COVENTRY City slumped to their heaviest home defeat of the season against Stoke City on an afternoon to forget for Mark Robins’ side who saw their nine-game unbeaten run come to an end.
City were outclassed all over the pitch and were beaten by goals from Jacob Brown, Tyrese Campbell, Will Smallbone and Ki-Jana Hoever at the Coventry Building Society Arena.
The result means Coventry remain eighth in the Sky Bet Championship table, four points outside of the play-off places.
The game burst into life on six minutes when Brown finished into the bottom right corner from close range from Campbell’s dangerous low cross.
And Stoke almost doubled their lead minutes later as Ben Wilson made a crucial stop from Campbell before City desparetley scrambled the ball behind.
From the resulting corner, Callum Doyle headed off the line, with Wilson beaten, after Ben Wilmot flicked the ball goalwards at the near post.
And the Sky Blues were indebted to Wilson again moments later as he made a superb stop to his left to deny Smallbone who had the goal at his mercy from 10-yards out.
All of the pressure continued to come from the visitors as Smallbone floated a cross to the back post that was headed down by Nick Powell into the path of Campbell who shot straight at Wilson when well-placed.
Stoke went close again minutes later with Powell unable to turn home Brown’s ball from the right at the near post as Coventry remained on the back foot for the entierty of the first half-hour.
And the Potters grabbed a deserved second goal on 40 minutes when Hoever played a stunning driven ball into the path of Campbell who beat the offside trap and produced a cool finish past Wilson when one-on-one.
City boss Robins showed his discontent at City’s first-half performance as he made three half-time changes with Josh Wilson-Esbrand, Ryan Howley and Michael Rose replacing Jake Bidwell, Josh Eccles and Kyle McFadzean.
And Coventry finally looked to test the Stoke goal when Gustavo Hamer tried his luck from a free-kick 30-yards out only for the midfielder to shoot a few yards over the crossbar.
The home side almost halved the deficit when Gyokeres saw his superb outside of the foot shot from 20-yards out acrobatically tipped behind by Jack Bonham diving high to his left.
However, Stoke spurned a chance at the other end when Wilmot fired over on the turn after Wilson spilled Smallbone’s high cross from the left.
And it was then City’s turn to waste a golden opportunity when Fankaty Dabo pounced on a slip and burst into the box only to curl wide of the target with options in the centre.
The Sky Blues went close again just past the hour mark when Ben Sheaf slipped in Matty Godden who was denied by Bonham before the Stoke keeper collided with Gyokeres with the referee unmoved.
Stoke sealed the points on 71 minutes when Smallbone placed the ball into the bottom right corner from 20-yards out with Wilson at full stretch.
And the visitors compounded Coventry’s misery on 77 minutes when the impressive Hoever rolled the ball into the bottom left corner from inside the box.
The Potters went in search of a fith goal late on as substutute Josh Tymon saw his effort pushed behind by Wilson before Hamer curled a free-kick into the side netting from 20-yards out at the other end on a miserable afternoon for the Sky Blues
