Coventry v Swansea Competition - Sky Bet Championship Venue - Coventry Building Society Arena Date - 29 December 2023 Kick off - 7:45pm Following their embarrassing capitulation against high flying Southampton, next up for Alan Sheehan’s stuttering Swans is a tricky looking visit to Coventry. On Boxing Day, Southampton moved up to third in the Championship as Russell Martin saw his Saints side crush his former club 5-0. Joe Aribo gave Saints the lead with their first effort on goal as the Swans paid for two early missed chances. Southampton were gifted a second goal as Sam Edozie scored following a howler from Swans goalkeeper Carl Rushworth. Saints sub Ryan Fraser then scored twice before he turned provider for Che Adams who tapped home a fifth goal. Southampton's thumping win lifts them above Leeds United and just four points behind Ipswich Town in the race for an automatic promotion spot. The Swans fell to 17th place, 8 points above the drop zone but, with not only a difficult game this evening but also with a difficult looking fixture list in January, it’s starting to look increasingly likely that the Managerless Swans could well be in the middle of a relegation fight come February. Whilst the Swans were being routed by Southampton, Tatsuhiro Sakamoto was netting both goals as Coventry held off struggling Sheffield Wednesday at the CBS Arena. The Japan midfielder's strike midway through the first half was his second in as many games. The Sky Blues had to withstand a Wednesday fightback as both Anthony Musaba and Bailey Cadamarteri went close. But Sakamoto wrapped up victory late on with a curling finish that extended Coventry's unbeaten run to five games. Coventry's Liam Kitching and Wednesday's Bambo Diaby were both sent off following a scuffle after the full-time whistle. The Swans have played the Sky Blues on 36 previous occasions and remarkably there have been 12 wins each for either side, and 12 draws. Turning to this evening’s match, Thomas Kirk will be the man in the middle and it will mark the first time that Kirk has taken charge of a Swans game, and just the second time he has been at the helm of a Championship fixture, having overseen Norwich's meeting with Huddersfield on December 23. Kirk has enjoyed a rapid rise having been officiating in the National League as recently as the 2021-22 season. He went on to take charge of 32 games across all EFL competitions last term. This season he has had the whistle for 16 games, handing out 64 yellow cards and one red. Ward will be assisted by Paul Hodskinson and Carl Fitch-Jackson, while James Bell will be the fourth official. Whilst the Swans will (should ) be desperate to right the wrongs of the ‘Boxing Day Massacre at St. Mary’s’ I sense that Coventry - who are only 3pts off a Play-Off spot - will win to maintain their promotion challenge. 3-0 to Coventry. Hope I’m wrong
Caretaker head coach Alan Sheehan wants Swansea City to produce an immediate response to their Boxing Day disappointment when they face Coventry City at the CBS Arena tonight (7.45pm). The Swans head to take on the Sky Blues following defeat at Southampton, with the interim Swans boss branding the second-half showing at St Mary’s as unacceptable. The nature of the hectic festive schedule means they quickly have a chance to bounce back and make amends when they face a Coventry side unbeaten in their last five games. “All we can focus on is making sure we prepare the team as well as we can, that’s what we’ve been trying to do over these last number of games,” said Sheehan. “That does not change and that will be the same for Friday. We have been in all of the games over this recent run with the exception of one really disappointing half which we know was not good enough. “We need to pick ourselves up and make sure that does not happen again.”
Amazingly we haven't lost to Coventry since 1981! I can't see us extending that run tonight but I hope for a much improved performance tonight so it's a 2-1 defeat for me.
Teenager Sam Parker makes his Swansea City debut as caretaker head coach Alan Sheehan makes four changes for this evening’s Championship clash with Coventry City. The 17-year-old is handed his senior bow, with Harry Darling, Liam Walsh and Yannick Bolasie all coming into the starting line-up. Nathan Wood, Liam Cullen, Jamal Lowe and Jerry Yates all drop to the bench, with Kristian Pedersen also named among the substitutes. Carl Rushworth is in goal, with Darling joining Ben Cabango, Bashir Humphreys and Josh Tymon in the Swansea defence. Captain Matt Grimes and Jay Fulton are paired together in midfield, with Parker and Walsh joining Jamie Paterson in an attacking midfield trio. Yannick Bolasie leads the line for the visitors. Swansea City: Carl Rushworth, Jay Fulton, Ben Cabango, Harry Darling, Matt Grimes (captain), Jamie Paterson, Josh Tymon, Yannick Bolasie, Liam Walsh, Bashir Humphreys, Sam Parker. Substitutes: Andy Fisher, Kristian Pedersen, Joe Allen, Jerry Yates, Jamal Lowe, Charlie Patino, Liam Cullen, Nathan Wood, Kyle Naughton.
Plymouth just shafted by the officials - great goal wrongly flagged for offside, then 30 seconds later Soton score ….
