Sport

Coventry City 2-2 Cardiff City: Victor Torp earn’s late point for Sky Blues in Frank Lampard’s first game

Admin 4 days ago

5 1 minute read

Frank Lampard's first game as Coventry head coach ended in a 2-2 draw against fellow champions Cardiff, thanks to Victor Torp's late penalty.

The Sky Blues were twice behind and Alex Robertson's superb strike early in the second half looked to give the Bluebirds their first away win since April.

But Torp's penalty in the 89th minute meant both teams' winless runs were extended to five games as Coventry moved three points clear of the relegation zone, while Cardiff were just one point further behind.

The Lampard era got off to an inauspicious start as Cardiff took the lead in the fourth minute when poor marking allowed Yakou Meite to head into Robertson's corner and score his first goal of the season.

Coventry's response was swift. Their first goal under new management came three minutes later when Tatsuhiro Sakamoto threw a lovely pass into the area, which was stylishly fired home by Ephron Mason-Clark.

It was the winger's first goal in his 17th appearance since joining from Peterborough and was the last moment of quality the game saw for a while.

Cardiff's David Turnbull injected new energy when his long-range strike was almost cleared by Coventry goalkeeper Bradley Collins after 25 minutes.

The Bluebirds then had their best period of the match, with Meite missing a chance to score his second when he crossed wide after a mishit from Callum Robinson's cross fell into his direction.

The visitors' inability to clear a Coventry free-kick then led to a good chance for the hosts when Mason-Clark nodded across for Norman Bassette, whose header was smothered by goalkeeper Jak Alnwick.

The two teams went into half-time tied at 1-1, but Cardiff were back ahead three minutes after the restart when Robertson struck an excellent low strike past Collins from outside the penalty area.

That made it five games in a row that the Sky Blues have conceded twice, but they almost found a quick response again when Jack Rudoni's free-kick had to be pushed behind by Alnwick at his near post.

Meite then missed another chance to double his tally in the 70th minute when he bent a free-kick high and wide from the edge of the area.

Bluebirds defender Dimitrios Goutas almost gave Coventry their second equalizer after 77 minutes when he put his head to Brandon Thomas-Asante's cross and the ball flew narrowly over his own goal.

But the hosts had the chance to level with a minute of normal time remaining when Ellis Simms' cross was ruled foul in the penalty area by Calum Chambers and Torp sent Alnwick the wrong way from the spot to give Lampard his to deliver the first point.