Match ends, Coventry City 0, Swindon Town 3.
CoventryCoventry City0SwindonSwindon Town3
Swindon Town returned to the top of League One with a comprehensive victory over struggling Coventry City at the Ricoh Arena.
Andy Williams's early first-half double - the first a flying header, the second a penalty - set the Robins on their way to a seventh win in nine games.
Substitute Jon Obika rounded the keeper to slot in the third late on, just 46 seconds after coming on.
The game was watched by just 7,098 - the Ricoh's lowest league crowd.
The result lifts Swindon above Bristol City on goal difference at the top of the table. Both have 51 points although Bristol City have a game in hand.
Coventry, who are in 18th place, had a chance to go in front when Swindon keeper Wes Foderingham denied Simeon Jackson at close range in the third minute - but they were then made to pay.
| Andy Williams - just too good to be true? |
|---|
| Andy Williams's brace took him to 17 League One goals for the season - just one behind the division's top scorer, Chesterfield's Eoin Doyle. |
| Since the start of December, Williams has struck eight goals in six matches. |
From Harry Toffolo's left-wing cross on eight minutes, Williams timed his near-post run to power in a bullet header.
When Louis Thompson was then bundled over by Coventry striker Frank Nouble 10 minutes later, Williams sent City keeper Ryan Allsop the wrong way from the spot, putting it in his left corner.
Williams and Michael Smith fired narrowly wide as Swindon missed chances to add to their two-goal lead before the break.
Coventry wasted a great opportunity to pull one back after the interval when the dangerous Nouble crossed from the left byline, only for Conor Thomas, on the goal-line, to somehow fail to find the back of the net.
After John Swift had been denied by Allsop's outstretched leg, Obika then settled the outcome nine minutes from time when he rounded the keeper to score.
Swindon Town manager Mark Cooper told BBC Wiltshire:
"We've had some good away performances - Chesterfield and Leyton Orient spring to mind - but in the first half I thought we were really good.
"I'm just pleased that we showed a lot of people what we're about.
"My biggest worry tonight was that we froze on the tele. But for 70 minutes we played really well."
Line-ups
Coventry
Formation 4-3-2-1
- 23Allsop
- 22Pennington
- 21Martin
- 4WebsterBooked at 35mins
- 26Haynes
- 11O'BrienSubstituted forSwansonat 69'minutes
- 6Thomas
- 7FleckBooked at 90mins
- 12JacksonSubstituted forThomasat 80'minutes
- 19Nouble
- 8Madine
Substitutes
- 1Burge
- 2Willis
- 10Swanson
- 15Miller
- 16Barton
- 27Finch
- 37Thomas
Swindon
Formation 3-4-1-2
- 1Foderingham
- 5Stephens
- 2ThompsonBooked at 43mins
- 6Turnbull
- 3Byrne
- 19Thompson
- 7Gladwin
- 15Toffolo
- 14SwiftSubstituted forRossi Brancoat 67'minutes
- 9SmithSubstituted forObikaat 81'minutes
- 10WilliamsSubstituted forHyltonat 87'minutes
Substitutes
- 18Barker
- 20Obika
- 23Barthram
- 24Hylton
- 25Belford
- 26Rodgers
- 29Rossi Branco
- Referee:
- Keith Stroud
- Attendance:
- 7,098
Match Stats
Home TeamCoventryAway TeamSwindon
- Possession
- Home43%
- Away57%
- Shots
- Home8
- Away11
- Shots on Target
- Home3
- Away4
- Corners
- Home3
- Away2
- Fouls
- Home21
- Away9
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Coventry City 0, Swindon Town 3.
Post update
Corner, Swindon Town. Conceded by Andy Webster.
Post update
Jonathan Obika (Swindon Town) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Post update
Foul by Andy Webster (Coventry City).
Booking
John Fleck (Coventry City) is shown the yellow card.
Post update
Nathan Thompson (Swindon Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by John Fleck (Coventry City).
Substitution
Substitution, Swindon Town. Jermaine Hylton replaces Andy Williams.
Post update
Louis Thompson (Swindon Town) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Post update
Foul by George Thomas (Coventry City).
Post update
Corner, Coventry City. Conceded by Nathan Byrne.
Post update
Attempt missed. Nathan Byrne (Swindon Town) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.
Post update
Nathan Byrne (Swindon Town) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Post update
Foul by John Fleck (Coventry City).
Goal!
Goal! Coventry City 0, Swindon Town 3. Jonathan Obika (Swindon Town) left footed shot from a difficult angle on the left to the bottom right corner.
Substitution
Substitution, Swindon Town. Jonathan Obika replaces Michael Smith.
Substitution
Substitution, Coventry City. George Thomas replaces Simeon Jackson.
Post update
Louis Thompson (Swindon Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Conor Thomas (Coventry City).
