Match ends, Coventry City 3, Peterborough United 2.
Coventry City 3-2 Peterborough United
- From the section Football
Coventry City come back from two down at half-time to stun second-place Peterborough in a five-goal thriller.
Posh looked well set when Marcus Maddison teed up Jon Taylor for a well-taken first before threading in a 35-yard free-kick for the second.
But Ryan Haynes' excellent right-foot curler gave City hope.
Jim O'Brien then drilled in an equaliser before Frank Nouble's deflected 18-yard shot looped in over stranded keeper Ben Alnwick.
City had not won in eight League One matches - since the end of their first week back in Coventry at the start of September - and it looked like another defeat was on the cards at the break.
Posh were ahead on 17 minutes when Taylor accepted a neat pass from Maddison before drilling a shot low into keeper Lee Burge's bottom right corner.
Maddison then added a second 11 minutes later with a long-range free-kick which bamboozled Burge.
| The return of Nouble | |
|---|---|
| Frank Nouble had missed City's last six matches through injury, while skipper Reda Johnson had been out seven games. Coventry manager Steven Pressley admitted before the game it would be a risk to play them, but the gamble paid off. | |
But the Sky Blues were handed a lifeline four minutes after the break when Fleck spotted Haynes to his left on the overlap - and the young left-back picked his spot with a lovely curling shot inside the Posh keeper's left upright.
Having registered his first goal for the club, Haynes was then matched by O'Brien who did the same to equalise on 62 minutes.
Simeon Jackson set up Haynes, who crossed from the left corner of the box, Fleck cutely flicked on and O'Brien arrived at the far post to crash home.
Two minutes later, Nouble then brought the house down with the winner.
| Maddison finds his mark | |
|---|---|
| Peterborough midfielder Marcus Maddison has now scored four goals in five games - and three of them have been Cristiano Ronaldo-style 35-yard free kicks. | |
The fit-again centre forward embarked on a solo run into the box and his low right-foot shot went over keeper Alnwick.
His shirtless celebration earned him a booking - but it only slightly marred a first league win since 13 September for relieved Coventry boss Steven Pressley.
Peterborough, meanwhile, have now earned back-to-back defeats and drop to fourth in the standings.
Coventry manager Steven Pressley told BBC Coventry & Warwickshire:
"I'm very proud of the boys. I don't think we deserved to be 2-0 down at half-time and, after the run we've been on, it would have been very easy to go under.
"But it was just another reminder that football matches can change very quickly.
"It was a big result, but I'm still well aware of just how much hard work we have ahead of us. This was just the first of thousands of steps that this club has to take.
"I had a belief that we could turn it round at half time. And I'm a great believer that, in football as in life, you only get out what you put in."
Peterborough United manager Darren Ferguson told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire:
"It was certainly a game of two halves. And, to be 2-0 up at half time, and I have to say, looking extremely comfortable, we've given the game away.
"As the manager, I take full responsibility, but the players now owe me big time.
"There's always a passage of play in any game when the opposition have a period of dominance, but you have to see it through and, when they scored, it got them back into it.
"But it was our poor passing that gave them the chances, it gave them confidence and then they scored two in three minutes."
Line-ups
Coventry
- 1Burge
- 2Willis
- 5JohnsonBooked at 27mins
- 25Hines
- 26Haynes
- 6ThomasBooked at 51mins
- 16Barton
- 11O'BrienSubstituted forFinchat 90'minutes
- 7Fleck
- 9McQuoidSubstituted forJacksonat 62'minutes
- 19NoubleBooked at 65mins
Substitutes
- 4Webster
- 12Jackson
- 15Miller
- 18Phillips
- 23Allsop
- 27Finch
- 36Maddison
Peterborough
- 27Alnwick
- 25ZakuaniSubstituted forOztumerat 74'minutes
- 6Bostwick
- 21Burgess
- 2Smith
- 15Anderson
- 8PayneBooked at 74mins
- 30Maddison
- 17Newell
- 7TaylorSubstituted forJamesat 66'minutes
- 14WashingtonSubstituted forMendez-Laingat 66'minutes
Substitutes
- 9James
- 10Oztumer
- 18Ferdinand
- 19Mendez-Laing
- 20McEvoy
- 22Almeida Santos
- 32Grant
- Referee:
- Roger East
- Attendance:
- 8,957
Match Stats
Home TeamCoventryAway TeamPeterborough
- Possession
- Home44%
- Away56%
- Shots
- Home10
- Away13
- Shots on Target
- Home6
- Away5
- Corners
- Home1
- Away8
- Fouls
- Home15
- Away12
Live Text
Full Time
Second Half ends, Coventry City 3, Peterborough United 2.
Corner, Peterborough United. Conceded by Adam Barton.
Substitution
Substitution, Coventry City. Jack Finch replaces Jim O'Brien.
Foul by Christian Burgess (Peterborough United).
Frank Nouble (Coventry City) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Attempt blocked. Michael Bostwick (Peterborough United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Marcus Maddison (Peterborough United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Jordan Willis (Coventry City).
Corner, Peterborough United. Conceded by Sebastian Hines.
Attempt missed. Frank Nouble (Coventry City) right footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses to the right.
Foul by Frank Nouble (Coventry City).
Michael Bostwick (Peterborough United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Marcus Maddison (Peterborough United) left footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high from a direct free kick.
Foul by Adam Barton (Coventry City).
Erhun Oztumer (Peterborough United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Delay in match John Fleck (Coventry City) because of an injury.
Foul by John Fleck (Coventry City).
Joe Newell (Peterborough United) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Corner, Peterborough United. Conceded by Sebastian Hines.
Substitution
Substitution, Peterborough United. Erhun Oztumer replaces Gabriel Zakuani.
Booking
Jack Payne (Peterborough United) is shown the yellow card.
Jim O'Brien (Coventry City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Jack Payne (Peterborough United).
Foul by Frank Nouble (Coventry City).
Jermaine Anderson (Peterborough United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt blocked. Joe Newell (Peterborough United) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Substitution
Substitution, Peterborough United. Nathaniel Mendez-Laing replaces Conor Washington.
Substitution
Substitution, Peterborough United. Luke James replaces Jon Taylor.
Foul by Adam Barton (Coventry City).
Marcus Maddison (Peterborough United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Booking
Frank Nouble (Coventry City) is shown the yellow card.
Goal!
Goal! Coventry City 3, Peterborough United 2. Frank Nouble (Coventry City) right footed shot from the left side of the box to the bottom right corner.
Goal!
Goal! Coventry City 2, Peterborough United 2. Jim O'Brien (Coventry City) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box to the high centre of the goal. Assisted by John Fleck.
Hand ball by Conor Washington (Peterborough United).
Substitution
Substitution, Coventry City. Simeon Jackson replaces Josh McQuoid.
Attempt saved. Jim O'Brien (Coventry City) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Attempt saved. Marcus Maddison (Peterborough United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Attempt saved. Jon Taylor (Peterborough United) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Foul by Jim O'Brien (Coventry City).