Second half goals from Jordan Willis, Jordan Shipley
and Jack Grimmer saw Coventry City earn promotion back to the third tier at
their first attempt after seeing off Exeter City at Wembley in the SkyBet
League Two playoff final.
There was not a lot to choose between the sides coming into
this one, and both had put in decent second leg efforts to reach this stage, so
both were confident of victory at Wembley.
The only advantage the Sky Blues may have had was the number
of fans they had inside the stadium, as almost 40,000 had travelled down from
the midlands to cheer on their side, outnumbering Exeter City’s support by
around a ratio of 3:1, in a crowd of just over 50,000 inside a boiling hot
Wembley which saw the temperature at kick off hit 30c.
The first shot at goal came from the Sky Blues as Marc
McNulty fired a long range effort over the bar, as the midland’s side started
the brighter. A nice touch on 9 minutes
came when both sets of supporters rose to applaud to pay tribute to former
Coventry striker Cyrille Regis and Exeter striker Adam Stansfield, although a
rather busy steward tried to get us to sit down, good old Wembley eh.
On 15 minutes McNulty looked to be in for Coventry, that was
until Jordan Storey got back to produce an outstanding tackle to deny him, and
then McNulty again tried his luck from distance, but keeper Christy Pym was on
hand to save comfortably, however the Sky Blues continued to dominate early on.
Exeter’s first attempt on goal didn’t arrive until just past
the half hour when Ryan Harley unleashed an effort which Lee Burge caught
easily, and then Shipley tried his luck from outside the box, however Pym was
equal to it in the Grecians goal.
However the stifling heat was a factor and for a time the
tempo slowed, understandably, and although it rose again towards the end of the
half, neither team could find a breakthrough and this contest remained goalless
at the break.
Half Time Coventry
City 0 Exeter City 0
Most people thought after that first half maybe one goal
would settle this one, however Coventry came out with much more purpose in the
second period and saw a McNulty effort beaten away by Pym two minutes into it.
But just a minute later the Sky Blues took the lead, and
how, as centre half Willis curled an absolute beauty into the far corner from
outside the box and cue bedlam in the Coventry end of the ground, and their
team had made the ideal start to the second half.
Well, the ideal start got even more ideal five minutes later
when Shipley got onto a pass from McNulty and struck a deflected effort past a helpless
Pym and into the corner of the net to send the near 40,000 Coventry fans in delirium
as they could taste their first promotion for 51 years as their side had taken
a firm grip on proceedings.
Exeter were now doing their best to get back into
proceedings, however Shipley almost made it three on the hour mark when his long
range strike sailed just past the upright, but with just over twenty minutes
left it was three and again the quality of the goal was top class, as McNulty played
a short pass to Grimmer who curled a magnificent left footed effort beyond Pym
who had no chance at all, and the Sky Blues were now cruising to promotion.
Credit to the Grecians though, who kept plugging away, and
with fifteen minutes left saw a shot from Harley well saved from Burge, however
it was nearly four for the Sky Blues after Tom Bayliss almost scored a superb solo
effort, but Pym produced a fine save to deny him.
With seven minutes remaining Matt Jay almost bagged one for
the Grecians, but Burge dived to deny his long range effort, and with a minute
of normal time left Exeter did find a goal to give themselves a sniff of a
comeback when substitute Kyle Edwards cut inside and curled a brilliant effort
into the far corner.
Five minutes of stoppage time remained, and Exeter were
pushing for a second, and saw Jayden Stockley chest down and fired just wide of
the post, a second their would of made the last minute or two of stoppage time
nerve racking to say the least for those Sky Blues fans.
But they were celebrating moments later as the final whistle
went, and Coventry City were back in League One and achieved their first promotion
since 1967, so it was a grand day for the club and just rewards for all those
fans who have suffered a lot over the last decade or so.
For Exeter it was a second successive playoff final defeat
after their loss to Blackpool in last seasons showpiece at Wembley, and with
the possibility of Paul Tisdale leaving after this, it could be a time of change
for the Devon side.
But for now, it’s Coventry’s day, well done to them, League
One awaits you.
Full Time Coventry City 3 Exeter City 1
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