Monday 29 February 2016

Birmingham City 2 v Coventry City 1 - U21PDL2

Monday 29th February 2016
U21 Professional Development League
at Birmingham City FC Academy & Training Centre, Wast Hills
Birmingham City (0) 2
Viv Solomon-Otabar 78
Alex Jones 88
Coventry City (0) 1
Jack Finch 83
Blues Under 21s had by far the better of the first half, but found the Sky Blues (or all red change kit to be precise) keeper Corey Addai in fine form as he denied both Alex Jones and Kyle McFarlane.
Jones had a goal ruled out because he had wandered offside before Koby Arthur picked him out with a defence splitting pass.
Jones narrowly failed to connect with Wes Harding's right wing cross as the home side continued to dominate the opening exchanges.
On the stroke of half time Arthur saw off a challenge and fed the ball through to Jones again, who rattled the ball against the upright.
'Cov' could consider themselves fortunate to be going in level at the break.
HT: City 0 v City 0
Charlee Adams took control of the ball in midfield and sprayed it wide to Viv Solomon-Otobar who crossed to Arthur, but he was unable to head the ball firmly enough to trouble Addai.
Harding got up from his right back berth and met Arthur's free kick with a downwards header that dropped wide of the upright.
With just 12 minutes remaining, Blues finally broke the deadlock, when Solomon-Otobar weaved his way into the goal area, rode two tackles and made himself enough space and time to pick his spot in the bottom corner of the net.
The goal woke up the visitors and in the 86th minute they pulled a goal back against the run of play, when Jack Finch showed good composure as he took the ball past Jack Challis, drew Jake Weaver from his line and rolled the ball over the line to make it 1-1.
Having been virtually anonymous in attack until the closing five minutes, the visitors almost took the lead a minute later, but Weaver did well to keep Aaron Phillips' angled shot.
But Blues snatched a later winner when their skipper Mitch Hancox, picked out Jones with a lofted pass into the box, who held off the attentions of Cian Harries and planted the ball under the diving Addai. It was the least that Jones deserved after his efforts today on his return from his Antipodean adventure.
Birmingham had left it late to claim all three points, in a game they ought to have had sewn up much earlier.
FT: Birmingham City U21 2 v Coventry City U21 1