Bristol City vs Coventry City. Sky Bet Championship.
Ashton Gate StadiumAttendance21,454.
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship clash between Bristol City and Coventry City at Ashton Gate on Saturday | Kasey Palmer's late equaliser earns a point for Mark Robins' Sky Blues.
Saturday 24 August 2024 16:01, UK
Kasey Palmer came off the bench to score against his former club and earn Coventry a 1-1 Championship draw with Bristol City at Ashton Gate.
The hosts took the lead in first half stoppage-time when a left-wing corner was headed into the path of George Tanner, who found the roof of the net with a sweetly-struck right-footed volley from just inside the box.
But Coventry fought back to equalise on 76 minutes when Palmer found the top corner from 10 yards out after Bristol City failed to deal with a cross from the right.
Robins head coach Liam Manning made one change from the 4-3 victory over Millwall with Scott Twine, who scored the winner as a substitute in that game, replacing Anis Mehmeti.
Coventry were unchanged from the 3-2 win over Oxford last time out.
Both teams produced some slick passing football in an open, entertaining first half. But it was the hosts who created all the chances while their goalkeeper Max O'Leary was not called upon to make a save.
Coventry keeper Oliver Dovin was kept busy from the 14th minute when he dived to his left to keep out Max Bird's 25-yard shot. Seconds later, Dovin was flying in the opposite direction to parry Tanner's effort from distance.
When Sinclair Armstrong broke through the middle on 27 minutes, Dovin dived bravely at his feet to smother the effort and both players required treatment after a heavy collision.
Armstrong sent a low shot wide on 43 minutes before Bristol City took the lead they deserved, Tanner's fine finish silencing the massed ranks of Coventry supporters behind the goal.
The home side suffered a blow early in the second half when centre-back Rob Dickie was forced off by injury and replaced by Kal Naismith.
Coventry were finding it hard to turn decent spells of possession into clear-cut chances.
Ellis Simms miscued a shot wide after breaking onto a long ball and Haji Wright fired into the side-netting.
Dovin had to come to Coventry's rescue again on the hour when diving to keep out Bird's fierce low strike following a Twine free kick from the right.
Palmer's equaliser sparked a melee in front of the Coventry fans involving several players from both sides. It ended with bookings for Bristol's Joe Williams and the Sky Blues' Wright.
Dovin produced another acrobatic save to keep out a shot from Fally Mayulu, while late efforts from Ephron Mason-Clark and Brandon Thomas-Asante went wide at the other end.
Bristol City's Liam Manning:
"It was a good but frustrating point for us. Frustrating because the performance for large periods was so good.
"The control we had in the first half was excellent. In the second there was more good stuff but at times we also gave up that control too easily.
"Ultimately, they have had one shot on target to our seven. But were up against such a strong squad in which Coventry have invested heavily, so the frustration apart, it was a good result for us.
"We have a structure to our play but also give players the freedom to get forward. The positions that Max Bird and Scott Twine take up, along with the likes of Cameron Pring, demonstrate that and George Tanner has come up with a great goal.
"If you turn the ball over too cheaply, the structure becomes irrelevant and that was the case in parts of the second half.
"But it excites me that we can still improve. We were playing against a really strong side and arguably dominated them.
"We want to be more clinical but we are consistently getting into the right areas and asking questions of the opposition.
"It's a case of staying calm, taking the point, remaining unbeaten in the league and moving on."
Coventry City's Mark Robins:
"Kasey is Kasey and what you get is what you get. Sometimes what you get is unbelievable and sometimes less so, but he is a top player.
"If you try to work on the defensive side of his game, you are fighting a losing battle. It's all about how you can get him into good areas to make the most of his attacking attributes.
"His profile is somebody who makes things happen in the final third, either creating or scoring. Today he was focused from the moment he went on and it was a great finish.
"The Bristol fans know he is a good player and tried to knock him off his stride. He made our winner here in the Carabao Cup recently and now he has scored to earn us a point, so I'm not complaining.
"We are much better than we showed today. There were too many errors and it was a scruffy game in many ways with not much in it. When you are not at your best, it is important not to lose, so we take the point and move on.
"Bristol City are a better team than last season, playing a different type of football with different players. Nigel Pearson began the process brilliantly and it has been carried on, so I think they will do well."
