THE SKY Blues were inspired by two of the club’s most successful teams on Legends Day 2017 as they beat Peterborough 1-0 to claim a third successive home league win.
Ruben Lameiras scored the only goal of the game in the second half at the Ricoh Arena on Saturday to delay Coventry’s imminent relegation to League Two for another week, as the Second Division Champions from he 60s and the heroes from 87 watched on from the stands.
Mark Robins opted to make four changes to the side that lost 2-0 at Sheffield United in mid-week, with Stuart Beavon starting ahead of Marcus Tudgay and Kyel Reid was fancied ahead of Jodi Jones.
Wembley hero George Thomas also returned to the starting line-up and Ben Stevenson was recalled to the Sky Blues midfield.
Backed a strong, vocal home support, the Sky Blues started the match on the front-foot with Lameiras curling an early shot narrowly wide of the target.
Marcus Maddison was proving to be a threat for the visitors and he got their first shot away with 13 minutes on the clock but Burge did well to push his powerful shot behind for a corner.
With 28 minutes gone the Sky Blues then had three chances in quick succession but were unable to force the breakthrough.
First Beavon produced a superb acrobatic effort which came back off the bar and then just moments later Lameiras tried his luck again from the edge of the box but his deflected shot drifted inches wide of the goal.
Nathan Clarke was almost an unlikely scorer when the ball reached him at the far post but his stab at goal was well held by McGee.
It was the wake up call Peterborough needed and after Mackail-Smith had come within a whisker of beating Burge with a neat volley by the penalty spot, the visitors were awarded a penalty six minutes before the break.
Gael Bigirimana brought Martin Samuelsen down with a tug inside the area and the Peterborough stepped up to take the resultant kick, but his penalty down the middle was well saved by Burge.
There was to be one final opportunity for the hosts in final minute of the half. Thomas did superbly well to take the ball around his man in the area and instead of shooting, he chipped the ball to Beavon who got a touch but the ball went agonisingly wide of goal.
The Sky Blues may have been inspired by a half-time parade of the club’s former legends and seven minutes after the re-start they were in front.
A quick counter attack saw the ball fed to Lameiras to the left of the penalty area and the tricky midfielder had time to take a touch before sending a low shot into the bottom corner, giving McGee no chance.
Just four minutes later Peterborough should have put themselves back on level terms. Michael Smith delivered and inch-perfect cross to Samuelsen in front of goal but he somehow missed the target and put his header wide.
The visitors came even closer shortly after the hour mark when Junior Morais caught the City defence off guard with a powerful 25-yard shot which came back off the bar and moments later Maddison fired the follow up straight at Burge.
On the counter Thomas almost doubled the home side’s advantage when he made space for a shot after getting to the touchline, but McGee made himself big and denied the academy graduate with his legs.
With eight minutes remaining the match sprung back into life and it was Peterborough who again were wasteful in front of goal. This time substitute Paul Taylor crossed for Morais who met the ball with his head right in front of goal but he could only direct his effort straight at Burge.
Thomas could have wrapped the game up just moments later when he was picked out by Beavon who had won the ball back inside the area. His shot looked destined for the bottom corner but McGee produced an excellent stop to deny Thomas his eighth goal of the season.
Attendance: 10,551
Coventry City: Burge, Turnbull, Bigirimana, Clarke (c), Lameiras, Reid (Jones 45), Beavon, Foley, Haynes, Thomas, Stevenson (Reilly 68)
Subs – Charles-Cook, Folivi, Stokes, Tudgay, Kelly-Evans
