Tag Archives: Coventry City

2nd September 2023- Championship, Coventry City 3 Watford 3

Official site: Match dashboard

https://www.watfordfc.com/match-report/match-report-coventry-city-3-3-watford

BBC: Mileta Rajovic’s double on his first Watford start was not enough to clinch victory as Coventry fought back three times to share the points in a thriller at the CBS Arena.

Sky: Mileta Rajovic’s opener was brilliantly cancelled out by Milan van Ewijk to leave the score 1-1 at half-time. Matheus Martins and a second from Rajovic had Watford ahead twice in the second half, but Wesley Hoedt’s own goal and Matt Godden’s late strike salvaged a point for the Sky Blues.

Watford Observer: Live Feed

For three games Watford struggled to score goals. Today that wasn’t the problem – it was giving them away down the other end that cost them all the points in a crazy 3-3 draw at Coventry.

BHappy: City’s second goal owed less to struggling with the demands of the new system than it did to a complacent and expensive lack of concentration.  At 2-1 for ten minutes or so early in the second half, we were bossing the game.  City looked beaten following Martins’ merciless strike, Watford were knocking it around and making the home side chase the ball.  Porteous’ pass across the back line to Hoedt didn’t place the Dutchman under particular pressure, but a moment’s hesitation as an opponent half-heartedly considered closing down saw him panic, turn away from the centre of the pitch and without looking play a firm back pass towards the goal.  No blame attached to Bachmann here – he has been told to be a passing option and so had to be a long way out of his goal. There’s no excuse for a back pass without a look, much less one that’s on target and with comic precision finds the narrow path between the goalkeeper’s tortured lunge and the inside post.   The away end slumped in stunned disbelief, the home stands were rejuvenated and the basketball resumed.

Fran’s Watford Blog: It was then Coventry’s turn to have a defensive shambles as Thomas played a short back pass, Bayo nipped in to pick it up and rolled it back to Rajović who prodded it past Wilson to give the Hornets the lead for the third time in the game. 

From the Rookery End: The Hornets returned from Coventry with only a point but they did mange to bag themselves 3 goals – something that has been missing for a few weeks.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66624456

10th April 2023- Championship, Coventry City 2 Watford 2

WFC.Net goal commentary: 1  2

Attendance: 21,112

BBC Sport: Watford’s failure to leave Coventry with maximum points after looking comfortable at 2-0 up will hurt their chances of reaching the play-offs, as a run of just two wins from 14 games now leaves them six points adrift of the top six with five games to play.

Sky Sports: the home side were frustrated in their attempts to find a winner and felt they should have had a penalty when Brooke Norton-Cuffy appeared to be tripped in the penalty area with nine minutes left.

Fran’s Watford Blog: At the final whistle there was a smattering of half-hearted boos from the away end.  The mood then deteriorated as some very angry people started telling the players what they thought of them.  One of the most irate was someone that I have met on trains to games many times over the years who has always struck me as very mild-mannered.  I have to say that I was really surprised and rather saddened at that level of anger after what had been a much more encouraging performance.  Despite that, the players came over to applaud the travelling fans and most of the fans applauded back.  I couldn’t help thinking that if the halves of the game had been reversed, we would have all been going home rather pleased with the performance.  The first half had been the best that I have seen in some weeks.  There was so much more coherence in the play and evidence of a team playing together.  Sadly, as soon as Coventry scored, the confidence disappeared, and I feared that we would end up badly beaten.  In the end, it was a decent game for neutrals and a well won point on the road.  I was very impressed with Andrews.  Let’s hope that we now see more of the youngsters given a run out and a positive end to the season.

5th November 2022- Championship, Watford 0 Coventry City 1

Attendance: 20,164

BBC Sport: Viktor Gyokeres scored the only goal of the game as Coventry City ended Watford’s three-game winning run with a hard-fought victory against the high-flying Hornets at Vicarage Road.

Sky Sports: A goal from Viktor Gyokeres five minutes into the second half turned out to be just enough on a day when Watford had a goal disallowed as well as seeing Ismaila Sarr miss a golden chance.

BHappy: Whilst the game’s outcome is hugely frustrating, any disappointment should by mitigated by the fact that whilst Coventry’s template is very much The Way To Play Against Watford, none have executed it as effectively as this.  We know that without Imrân Louza we are short of a lock-picker;  here Coventry are disciplined and focused in the face of what, for the first half hour or so, is a purposeful attack.  Come the second half they’ll be stretched, we could easily have come away with this with something so – annoying, but maybe a blessing in disguise.  We’re better, but not better enough to take anything for granted.

