Coventry City battled back to level terms twice against a hungry looking Hull who snatched victory 12 minutes from time from an under hit backpass to the goalkeeper.
The Sky Blues were stretched to the limit after Sunday’s epic FA Cup encounter against Manchester United with manager Mark Robins forced to make five changes and it showed in a lacklustre first half. And they only had themselves to blame for all three goals against them.
They conceded just after the half hour mark when Jaden Philogene wriggled free in the box and hit a low shot which Brad Collins appeared to have covered, only for the ball to bobble over his body and into the back of the net.
Kasey Palmer then hit a stunning top corner free-kick from inside the D to restore parity five minutes later, only for City to concede a penalty on the stroke of half-time when Joel Latibeaudiere was judged to have fouled Liam Delap, albeit replays showed the offence looked to have been committed just outside the box. But the kick was given and Fabio Carvalho stuck his dead ball shot into the top corner to send the Tigers into half-time with a 2-1 lead.
Leading scorers Ellis Simms and Haji Wright were thrown on for the start of the second half when City came to life, looking far more of a threat going forward. And their endeavour paid off in the 58th minute when Jay Dasilva sent in a cross to the far post where Bobby Thomas rose high to head home a second equaliser.
But the centre-back under hit a backpass to Collins in the 78th minute, allowing Noah Ohio to nip in and poked home past the keeper who inexplicably didn’t put his foot through the ball in an attempt to clear.
Coventry City player ratings…
STARTING FORMATION: 4-4-1-1
BRAD COLLINS: 4.5/5
Pulled off a diving save to deny Omur in the fifth minute as Hull got at City early. Should have saved Philogene’s low 31st minute shot that bobbled over his body and into the back of the net but pulled off a really good one-handed stop at his near post to deny the young forward a second before the break. Should have attacked the ball more aggressively to attempt to clear when Ohio nipped in to an under hit backpass for the third.
JOEL LATIBEAUDIERE: 5
Deployed at right-back, the defender had his work cut out trying to stem the flow of early balls into the box and was skinned by Philogene for a good chance for Hull on 21 minutes. Gave away the penalty when he tripped Delap.
BOBBY THOMAS: 6.5/7
Won plenty of headers from a string of Hull crosses and corners into the box in the first half and slid in to challenges. Incredible effort after Sunday’s energy-sapping display, and topped it with an equalising goal when he rose high to head home at the far post to make it 2-2 just before the hour. Under hit a backpass to the keeper that allowed Ohio to nip in and score Hull’s third. Felt for the lad who looked knackered.
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