Coventry sub Callum O’Hare’s 94th minute equaliser will see Town and the Sky Blues meet in an FA Cup second-round replay at Portman Road following a 1-1 draw at St Andrew’s. Will Keane looked to have have won it for the Blues with his 51st minute goal until on-loan Aston Villa man O’Hare’s late strike denied Town the victory.

Blues boss Paul Lambert made six changes from the team which drew 0-0 with Wycombe on Tuesday.

Town, in their Barcelona-style away kit, returned to the 4-3-3 system they employed against Lincoln City in the first-round replay victory with Will Norris back in goal.

In defence, James Wilson partnered Luke Woolfenden in the centre with Janoi Donacien at right-back and Luke Garbutt on the left.

In midfield Andre Dozzell and Flynn Downes played behind Jon Nolan with Keane the lone central striker, while Danny Rowe was on the right and Alan Judge on the left.

Strike pair Kayden Jackson and James Norwood were among those on a very strong Blues bench.

Downes, 20, skippered for the first time and and became the Blues’ youngest ever captain ahead of legend Kevin Beattie, who was 21 and a month when he wore the armband away against his hometown club Carlisle in January 1975.

Coventry made two changes from the team which drew 1-1 at Sunderland last week with Sam McCallum and Max Biamou returning to their side with Amadou Bakayoko and Brandon Mason dropping to the bench.

At a very empty St Andrew’s in an almost pre-season atmosphere with 670 Town fans boosting a 2,878 attendance, the Blues saw all the ball in the opening couple of minutes but almost inadvertently played Biamou, who was returning to the team after a three-game league ban, in on goal. However, Woolfenden got across to dispossess the Frenchman.

There was an even bigger scare for Town in the fourth minute when Zain Westbrooke was played in to the right of goal and cut it back to Biamou, who hit a low shot which Norris stopped to his left and claimed at the second attempt.

The Blues caused themselves another unforced problem in the eighth minute when Donacien’s throw-in from the right to Wilson on the edge of his own area was intercepted by Westbrooke, but fortunately his touch sent the ball through to Norris.

Coventry, who were having all the early chances, threatened again two minutes later, Garbutt heading over McCallum’s cross from the left ahead of Biamou. From the corner, the ball was played back to Liam Walsh, who hit a well-struck shot straight at Norris.

Town were forced to make a number of blocks inside their area on 12, first a Biamou effort was stopped by Donacien, then the loose ball fell to Westbrooke, whose shot was charged through to Norris by several diving Blues players.

The Blues were seeing most of the ball and playing it out from the back but without causing the Coventry backline any problems, while gifting Sky Blues, pressing tenaciously even deep in the Town own half, most of their chances with sloppy play.

Garbutt scraped the Blues’ first shot of the game across goal and wide from the left in the 22nd minute.

Two minutes later, Keane tried to get on to a bouncing ball from deep just inside the area but a Coventry knee took it away from him and keeper Marko Marosi claimed.

The Blues began to play more of the game in the Sky Blues’ half but on 29 Walsh curled a freekick well over from not far outside the box after Dozzell had been adjudged to have handballed.

Town almost grabbed the lead in the 36th minute when Keane cut the ball back from the byline on the right to Downes, who turned just past the near post.

Two minutes before the break, Rowe scuffed a shot from 25 yards wide with the Blues continuing to see most of the ball but without particularly threatening.

Rowe hit another effort across the face before referee Anthony Backhouse ended the half after one minute of additional time.

Town had passed the ball around neatly but mostly unthreateningly and without too much tempo with Downes’s chance their only serious opportunity to go in front.

The Blues had caused more problems in their own area in the early stages by giving the ball away, leading to Coventry’s succession of chances in the opening minutes, however, this tendency had reduced the longer the half had gone on.

Westbrooke hit a low shot straight at Norris within seconds of the restart, but six minutes into the new period, right in front of their fans, the Blues took the lead.

After seizing on a loose Coventry pass midway inside the Sky Blues’ half, Rowe played the ball to Judge on the left of the area, the Irishman tricked his way to the byline and cut back to Keane, who made a clever run to get in front of his man to turn his second goal of the season into the corner of Marosi’s net.

There was a scare for the Blues in the 57th minute when bell was knocked down to Westbrooke on the left of the area in space but his shot flew wide and deep into the empty stand behind the goal. Coventry immediately swapped Westbrooke and Jordan Shipley for O'Hare and Bakayoko.

