In an even first-half display, City played well with the promotion hopefuls, but Cabango’s header from Conor Hourihane’s corner, ten minutes after the break, proved decisive.
After a sharp start to the game, Jamal Lowe had the first real chance for the home side as he forced a good save at a close angle from Ben Wilson. Lowe cut back inside to fire the ball at the front post after being played in down the left lane, but Wilson was up to the job.
Max Biamou looked to turn and shoot on the edge of the box for City, but he just couldn’t make the right connection with the shot to send the ball past Freddie Woodman in the Swansea net. With Callum O’Hare appearing to have been taken down, the Sky Blues also had calls for a penalty waved away in a lively first 10 minutes.
After a quarter-hour of stop-start action, Liam Kelly was the next Sky Blues player to challenge the Swans’ goal. Earlier this season, the skipper looked to duplicate his goal against Wycombe, receiving the ball on the box edge, but sent the ball over the crossbar.
The home side produced the best chance of the first half on 30 minutes, despite not posing much of a goal threat. Wingback Connor Roberts raced towards the byline before cutting the ball back across the box to Lowe, trying to get behind City’s backline. For the striker, the goal seemed to open up, but some resolute defending closed the gap and sent his shot wide of the post.
Towards the end of the first half, Swansea kept pushing. Yan Dhanda was the next player to come close to scoring a minute after Lowe had guided the ball wide. Dhanda went for a top corner finish, cut back for the midfielder at the edge of the box, but could only hit the side netting.
City, however, declined to sit back and Biamou went away inches from giving the lead to the Sky Blues. Kelly collected the ball out wide, sending the ball back across target, allowing a decisive run for the byline from a throw in. Biamou, who sent his thunderous half-volley whistling past the far post, rebounded the ball.
The second half nearly got off to an explosive start on the side of Mark Robins. The ball from a corner broke to Sam McCallum 25 yards from goal after some sustained pressure from the Sky Blues. The wingback launched a furious shot that seemed to be arrowing into the top corner for a fleeting moment before flashing wide.
Despite a good start by City, Swansea took the lead ten minutes into the second half. Meeting a Conor Hourihane corner from the right, from only a few yards back, Ben Cabango sent his header past Ben Wilson to bring Steve Cooper’s team ahead.
The rhythm of the game was interrupted by both sides pursuing the target, allowing a total five substitutes. It was Jamal Lowe, however, again, who came inches away from doubling the advantage on his foot, with 20 minutes left. With the forward cutting in from the left side of the box, an impressive solo run finished, but guiding his curled shot wide of Wilson’s far post.
In their hunt for a decisive second point, Swansea were relentless. It was Swans captain Matt Grimes who sent a fizzing drive off goal from distance a few minutes after Lowe had produced problems for the Sky Blues’ defence.
With the clock ticking down, Kyle McFadzean was given City’s best shot to get the game back to a stalemate. The center-half was found racing for goal by a wonderfully floating cross from the free-kick of Matty James. He reached the ball first with a side-foot finish, beating his marker, but couldn’t guide his shot past Woodman in the Swansea net.
After the declaration of five minutes of extra time, Sam McCallum camped in Swansea’s box, sent Coventry hearts going, once again, when he met the cross of Viktor Gyokeres from the left but struggled to hold his header down.
As the Sky Blues continued their quest for an equaliser, Tyler Walker saw his first-time shot go over the counter. While the target failed to materialise for the team of Mark Robins, against a high-quality Swansea side, they delivered a spirited result.
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