COVENTRY City are returning to Wembley for possibly their most important match since 1987 after a brilliant performance at Notts County in the League Two play-offs semi-final.
Last Friday’s 4-1 win in the second leg at Meadow Lane – after a 1-1 draw at the Ricoh – had national TV commentators raving at the quality of Mark Robins’ men’s football.
The Sky Blues got out of the traps and took the game to the Magpies from the kick-off, creating a number of chances with passing football and movement which was too good for a County side which had until then looked solid and well organised.
Sky Blues’ top scorer Marc McNulty created a chance for his striking Max Biamou in the opening exchanges before having several himself, with swift movement that belied a week without training due to a hamstring strain suffered in the first leg.
Biamou opened the scoring with a sensational overhead kick – repeating his bicycle kicked goal at Cheltenham – before McNulty took his tally to 28 goals for the season by rounding off a lovely move which he started, with some excellent work on the right by young midfielder Tom Bayliss and Liam Kelly.
Coventry City could have gone into half-time four or five up, which would not have been flattering to their dominance.
But just before the break their opponents got back into the game with their first chance, which came from a long throw-in. Several ricochets in the box eventually saw the ball fall at the feet of Jorge Grant at the back post, who made no mistake.
The first 20 minutes of the second half were dominated by Notts County, culminating in a Jonathan Forte header which was disallowed for offside, TV cameras appearing to show it was a tight but wrong decision.
Coventry soon went up the other end and scored, with McNulty and Biamou against combining well around the penalty area, and the latter turning before firing home a clever right foot shot into the bottom left corner of the Notts County net to send the travelling 4,500 fans wild.
They were ecstatic when Bayliss finished the game off, breaking through the middle to fire home a deflected goal.
The celebrations after the final whistle will also live long in the memory, with the players singing and dancing on the pitch in front of an entire side stand of the elated Sky Blue Army, who sold out their allocation.
Robins said after the game: “I thought we were brilliant.
“We started off on the front foot. The goals that we scored were outstanding and I am delighted to be at Wembley. We are one step away from getting back to League One where we lost our position last year and we will be going all out to get back at the first attempt.
“I think they were a tough team to play against over the two legs. I have been asked questions about us getting through with a bit of controversy but tonight we blew them away.
“Tonight we showed why we deserve to be at Wembley in the end, but let’s congratulate Kevin Nolan. He has turned this club from relegation scrappers into promotion contenders and he has done a fantastic job.
“Our forwards ran their legs off, but every single player from back to front was superb.
“McNulty did not train all week, and when he did train he got a crack on his head and we thought he had concussion but instead it has knocked a bit of sense into him and he has performed like that.
“There are just not enough superlatives for our supporters. We had a wonderful meal at Trent Bridge before the game, who looked after us fantastically, and when we arrived here there were flares and supporters everywhere to wave us in.”
Skipper Michael Doyle said: “The movement from Sparky (McNulty) and Max was unbelievable and the thing for me, before the game McNulty was a doubt to play and I don’t think really he should have.
“His hamstring was causing him bother and he hadn’t trained and I was worried, but his movement was unbelievable, he is a level above and it’s frightening.
“But, that’s the character from the lad he want’s to play and he loves it so much and in my eyes he was only 50 per cent fit.
“Max was unbelievable, the goal he scored, I mean he doesn’t score tap ins and it’s great for him, but we have one more game to go now and if we play like we did, with the likes of Tom Bayliss and Liam Kelly, they were fantastic.
“The back four, I can’t speak highly enough of them.”