As the game reached the hour mark, sub O’Hare’s shot was blocked before Bakayoko forced a find point-blank save from Norris but with the referee having blown for handball.

Moments later at the other end, Rowe was penalised for a foul having broken through on goal on the left and forced a similar save from Marosi.

Coventry weren’t too far from an equaliser in the 66th minute when O’Hare cut it back from the left to Liam Kelly but the skipper’s rather weak effort was cleared away from the line by Garbutt. A minute later, Dozzell was booked for the latest in what referee Backhouse felt were too many fouls over the course of the afternoon.

The Sky Blues began to put Town under pressure but with the Blues’ backline and keeper Norris - who had had a very confident game in goal - remaining resolute. On 76 Gwion Edwards replaced Rowe, who moments earlier had suffered a knock.

On 78 Walsh was yellow-carded for pulling back Nolan as Town looked to break following a Coventry attack. A minute later, Downes joined him in the book for a foul on O’Hare.

With eight minutes remaining Jackson replaced goalscorer Keane, who will have benefited from another game and scoring a very sharply taken second goal of the season.

Referee Backhouse raised a few eyebrows by adding five additional minutes in which Michael Rose saw a powerful shot blocked.

Seconds afterwards, Norris made the save of the game, diving away to his left to brilliantly tip Kelly’s curling shot wide. From the corner, Kyle McFadzean headed straight at the Blues’ keeper.

Town looked to have seen the game out until in the fourth minute of injury time O’Hare levelled.

Bakayoko knocked down and O'Hare was allowed to find himself space on the edge of the box to his right and hit a low shot flew past Norris to his right and into the net.

Seconds later referee Backhouse blew his whistle, signalling a replay at Portman Road in just over a week’s time, the third game between the teams in 10 or so days, probably Tuesday 10th December.

The Blues had been the better side after the break and will feel they deserved the victory which was so nearly theirs on the overall balance of the half.

They had upped the tempo and played it about more slickly in the opening minutes in which Rowe and Judge created Keane’s well-taken goal before sitting on their lead in the latter stages, albeit without ever looking like adding a second.

Coventry conversely will feel that they were rewarded for putting the Blues under pressure in the closing minutes with Norris - Town’s man of the match - having been forced into a brilliant save only moments earlier.

Town and Coventry go into the hat for Monday evening’s third round draw ahead of Wednesday’s Leasing.com Trophy tie at Peterborough and then Saturday’s return to St Andrew’s for the League One game against the Sky Blues.

Coventry: Marosi, Dabo, Hyam, McFadzean, Rose, McCallum, Kelly (c), Walsh, Shipley (Bakayoko 58), Westbrooke (O’Hare 58), Biamou. Unused: Wilson, Watson, Mason, Kastaneer, Hiwula.

Town: Norris, Donacien, Woolfenden, Wilson, Garbutt, Downes (c), Dozzell, Nolan, Rowe (Edwards 76), Judge, Keane (Jackson 82). Unused: Holy, Jackson, Norwood, Kenlock, Georgiou, Huws. Referee: Anthony Backhouse (Cumbria). Att: 2,878 (Town: 630).

Photo: Action Images

Hiltzkooler added 18:06 - Dec 1 Oh whoah is me!!..calamity, calamity the sky is going to fall on our heads!!...whoah,whoah...total disaster....! Supporting Town can be arduous, and, over the seasons the collective psych has been tested....but the dramatics and sentiments from some is fickle and weak, pleasuring in the dirge of negativity.. no I'm not a happy clapper, just a pint half full type of chap...

3

norfolkbluey added 18:09 - Dec 1 I keep banging on about our lack of goals but this has got to be down to at least two things. ! ensuring that the midfield link up with the forwards and this must be down to lack of familiarity due to constant changes in line ups. Players cannot score goals up front unless they can rely on accurate through balls from the mid-field players. 2 I still have concerns that we don't have a Magilton or Holland in the team. Perhaps we might see one emerge in the January transfer window!! Our lack of goals scored could be our achilles heel if left unresolved. This has happened before when we have failed to stomp up the cash and get the missing piece of the jigsaw.

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Wishing4arightback added 18:23 - Dec 1 Am I the only that realises that 1 up top DOES NOT WORK. We stuck with it last year, oh and got relegated. This year when we have played 2 up top we have scored goals and looked dangerous, but PL changes and keeps going back to 1 Striker and we then show no cutting edge. PL is starting to seem very similar to Mcarthy in his almost arrogant approach and to call Keane a goalscorer is an insult to goalscorers!! 10 goals in 8 professional seasons as a forward may argue otherwise. We are not showing promotion form that's for sure!!!

