Partnership emerging as Coventry City trio give glimpse of things to come amid goal difference play-off boost

Partnership emerging

Forced to adjust and tinker with City’s formation, largely due to the absence of a natural right winger following Tatsuhiro Sakamoto’s season-ending injury, it’s becoming clear that playing two up front with a number ten pulling the strings behind is looking like the way forward for the remainder of the season. And in Haji Wright and Ellis Simms, there appears to be a partnership emerging with both beginning to be aware of each other’s strengths, runs and movement.

Simms started the move for his second goal, playing Wright down the left before the American put it back into the box, albeit via a deflection off a defender, and Haji had a hand in his third when he set the ball to Simms, again, with the help of a Rotherham boot.

Kasey Palmer, meanwhile, looks the perfect man to pick the passes in the hole behind them. Interestingly, the former Chelsea prospect was preferred to Callum O’Hare on Tuesday night, and that may well be with a view to one eye on the future, given that the latter is expected to leave the club in the summer. O’Hare hopefully still has plenty to offer before he bids farewell to the Sky Blues but the starting trio against Rotherham worked a treat and is, perhaps, a glimpse of things to come.

Goal difference could be crucial

As in their FA Cup romp against Maidstone, Coventry were given an added-time flourish by Fabio Tavares after Simms had done the first-half damage, and this time the youngster’s outstanding finish – a calm and clinical side foot across the keeper – could prove invaluable at the tail end of the season.

As things stand, Leicester, Ipswich, Leeds and Southampton are slugging it out for the two automatic promotion slots while West Brom have built up a four-point cushion in the race for the play-offs.

That potentially leaves four sides scrapping for sixth place, Coventry and Hull having played 36 times apiece while both Norwich and Preston play tonight (Weds) away at Middlesbrough and Southampton, respectively – but the Sky Blues now have a potentially crucial advantage because their +15 goal difference is significantly superior to Norwich (+9), Hull (+7) and Preston (-5).

Cheers Juke

Lukas Jutkiewicz was a popular figure during his 18-month stay in Coventry, and he did his old club a huge favour last night.

Although the striker, who turns 35 at the end of the month, is now Birmingham City’s club captain, he has been a peripheral figure this term with only three starts in the Championship.

But he logged his 20th substitute appearance last night when Mark Venus, currently filling in for the convalescing Tony Mowbray, pitched him on in the 80th minute at Hull’s MKM Stadium and barely a minute later the veteran headed home Alex Pritchard’s cross to cancel Ozan Tufan’s controversial first-half opener.

That forced the Tigers to settle for a third consecutive draw despite dominating in terms of possession and chances created and leaves them only three points off Coventry as they prepare for Saturday’s home clash against table-topping Leicester.