Coventry City 3 : 1 Exeter City
by Steve Clare, Wembley Stadium
Coventry City began the long way back to glory after 17 years of freefall, despair and chaos. In that time, they have dropped three divisions, escaped administration by twenty minutes and even been forced to play home matches in Northampton.
Today at Wembley, all that agony was cast aside as the majority in a crowd of 50,196 watched them beat Exeter City 3-1, to spark off delirious celebration.
After a goalless first half, the match exploded quickly just four minuted into the second when Jordan Willis sent in an unstoppable curler past Exeter keeper Chris Pym. Six minutes later, Jordan Shipley doubled the lead courtesy of a cruel deflection from Pierce Sweeney, the ball looping over the unfortunate but blameless Chris Pym.
Jake Grimmer added a third, eerily similar to the first in 68 minutes. Exeter had to make do with a Ryan Edwards consolation too late to matter. Despite the goals, the Man of the Match award went appropriately to Scot Marc McNulty who for much of the first half was the only goal threat from either side.
Coventry who, like Rotherham yesterday, bounced back up at the first time of asking a year after relegation. Deservedly so, they were the better side throughout the day.
Marc McNulty (l) was an ever present threat
Photo: Ali Gilmore/ Prost Amerika
The first half would have been mostly the Marc McNulty show. The former Livingston striker was responsible for the first four serious efforts of the game, before finally Ryan Harley found Coventry keeper Lee Burge’s gloves for the Grecians’ first decent effort on 31. To be pedantic though, Burge admittedly did see a tame Max Biamou header loop into his arms three minutes before.
Coventry defender Chris Stokes had left the field momentarily to receive treatment for an eye injury, and those two minutes were the first in which Exeter were the more offensive. Until then, they were mostly pinned back.
If Exeter had a hero, it was Jordan Storey, the Devonians’ outstanding player on the day, He produced a brilliant tackle to interrupt McNulty just before the half time whistle. It was not his first excellent block, but sadly for him, other Jordans were about to steal the limelight.
After the Jordans,Willis and Shipley, scored the two key goals within eight minutes of the restart, Exeter were on life support and they were well buried when Grimmer added the third in the 68th.
From then on, Exeter substitute Matt Jay remained a threat, hitting the outside of the post and testing Lee Burge but it was Edwards who notched the consolation.
However it was the Sky Blues, backed by an enormous contingent, who celebrated, and no-one can argue they have suffered enough to deserve this day.
Photo: Ali Gilmore/Prost Amerika
COVENTRY (4-4-2): Burge; Grimmer, Willis, Hyam, Stokes; Bayliss, Kelly, Doyle, Shipley (Reid 73′); McNulty (Ponticelli 82′), Biamou (Clarke-Harris 51′)
EXETER (4-4-1-1): Pym; Sweeney, Storey, Moore-Taylor, Woodman (James 63′); Taylor, Boateng (Edwards 73′), Tillson, Moxey (Jay 63′); Harley; Stockley
Attendance: 50,196
Referee: David Webb