4

cat added 18:25 - Dec 1 Lambert put out a team very capable of winning, so fair play to him on that one. Another unfortunate replay but no dramas, just means will have to see a bit more squad rotation, this time when it's necessary.
2

dirtydingusmagee added 18:57 - Dec 1 cat,with respect, Lambert put a team out capable of winning , [maybe]. on paper. On the pitch its a different matter ,one shot on target in two games ! We really dont put teams under pressure, and we wont get to be promoted if we cant score more goals ,one up front with no service is not a recipe for success . Something has to be done soon or we will be on the slide.

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cat added 19:19 - Dec 1 Dirty, the problem lies with the supply, the strikers have proved know where the net is. Weren't at today's game but thought lambert lined them up as a 4.3.3? If Keane was isolated enough to suggest he was a lone striker then the others flanking him couldn't have been doing their job. We need creativity from wide areas, that the problem imo
1

runningout added 19:29 - Dec 1 I'm still hopeful of season ahead. Once we start being ruthless in front of goal even more so. Onwards
1

richardpaul added 19:40 - Dec 1 Firstly I would like to pay tribute to the diehard fans who travel the length and breadth of the land to follow Ipswich 600+ today in a crowd of less than 3000 These supporters must be a spur to the players on the pitch and their ever presence is a bonus Coventry play away every home game which might reflect their support today but maybe the cup is no longer the attraction that it used to be. We now have an extra game to play and 2 more against Coventry in the next 2 weeks with Peterborough sandwiched in the middle These 2 teams are in the mix for the top six and our performance against them will be indicative as to how it will end up come the end of the season I am sure that they will field reserve teams for the cup as the main aim is the championship for all three of us but a winning mentality is paramount to our continued retention of our current position

3

herfie added 20:40 - Dec 1 Perhaps it's down to the quality level of our squad. The received pre-season wisdom was that, at this level, we possessed a squad that would not struggle either to create or score goals. This seemed a reasonable assumption as early results - not necessarily performances - went our way, down to that extra bit of quality that we displayed in otherwise tight games. But, as the season's progressed, so our ability to impose ourselves on opposing teams has started to diminish to the point where creating chances, or scoring, from open play has significantly dropped. We seem to be trapped in a bubble of sterility, which is starting to manifest itself whoever the opposition, and whatever team selection/set up PL goes with. Contributory factors, including injuries; opposition teams upping their game or setting out to frustrate us, rotation policy etc might be deployed to defend recent performances/results. In the final analysis, however, it's down to those who pull on the shirts and cross the white line to show - on a consistent basis - that they possess the individual and collective quality to justify that early belief and optimism. On recent evidence it's in real danger of dissipating and being replaced by that unwelcome phrase ‘same old, same old' - and the increasing sense of pessimism that accompanies it. Honestly not criticising honesty or effort of players, or wanting to be unduly negative. But we have to be better at this level.

3

blues1 added 21:21 - Dec 1 Trctorboybig. Crap fan=crap comment. Sorry but you deserve that after that post .
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tractorboybig added 05:58 - Dec 2 blues 1 if you are happy withbthe present crap then you are the crap fan
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Dissboyitfc added 09:15 - Dec 2 At times we passed the ball around nicely, but we have no edge in the final third, just not potent enough! I have not been happy with all the 1-0 wins, we need to score more! For those of you saying the lack of goals is down to the service, I say look how many chances Norwood has missed and continue to miss. Missed lots of sitters including the most recent against Wickham! Norwood so far has been really disappointing! We need to take more of the chances we create, although we didn't create too much yesterday. Draw a fair result imo. Still I enjoyed the day out, even if it felt like a friendly, surely down to the empty stadium creating a lack of atmosphere! Will be interested to see how the draw goes for the 3rd round.

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Barty added 10:04 - Dec 2 Still in the cup but I am very disappointed at our lack of fire power and PL failure to play 2 up front on too many occasions. The sooner Freddie is back the better. We need at least one more striker come January.
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Razor added 10:10 - Dec 2 Why didnt Nozza play to keep him match fit and sharp (which he certainly isnt at the moment!) especially as he is banned for Saturday so will miss another game? At least the gals know how to do it---lets hope for a great draw today---they deserve it.
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