Fran’s Watford Blog: At half time, tribute was paid to Cliff Vassiliou who was a very familiar face at Vicarage Road before his passing earlier this year.  He would also often be seen at reserve and youth games with his best friend, Tom Walley.  They also remembered Paul Stallard, a lifelong fan who had given 25 years of service to the club.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/63436136

6th February 2021- Championship, Coventry City 0 Watford 0

The game was played at Birmingham City’s St.Andrews as Coventry were in yet another dispute with the owners of the Ricoh Arena.

BBC Sport: Watford moved up to fourth in the Championship with a battling draw against an impressive Coventry City at St Andrew’s.

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11710/12209214/coventry-0-0-watford-xisco-munozs-hornets-lose-ground-in-race-for-automatic-promotion

Sky Sports: Mark Robins’ men passed up a series of chances to break the deadlock in the first half but held firm as the Hornets – who saw captain Troy Deeney strike the crossbar – piled on the late pressure.

BHappy: I really really can’t face writing about this tedious bollocks again.  It’s painful enough to bloody watch it.  And yes there’s mitigation and no it’s not all bad, whatever social media warriors would have you believe (and incidentally, baselessly claiming to speak for the masses – “all supporters can see that” – “we all know that” – isn’t a good look.  Either your opinion stands on its own merits or it’s best left in the box).

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55866859

7th November 2020- Championship, Watford 3 Coventry City 2

https://www.skysports.com/football/watford-vs-coventry/teams/429836
1-0
2-2
3-2

Post Match

The Hornets served up a five-goal thriller for the second successive home game, producing the perfect response to those fans who regrettably missed the one three days earlier on Hive Live and leaving themselves in a wonderful position to launch a promotion bid of some substance.

RELIVE: Watford go second in the Championship with win over Coventry

Watford beat Coventry City to move up to second in the Championship

Vladimir Ivic felt Watford were not amazing in Coventry win

Ismaila Sarr struck an 83rd-minute penalty to secure the win, after William Troost-Ekong had equalised following a Coventry comeback.

Andre Gray gave Vladimir Ivić’s side the lead shortly into the second half with his first goal for almost exactly a year, only for Gustavo Hamer to equalise for Coventry with a header from 25 yards out. The Sky Blues then went ahead a minute later as a long ball was flicked on to Tyler Walker to thrash home his first league goal of the season. Their advantage only lasted two minutes before James Garner’s corner was headed in by centre-back William Troost-Ekong for his first goal since joining Watford from Udinese in September.

Today was a good day. On a bad day, maybe we don’t get that equaliser and the game disappears into a miserable, frustrating defeat.  On a bad day, maybe James Garner is pulled up for his challenge in the box prior to the penalty – a coulda rather than shoulda been a foul.  But definitely a coulda.  But today was a good day.  Troy was on by this stage, half the man he used to be but twice as mobile for it;  despite this Ismaïla Sarr picked the ball up and rolled in his third strike in four games. At almost exactly the same time, news broke from the United States that the racist, misogynist, narcissistic, malevolent manchild in the White House had finally been disposed of, and a great big party started.  Today was a good day.

And breathe! For the second time in a week Watford won at Vicarage Road by the odd goal in five, with the win against a spirited Coventry City giving Jon, Jas and Mike plenty to talk about.

27th August 2019- League Cup Second Round, Watford 3 Coventry City 0

Javi Gracia’s final programme notes.

Goal 1  2  3

Watford 3 – 0 Coventry City

Watford beat Coventry City in the second round of the Carabao Cup

Ismaila Sarr helps Watford beat Coventry City in Carabao Cup

Javi Gracia was not surprised by the quality of Watford’s goals against Coventry City

Watford players rated after their Carabao Cup win over Coventry City

Tom Dele-Bashiru insists the Watford players are firmly behind head coach Javi Gracia

Club record signing Ismaila Sarr marked his first Watford start with a goal to help the Premier League’s bottom club overcome League One Coventry in the Carabao Cup second round.

 If there’s something fundamentally wrong at the club then it clearly hasn’t extended to this lot, who made up for a little rawness and rustiness with a performance of refreshing positivity.

Coventry had been given the whole end and their fans had come in droves, which was great to see.

The first win for the Golden Boys this season and oh how good it felt. Jon, Jason and Mike gathered to discuss it, the players who shone, and played for a starting place in the first team, and those who got some minutes under their belts. They also discuss the blame game and who should we point the finger at for the poor start to the season and the poor end to last season as well.