Coventry City 6-1 Millwall: Sky Blues record biggest win of season on final day

Jordan ShipleyImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Jordan Shipley scored in back-to-back games having netted just once in 27 previous appearances this season

Coventry ended their temporary stay at St Andrew's in style, demolishing Millwall to record their biggest win of the campaign.

Jordan Shipley opened the scoring for the Sky Blues, who will return to the Ricoh Arena next season, before Kyle McFadzean made it 2-0.

McFadzean's second-half own goal gave the Lions hope, but Coventry put the contest beyond doubt with a further three-goal burst.

Dominic Hyam, Callum O'Hare and Matty James all found the net - and Tyler Walker iced the Coventry cake with a late sixth.

The result secured a 16th-place finish for the Sky Blues - their best in 15 years - while Millwall ended the season in 11th.

Coventry dominated the opening half an hour, with O'Hare a constant menace and the midfielder's incisive run set up the opener for Shipley, who collected his pass and rifled a left-foot drive in off the post.

Shipley nearly made it 2-0 soon afterwards, testing Bartosz Bialkowski with another long-range effort, but the Lions responded well and Tom Bradshaw's backheel grazed the post before Mason Bennett twice went close.

However, McFadzean doubled the Sky Blues' advantage on the stroke of half-time, connecting with a James corner to volley down and into the top corner.

Millwall halved the deficit when McFadzean slid in and diverted Scott Malone's cross into his own net - but three further goals in the space of eight minutes snuffed out the visitors' hopes of a comeback.

Hyam finished off a close-range scramble to make it 3-1 and Shipley set up O'Hare, who chested down before firing in the fourth.

James netted Coventry's fifth, pouncing on a Bialkowski fumble, and then supplied the corner for Walker to deepen Millwall's misery five minutes from time.

Coventry manager Mark Robins told BBC Coventry & Warwickshire:

"To sign off at St Andrew's with a win and performance like that is just what we wanted to do. I wanted a good performance to finish the season off and I got it in spades - it was outstanding.

"We've managed to use the ball really well, get into some good scoring positions and they've been really focused on the final product.

"Moving back into Coventry we've got that stability - we can work towards a brighter future and keep building."

Millwall manager Gary Rowett told BBC London 94.9:

"We looked like we gave up. We didn't look like we had enough leadership on the pitch, we looked like we didn't have enough drive and desire.

"We were far too open. It was quite an embarrassing game, and while I think Coventry were excellent in areas, they wanted to win the game more than us.

"As disappointed as I am, what I can't do is allow it to completely cloud my judgement on what I think has been a positive season in many ways."

Sorry, we can't display this part of the article any more.

Related internet links

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.