Tue 28th Nov
Kick-off 19:45

COV Coventry

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PLY Argyle

Coventry Match preview

Sync Fixtures

The Game
Coventry City v Argyle. CBS Arena. Tuesday, 28 November. 7.45pm. Sky Bet Championship.

The Opposition
Coventry City come into Tuesday's game in 20th position, one place behind Argyle, on the same points, just a single goal inferior on goal difference. 

The Sky Blues began with a defeat to Leicester City, but then suffered just one defeat in their next ten games. They did, however, draw five of those games, which has become a pattern to their season. 

Four consecutive defeats meant Coventry slipped down the table a little, but prior to the international break they broke that run with a goalless draw against Stoke City, before an impressive win last Saturday against Millwall. 

The Gaffer
Mark Robins came through the ranks at Manchester United, and was part of the squad that won the 1990 FA Cup and the 1991 European Cup-Winners Cup. In a career that also took in spells in Denmark, Spain and Greece, Robins represented Leicester City, Norwich City, Walsall and Rotherham United, among others. 

Mark Robins

His first managerial job was at Rotherham, having previously been the assistant manager. This led to a move to Barnsley, followed by a first stint at Coventry, beginning in September 2012. After five relatively successful months, he took a job with Huddersfield Town, where he remained for 18 months. 

After a similar amount of time with Scunthorpe United, Robins was re-appointed as Coventry boss in March 2017, with the Sky Blues in League Two. In six-and-half years, he has take Coventry up twice, and last season got into the Championship play-offs, only to lose to Luton Town in the play-off final, on penalties. 

The Squad
Matt Godden is Coventry's leading goalscorer so far this season, with seven goals to his name. Now 32, Godden was somewhat of a late bloomer. Having never really broke in at Scunthorpe, Godden was 25 when he signed for Stevenage in League Two, having scored freely for Ebbsfleet in the National League. 

His scoring form with Stevenage caught the eye of Peterborough, and in turn he moved on to Coventry in August 2019, in League One. He has now scored 48 goals in 133 appearances for the Sky Blues. 

Haji Wright is a USA international who signed for Coventry in the summer of 2023, fora reported fee of £7.7m. The 25-year-old attacker spent time with Schalke 04 in Germany as a young player, before a European tour which took in time at Venlo in the Netherlands, SonderjyskE in Denmark and Antalyaspor of Turkey before moving to England. 

No-one has played more minutes for Coventry this season than midfielder Josh Eccles (below). The 23-year-old has come through the ranks at Coventry, playing sporadically since his debut in 2018, but last season was his breakthrough, as he played 34 times in the league. This season, he has started all but one of City's fixtures. 

Josh Eccles

Fancy a Stat?
Coventry are the only team that Argyle have beaten 6-0 on two occasions. Not only that, it happened in consecutive seasons. Admittedly, this did occur in 1909 and 1911, but still...

The History
Argyle have played Coventry City 65 times. The Greens have won 28 of those encounters, 12 have been draws, and City have won the other 25. 

The sides last met in League One, in 2018/19. Early in the season, Coventry won 1-0 in their home game, with Argyle beating the Sky Blues 2-1 at Home Park in January. Former Coventry player Ruben Lameiras scored both goals in the game for the Pilgrims. 

A Strip for the Trip
Argyle will be wearing their green home kit for this game. 

Tickets
Tickets will be available on the evening of the game from Turnstiles 1-5, but entry to the ground is CASH ONLY.

For a more detailed update, click here

Argyle TV
Commentary will be provided from Ashton Gate by BBC Radio Devon's Ross Heaton and Hasney Aljofree.

Argyle TV’s pre-match show, hosted by Charlie Price and Brian McGlinchey, will begin at 6.45pm, and will be available to watch for free on YouTube.

The match is available for domestic and international supporters to stream on Argyle TV. Buy a match pass to watch the game, here.

Shop by player in Argyle superstore

Coventry v Argyle

Coventry City 1
Wright 75

Argyle 0

Argyle were beaten by a goal shrouded in controversy on a bitter night at Coventry City.

