Matchday Memories: Today In 2021 : Sunday Kick Off Sees City Eat Fulham For Dinner .

CCFC Manager Mark Robins

One year ago today (2nd October 2021) in front of Sky Sports cameras Mark Robins‘ men continued their excellent home form by winning for a sixth successive league game back at the Coventry Building Society Arena! The Sky Blues had been behind at the break but a stellar second half performance blew the visitors away with Viktor Gyökeres among the goals with his eighth and ninth of the campaign! City had started the game on top and won a succession of corners, with Fulham struggling to clear their lines, culminating in Callum O’Hare picking out Kyle McFadzean but the defender’s shot was blocked.

Viktor in Sky Blue action

But the visitors broke with the ball falling to Aleksander Mitrovic in the area, but Jake Clarke-Salter blocked the shot. However, from the resulting corner Neeskens Kebano’s cross was unluckily deflected into the net by McFadzean. O’Hare and Ian Maatsen were combining well down the left-hand side with a quick thinking pass from the former released Maatsen who earned City another corner with Fulham ‘keeper Paulo Gazzaniga having to punch the ball away from his own goal line with the Sky Blues pressing.Fulham called Simon Moore into action when Bobby Decordova-Reid had an effort from the edge of the box but the City ‘keeper was alert to the threat. Vik then set City on a counter attack finding O’Hare, with the midfielder playing in Maatsen however the defender’s fierce shot was blocked on its route to goal by the sliding Denis Odoi.

HALF TIME: Sky Blues 0-1 Fulham

Coventry City 4-1 Fulham: Sky Blues hit back to hammer hapless Cottagers - BBC Sport

Matty Godden puts away his spot kick

Matty in the Sky Blue

The home side began the second half as they did the first but this time they were instantly rewarded when a defensive mix up between Tim Ream and Josh Onomah put City two on one with Gazzaniga with O’Hare squaring to Viktor Gyökeres to stroke the ball home to equalise! Two minutes later City were given another gift when Antonee Robinson tripped Matty Godden with the referee awarding a penalty kick, which Godden dispatched sending Gazzaniga the wrong way! Fulham’s response saw them win a corner with Alfie Mawson meeting Harry Wilson’s set piece but his header was cleared off the line by Godden. Robinson then fizzed the ball in across goal but Moore got down to smother the ball before Mitrovic could pounce.

But City went up the other end with Fankaty Dabo’s cross finding Maatsen at the back post who controlled the ball brilliantly before firing the ball into the opposite corner to give the Sky Blues a two goal cushion with his first for the club!

Fulham beaten after second-half collapse at Coventry - West London Sport

Ian Maatsen rocket finds the back of the net

Ian Maatsen in the Sky Blue

The visitors then won a free kick, which was initially headed away but Harrison Reed collected the ball just outside the D but his shot from range went comfortably wide of the goal. However, the visitor’s attempts to get back into the game came to no avail with City going on to extend their lead with twenty minutes remaining when Dabo set City away by finding Godden out wide. The striker’s first time cross picked out Gyökeres at the back post and the in form striker poked the ball home to get his second of the game! Gyokeres almost got his hat trick when his shot from an acute angle looked like finding the back of the net but Gazzaniga managed to push the ball away for a corner.

The closest Fulham got to a consolation was when Jean Michael Seri‘s corner was headed back across goal by Mawson but substitute Rodrigo Muniz blazed his effort over the bar with City securing another vital three points!

FULL TIME: Sky Blues 4-1 Fulham

Sky Blues:

Simon Moore, Dom Hyam, Kyle McFadzean, Jake Clarke-Salter, Fankaty Dabo, Liam Kelly (c), Ben Sheaf, Ian Maatsen, Callum O’Hare, Matty Godden and Viktor Gyökeres (Tyler Walker -88’).

Fulham:

Paulo Gazzaniga, Denis Odoi, Alfie Mawson, Tim Ream (c), Antonee Robinson, Josh Onomah (Jean Michael Seri -56’), Harrison Reed, Harry Wilson, Bobby Decordova-Reid (Rodrigo Muniz -68’), Neeskens Kebano (Ivan Cavaleiro -68’) and Aleksandar Mitrovic.

Watch Sky’s match highlights by clicking the link or image below

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fssXyj2WNFY