The international break is over and Coventry City resume their Championship schedule at in-form Hull.
Mark Robins' men are in action at the MKM Stadium for Friday night football under the lights as the domestic programme returns (Kick-off 7.45pm).
The Sky Blues travel in search of their second win of the 2023/24 campaign, having picked up six points from their opening five games to date to leave them sitting in 14th place in the table.
Hull, in contrast, have had a hugely encouraging start and sit pretty in sixth place after three wins, one draw and one defeat – their latest success coming in the form of a confidence boosting 1-0 win at promotion favourites Leicester City.
Coventry are boosted by the news that Jay Dasilva and Milan van Ewijk have a clean bill of health after leaving the field against Watford with ankle and hamstring issues. The big uncertainty, however, was over the availability of Jamaican duo Joel Latibeaudiere and Kasey Palmer due to the fact that they only returned to the UK on Thursday morning. Robins was due to assess the pair today (Friday) to see if they’re fully fit or feeling the effects of jet-lag before he decides if they can play.
Stay tuned for all the confirmed team news at 6.45pm, and hour before kick-off.
Robins' verdict
“I thought it was a really good game, two good teams. I think Liam Rosenior is doing a great job and I think both teams asked questions of each other. We took the lead and I think it was deserved. We had done enough to get that. It was a really well-worked set play and Joel got a good header in.
“Our build-up to the game has been a bit disjointed with the Jamaican internationals coming back only yesterday so we had to do some real work with that, and fair play to them, especially Joel getting through 90 minutes.
“There were some really good performances from us tonight and having some chances to go and finish it off we just could do that well enough, and the moves we had in the second half, we just picked the wrong option. We had people in good positions when they were committing bodies forward and played pretty well.
“But I think their substitutions were good and had a bigger impact than ours, but with the timing of the goal and nature of it, we defended the first part of it really well but failed to get out and put pressure on Connolly who was allowed to get a flick on it, so it was a poor goal from our perspective.
“But on balance I think it was a fair result. Every time you come away and get something away from home it’s a good point, and this was a hard-earned point, there’s no doubt, but you can’t help feel it’s tinged with disappointment because of the late timing of the equaliser and how it came about.
“But if you don’t put your chances away when you’re 1-0 up then you are always susceptible to a sucker punch, although I maintain that on balance it was a fair result.”
Full-time 1-1
The final whistle goes on what ended as a bad tempered affair as City couldn't hang on to what looked like a fragile lead with 20 minutes to go.
Three mins added
City have to keep their discipline. Latibeaudiere and Binks are both booked.
Connolly equalises 1-1
The ball is played in from the left and the striker stretches to connect with his head and directs it into the far corner.
Another yellow
Eccles slides in on Twine and concedes a free-kick on the edge of the box and earns a booking.
Another yellow
Bidwell follows Fadz into the book with a yellow card for a foul outside the box. City are living dangerously.
Great block
City are throwing their bodies on the line with some determined defendign. Bidwell blocks Twine before Fadz takes one for the team with a deliberate foul on Delap.
Bidders has a shot
Bidwell gets straight into the game, getig forward and hitting a shot across the face. Can City see this out? A second goal would kill the game but that's proving hard to come by at the minute.
Men down
Eccles akes a knock and Dasilva drops to the deck with cramp and needs to stretch off.
Ben to the rescue again
Wilson reacts brilliantly with quick feet, sticking out a boot to deny a snap shot from Twine as Hull edge closer to an equaliser.
Christie making a difference
The Cov Kid has livened things up for the home side. He's just forced another corner that is cut out by McFadzean.
Finely balanced
This game could go either way with chances at both ends. Twine has just hit another shot from outsdie the box but this time it goes straight into Wilson's arms.
Eccles had a go
Dasilva plays he ball back to Eccles who has space to have a go from distance, driving a hard and low shot just wide from about 25 yards out.
City are enjoying a good spell with Godden havign a shot blocked before Kelly thumps the rebound which is denied by a decent save.
Decent save
Ben Wilson is called upon to make his first save of the night, dropping to his left to deny Twine from the edge of the D.
HT sub
Coventry Kid and Sky Blues Academy graduate Cyrus Christie replaces Vinagre for Hull.
Stat attack
Hull have had 60 percent of the possession and five attempts on goal, albeit none on target while the Sky Blues have also have five attempts but one all-important header hit the back of the net.
Hull have had five corners to City's three, while Coventry have committed 11 fouls compared to the home side's three.
Ayari looks the part
Half-time: Hull 0 Sky Blues 1
The half-time whistle goes on an enertaining and hugely encouraging first 45 minutes from the Sky Blues who, while they rode their luck at times due to poor finishing from the opposition, could really have been 2-0 ahead of Haji Wright hadn't scuffed over the bar from close range.
It's been a decent half from the Sky Blues
Hemmed in
Coventry are under a bit of pressure from Hull amid three minutes of added time at the end of the first half.
Phew!
There's a scramble in the box and Connolly slides in and scuffs wide of the near post. That was a close shave!
City lead 1-0 at Hull
It was a lovely near post delivery from Eccles and the unmarked Jamaican took full advantage with a powerful header into the bottom corner. City have their tails up now and are going for a second. Ayari squares the ball to Haji in the box but the USA internaional lifts it over the ar from six yards out. So close.
Goooaaalllll!
City take the klead from a brilliant Joel Latibeaudiere header from a Josh Eccles' corner.
Great chance
Some lovely first touch passing results in Ayari slipping Dasilva through in the box but the wing-back's shot flies across he face of goal and narrowly wide of the far post. Terrific chance.
