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Sky Blues tamed – Blue Skies ahead? MATCH REPORT AND SLIDESHOW
SHEFFIELD United established a new record at the Ricoh Arena last night, taking another important step towards an even more significant landmark in the process.
Goals from Leigh Bromby and Chris Morgan saw the visitors stretch their unbeaten away run in the league to 12 matches – a remarkable feat given the notoriously unpredictable nature of Championship football.
But while Kevin Blackwell welcomed the opportunity to write his name into the history books, he will be acutely aware that an even more prestigious prize – automatic promotion – is now a distinct possibility.
Blackwell's side, who climbed to fourth in the table courtesy of another purposeful all-round display, are three points ahead of Burnley in seventh and, tantalisingly, six behind second-placed Birmingham with a game in hand.
"Every single win is important at this stage," the United manager said. "We came here knowing that it would be tough and that turned out to be the case.
"My lads though are made of stern stuff, they've got plenty of character and they showed what they're made of. I gather we've set a record and, being honest, it's nice to be associated with something like that.
"But we've just got to keep chipping away. If we can't go straight up ourselves then we've got to make sure that someone else earns it."
Coventry, who entertain Chelsea in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Saturday, harbour top-flight ambitions of their own, having improved immeasurably in recent weeks.
But United boast a consistency few of their rivals can match and, after enduring some criticism earlier in the season, Blackwell is growing increasingly confident of permanently silencing the team's detractors.
"There's work to do but we believe in ourselves," he added. "Coventry are enjoying one of their best periods of late and they're on a real high.
"We knew we were coming into the lions' den."
The Stamford Bridge scouting party will not have been unduly troubled by what they witnessed from United's hosts.
Coleman stressed repeatedly beforehand that securing a fourth successive victory, not the impending arrival of Guus Hiddink's all-stars, would be the only thing on his mind but the former Wales international's team selection suggested otherwise.
With Clinton Morrison, their most prolific marksman, relegated to the bench, Coventry demonstrated neat touches and passes aplenty but, until Paddy Kenny parried Freddy Eastwood's scuttling drive around the post in the 30th minute, a fatal lack of incision.
Eastwood's effort went some way towards remedying the problem – Jordan Henderson firing wide soon after – but it was United who enjoyed the better of the openings with Keiren Westwood embellishing his growing reputation by tipping a Chris Morgan header over the crossbar.
Darius Henderson, who went close from the resulting corner and Stephen Quinn, dragging wide on the counter-attack, were both instrumental in the move which saw Bromby stab home during first-half stoppage time.
Brian Howard, asked to exploit the space between midfield andattack after being recalled to Blackwell's starting eleven, beat Westwood to the ball when Quinn's cross was deflected but, having recovered his position to bat Henderson's header on to the woodwork, Westwood was powerless to prevent the defender poking home the rebound.
United dismissed claims the ball had not crossed the line but Coleman insisted: "The linesman has had a horror.
"He's got to be 100 per cent certain if he gives it and he can't have been because it wasn't in."
Unbeaten on their travels since mid-October, the odds appeared stacked in United's favour and so it proved when Chris Morgan doubled their advantage nine minutes after the re-start by converting David Cotterill's set-piece.
But Coventry have not progressed to within one result of Wembley by accident and, a quarter-of-an-hour later, Scott Dann reduced the deficit after climbing to meet Aron Gunnarsson's long-throw.
United, however, also provide obstinate opposition and, despite some anxious moments, held on, with debutant John-Joe O'Toole, signed on loan from Watford, announcing his arrival with an ambitious strike from range.
"This is such a difficult league to get out of, probably the hardest in the country, but we're showing that we are capable of putting together the type of run you need," said Blackwell.
Managers View
"I know people were probably looking at this one as some sort of banana skin.
"And if we hadn't have been so bloody-minded then we may well have slipped on it.
"We came here – and Coventry are probably one of the form teams in the division – and we got a result.
"They are all massive wins at this stage."
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Weather for Sheffield
Thursday 09 February 2012
Today
Light sleet
Temperature: -1 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 6 mph
Wind direction: South west
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Light snow
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