One a night of few chances, the game was headed for a blank when a cross from the byline teed up Haji Wright for the winner 15 minutes from time.

The Greens were furious that a goal-kick had not been awarded, as the ball looked to be a yard over the line but the protests were ignored and Coventry took the points.

Argyle manager Steven Schumacher named an unchanged side from the weekend win over Sunderland, with captain Joe Edwards making appearance number 200 as a Pilgrim.

The Sky Blues won 3-0 at Millwall on the weekend and they were first to show any sign of attacking menace, Ben Sheaf having a pop from distance that was cleared by the head of Julio Pleguezuelo. Edwards then intervened to block a cross from Milan can Ewijk.

Morgan Whittaker, fresh from another super strike on Saturday, tried the audacious on 15 minutes, drifting through the home midfield before attempting lob that had goalkeeper Brad Collins scrambling as it just floated over the bar.

The game then descended into a scrappy spell that did little to warm the hands, feet and every other body part on a bitter night in the Midlands. Coventry were the first to revive some attacking intent but the Pilgrim defence always looked in control.

On the ball, Argyle were composed in possession and that was the platform for the first major chance on 34 minutes, when Kaine Kesler-Hayden’s cross from the right took a wicked deflection and Collins adjusted his feet smartly to save at the near post.

Coventry responded with a clever curling effort from Sheaf that whistled narrowly wide of Michael Cooper’s far post. Sheaf did find the target moments later but Cooper was in the right place to make a super save.

The second half opened with Wright lashing over from a decent position before Finn Azaz bustled his way into the penalty area before being crowded out by the covering Coventry defence.

Argyle were slowly turning the screw in midfield and Luke Cundle probably had Collins beaten, as he fizzed a low drive across the slick surface and shaved the outside of the post.  

As with the first period, chances were rare on both sides and the game entered a period of drift until Jordan Houghton and Azaz worked the ball down the left for Ben Waine, who was a fraction away from picking out a lurking Whittaker.

Schumacher turned to his bench with a triple change, Callum Wright, Adam Randell and Mustapha Bundu replacing Waine, Cundle and Azaz, quickly followed by a dangerous corner that ended with a Lewis Gibson volley flying over.

Argyle were then hit by a cruel opener for the hosts, as van Ewijk cut the ball back from the byline for Wright to slot past an exposed Cooper.

The cruel element, however, stemmed from a highly dubious decision by the officials, as the ball had clearly crossed that aforementioned byline for a goal kick. It was a goal that should not have stood and the Greens understandably felt very aggrieved.

The Pilgrims regained their composure with a Bundu strike gathered by Collins, followed by Brendan Galloway replacing Edwards for the final push, but Coventry held on for all three points.

Coventry: 40 Brad Collins; 4 Bobby Thomas, 7 Tatsuhiro Sakamoto (10 Callum O'Hare 64), 8 Jamie Allen (26 Yasin Ayari 80), 11 Haji Wright, 14 Ben Sheaf, 15 Liam Kitching, 21 Jake Bidwell, 24 Matt Godden (capt) (9 Ellis Simms 80), 27 Milan van Ewijk (22 Joel Latibeaudiere 80), 28 Josh Eccles. Substitutes (not used): 13 Ben Wilson, 2 Luis Binks, 3 Jay Dasilva, 5 Kyle McFadzean, 6 Liam Kelly.

Booked: Bidwell 90

Argyle: 1 Michael Cooper; 2 Bali Mumba (19 Tyreik Wright 55), 4 Jordan Houghton, 5 Julio Pleguezuelo, 8 Joe Edwards (capt) (22 Brendan Galloway 86), 10 Morgan Whittaker, 17 Lewis Gibson, 18 Finn Azaz (15 Mustapha Bundu 68), 23 Ben Waine (11 Callum Wright 68), 28 Luke Cundle (20 Adam Randell 68), 29 Kaine Kesler-Hayden. Substitutes (not used): 21 Conor Hazard (gk), 6 Dan Scarr, 7 Matt Butcher, 16 Lewis Warrington.

Booked: Houghton 77, Cooper 77, Gibson 81

Referee: Andy Davies

Attendance: 22,790 (1,468 away)