A fantastic Charley Edge strike cancels out a Jordan Shipley opener for City's development side...
Nicky Eaden’s Under-23 side came away with a point in a hard-fought contest against Colchester United at the Weston Homes Community Stadium
It would take the Sky Blues just seven minutes to take the lead against the U’s thanks to Jordan Shipley. Devon Kelly-Evans slipped it towards the midfielder, and his first time effort arrowed past Dillion Barnes and into the bottom corner to give City an early advantage.
The home side responded and should have been level if not for a smart Corey Addai save. George Brown found space in behind the City backline, but the ‘keeper denied him before collection the rebound on the follow up effort.
City should have added their second mid-way through the first half after a lovely passage of play. Ivor Lawton found Darragh Leahy on the left and Shipley somehow headed his wonderful cross wide from close range.
Both sides continued to trade chances in a fairly open contest through the first thirty minutes. Addai once again came to the rescue of City, pushing a Tommy O’Sullivan effort around the post after a loose ball fell to the striker inside the area.
Both sides struggled to create anything clear-cut at the beginning of the second half, as Kwame Thomas came closest on the hour mark. Jacob Whitmore’s deep cross-found the striker, but he couldn’t divert a header towards goal.
However, it was City who were on the front foot as Trialist went close to doubling the advantage. Kelly-Evans plays a lovely cross-field pass for Trialist to run onto, he beat his man but couldn’t force a shot past the wall of bodies inside the Colchester area.
Colchester’s best chance of the half fell to Charley Edge, as Rekiel Pyke laid it back towards the midfielder only for him to scuff his effort wide and out for a goal kick.
However, the midfielder soon made up for his earlier miss, as the home side equalised with five minutes to go. He picked up the ball 25-yards out and hit a superb looping effort into the top corner, leaving Addai with no chance.
Yellow: Whitmore, Lawton.
Teams
Coventry City: Addai (GK), Whitmore, Maycock, Thompson, Leahy, Trialist, Lawton (Bayliss 82'), Trialist, Shipley, Dev. Kelly-Evans (C), K.Thomas (Ponticelli 76').
Subs: Scuza (GK), Sayoud, Spence.
Colchester United: Barnes (GK), Vincent-Young (Ocran 45'), James, Wright, Peter, Wynter (Pollard 45'), Brown, Edge, Pyke, O'Sullivan (Issa 33'), Dunne.
Subs: Williams (GK), Phipps.