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Andy Turner’s Coventry City player ratings v Norwich as Sky Blues slip to first home defeat
Coventry City player ratings from CoventryLive as Sky Blues reporter Andy Turner hands out the scores after a 1-0 defeat against Norwich
Coventry City suffered their second Championship defeat of the season and first at home at the hands of bogey side Norwich City.
The Sky Blues edged the first half in terms of possession and shots on target, with two to the Canaries’ none, in an otherwise fairly even affair at the CBS Arena.
Haji Wright went closest for Mark Robins’ men when he cut into the box from the left but was denied by goalkeeper Angus Gunn. But the visitors grabbed an early lead after the break when Borja Sainz struck a loose ball in the box and it deflected off Milan van Ewijk to wrong-foot the goalkeeper.
But despite a determined fight-back, sparked by a flurry of substitutions, City couldn’t find the quality to get themselves back on level terms in a disappointing showing overall.
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STARTING FORMATION: 4-2-3-1
OLIVER DOVIN: 5.5
Didn’t have a save to make in the first half and beaten by a horrible deflection off Milan van Ewijk for the decisive goal. Other than that, wasn’t really called upon in the second half.
MILAN VAN EWIJK: 6
Got forward well down the right where he often glided with the ball at his feet as he supported Sakamoto and defended well. Attempted to block Sainz’s effort but inadvertently deflected it past his own keeper.
JOEL LATIBEAUDIERE: 6.5
Read the game well and defended well in the first half, winning a fair few headers and leading by example with the armband.
LUIS BINKS: 6.5/7
Calm and composed on the ball and grew in stature as the game went on, defending cleverly at times, directing headed passes out of the area rather than simply clearing. Made a vital tackle to deny Stacey who was clean through just before the break in an excellent first half. It was his clearance, however, that fell to Sainz to score. But overall played well.
JAKE BIDWELL: 5.5
Got forward on the overlap well to send in a decent early delivery which Simms almost got on the end of. Linked up well with Wright down the left. Struggled to get close enough to marauding full-back Stacey at times, who had far too much sace and time on the ball.
