals and also has 5 assists. Leading players with 9 assists is Gustavo Hamer, he also had two assists in his most recent game at Birmingham.

AFCB Team News
No news of any fresh injuries after the Middlesbrough game, expect to see one or two changes for Coventry.

AFCB Player To Watch
Dominic Solanke hasn’t scored in his last three league games, this is only the second time this season, the last time was in January. So he is due a goal. But apart from Solanke, who can we look to for goals, our joint second highest scorers with 8 goals are Philip Billing and Jaidon Anthony. Billing hasn’t scored for 10 league games and Anthony for 4 games, but he started on the bench in our last two games. Apart from Solanke’s goals and Travers who has been brilliant in goal this season it is hard to pick anyone else. It has been a team effort to get our side to second in the table.

The Man In Charge
Matthew Donohue is the referee.
We have had him at home against Hull City and away at Preston which both ended in defeat. The Preston game will be remembered for the two red cards given, both off the field of play, Adam Smith who had been substituted and our manager Scott Parker. Let’s hope this is third time lucky for our team with this referee!
 
Another game we should win....we played really well against them last season......it's not going to be easy though as they have a fantastically brave attack minded manager and a great team sprit.....the amount of comebacks they've made this season is amazing.....i'd love to know how many points they've gained from losing positions!.......
 
Another game we should win....we played really well against them last season......it's not going to be easy though as they have a fantastically brave attack minded manager and a great team sprit.....the amount of comebacks they've made this season is amazing.....i'd love to know how many points they've gained from losing positions!.......
I think its like 27 or 28 but best in the league
 
just found the chart
Coventry been behind 27 times this season and have manged 27 points from that.
in comparison
bournemouth been behind 13 times this season and managed 13 points
fulham been behind 12 times and managed 8 points
florist been behind 21 times and managed 18 points
 
Really looking forward to this one. Another three game day on the tube, all with important consequences, M'Boro-Huddersfield, Coventry-AFCB and then Forest-WBA.

Good thing that golf weather has not yet arrived here, no misgivings about all day in front of the TV.

No way to predict how it will all look at 5:00 pm my time. But enjoy the ride.
 
I think we all expected Boro to come out and play and go for the win more so than they did.

The table right now gives Coventry real incentive, and they're at home. It'll be interesting, but I would expect them to attack us. Whether or not that favours us we'll see!
 
We need to freshen things up and give chances to some of the other options. We know the system won't change so, given that constraint, I'd throw out:

Travers
Smith - Cahill - Kelly - Davis (if fit, otherwise Brady)
L Cook
Lerma - Marcondes
Lowe - Solanke - Dembele

Subs:
Anthony
Billing
Christie
Pearson
Mepham
Laird
Woodman

I know Lowe has looked ropey out wide but Christie has lost all his sparkle and either needs a rest or a boot up the jacksie. Or maybe both. Given our lopsided recruitment, it's the only option for there.

If Moore or Stanislas were fit enough for the bench they'd 100% be straight on there. I suspect not though.

Laird didn't do anything wrong and there might even be an argument for him starting in front of Smith, given AS's history with this ref. Smith hasn't been a player that's let us down of late, though.

I'd prefer to put a different player in for the Lerma role there but we don't have one that's show anything recently.

I'm also aware I have more chance of winning the EuroJackpot lottery than this being the starting XI.
 

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