Sky Bet Championship results, review & xG analysis: Coventry stun Nottingham Forest with later winner
A review of Sunday's Sky Bet Championship action, where Coventry scored a late winner against Nottingham Forest and Middlesbrough earned point at Fulham.
Coventry 2-1 Nottingham Forest
Kyle McFadzean's stoppage time goal gave Coventry City a winning return to the at the Coventry Building Society Arena as they came from behind to beat Nottingham Forest.
It also delivered a 23/10 winner for Sporting Life readers after our EFL expert Michael Beardmore successfully tipped Coventry to win and under 3.5 goals.
It represented a terrific finale for Mark Robins’ men, who had spent the last two years as tenants at Birmingham City’s St Andrew’s stadium following a dispute between the club’s owners Sisu and rugby union club Wasps, who also play at the ground formerly known as the Ricoh Arena.
Sweden international Viktor Gyokeres had earlier cancelled out Lyle Taylor’s first-half effort for Forest.
The last-gasp victory was also a fitting tribute to former FA Cup-winning manager George Curtis, who passed away last month, with his memory honoured by a minute’s silence before kick-off.
Forest, meanwhile, demonstrated the same shortcomings that characterised their 2020-21 campaign, as they failed to make their first-half superiority count with a second goal, meaning they have now only scored more than once on one occasion in their last 19 outings.
Forest forged in front when Brennan Johnson left already-cautioned midfielder Ben Sheaf trailing in his wake down the right before delivering a low cross that Taylor made no mistake with from four yards – his second goal in 30 appearances.
The hosts could not find the same incision going into the interval, with an unconvincing 30-yard Gyokeres attempt always lacking the conviction to trouble Samba.
Chris Hughton’s men almost doubled their advantage in first-half stoppage time when Moore reacted smartly at his near post to push behind a Johnson strike.
After the break, Ryan Yates blazed over from an unfavourable angle before Coventry began to make their presence felt in the final third.
Gyokeres levelled the scores when he swept in from 10 yards and with Coventry fans roaring on their team, McFadzean then blasted in a low drive from 15 yards after Samba had kept out Dominic Hyam’s header and an O’Hare shot.
- xG scorline: Coventry 1.05 - 0.85 Nottingham Forest
Fulham 1-1 Middlesbrough
Silva’s side squandered chances to add to a 29th-minute opener from debutant Harry Wilson, a £12million signing from Liverpool.
However, as so often last season, when Fulham were relegated from the Premier League, they were unable to convert their attacking play into goals, and Marc Bola punished them 13 minutes from time with Boro’s equaliser.
The season started with a bang as Aleksandar Mitrovic was shown a yellow card for his first challenge, a shoulder-charge into the head of Boro captain Jonny Howson.
New Fulham goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga had an unsteady start, almost caught out of his ground by Antonee Robinson’s backpass, then missing his punch from Paddy McNair’s corner.
But Fulham looked good further forward. Josh Onomah forced a corner after two exchanges of passes with Wilson and a fortunate deflection took a shot from Fabio Carvalho into the arms of Joe Lumley. Wilson’s powerful volley then drew a leaping save from goalkeeper Lumley.
Tempers flared on the touchline and both assistant managers, Fulham’s Luis Boa Morte of Fulham and Middlesbrough’s Kevin Blackwell, were shown yellow cards by referee Keith Stroud after an altercation.
But just before the half-hour all attention was back on the football as Fulham went ahead.
Wilson took a short pass from Onomah on the right, cut inside past Bola and hit a low hard shot with his left foot that passed between the feet of defender Dael Fry on its way into the corner of the net.
Boro’s Uche Ikpeazu was then fortunate to escape with a yellow card after leading with his forearm as he challenged for a bouncing ball with Fulham captain Tim Ream.
The hosts opened the second half in lively fashion but loud appeals for a penalty when Carvalho fell under challenge from Sam Morsy went unheeded by Stroud. Carvalho then shot wildly after Mitrovic had opened the Boro defence with a headed flick.
The Cottagers should have doubled their lead after 63 minutes but Neeskens Cabano headed straight at Lumley from Kenny Tete’s cross – and Boro survived another near miss five minutes later when Lumley missed Cabano’s cross but Wilson could not take advantage.
And Fulham paid for their wastefulness after 77 minutes when Bola took a pass from substitute Isaiah Jones and hit a low angled shot across Gazzaniga and inside the far post for his second league goal for the club.
Another substitute, Marcus Tavernier, had the chance to steal all three points for the visitors – but he blazed his shot high and wide.
- xG scoreline: Fulham 1.05 - 0.60 Middlesbrough