Skip to content
Full Time After Extra Time This is a live match. Extra Time Half Time

Coventry City vs Plymouth Argyle. Sky Bet Championship.

Ricoh ArenaAttendance18,528.

Noone the hero for Argyle

Image: Sturrock: Sky Blues salp

Craig Noone netted his first goal in professional football to hand Plymouth a narrow win over Coventry.

Youngster nets from the bench to down Coventry

Craig Noone emerged from the substitutes' bench to net his first goal in professional football and hand Plymouth Argyle a narrow victory over Coventry City. The 20-year-old midfielder was making only his fourth appearance in the Football League and lit up a dull fixture at the Ricoh Arena with the decisive goal in the 87th minute. Coventry goalkeeper Keiren Westwood had earlier been forced to make a string of saves as Chris Coleman's men slipped to their fourth home league defeat of the season. Emile Mpenza had the first real chance for Argyle in the 11th minute when he struck a long-range attempt at goal which was tipped around the post by the alert Westwood. Coventry came to life five minutes later and striker Clinton Morrison created a shooting opportunity but failed to connect cleanly and saw his tame effort blocked by Plymouth defender Craig Cathcart.

Pounced

Aron Gunnarsson pounced on the loose ball but the Iceland international could only screw his shot from the edge of the penalty area wide of goal. Cathcart almost gave the visitors the lead in the 28th minute when he directed a superb header towards goal but Westwood was equal to it and made a smart save. Westwood was again called into action four minutes later but this time he made a routine save from a weak shot by Pilgrims midfielder Karl Duguid. Plymouth goalkeeper Romain Larrieu had his reflexes tested in the 31st minute as the game opened up when he was forced to tip a 30-yard strike from Fox over the crossbar. The home side forced a succession of corners in the minutes preceding the interval but the Plymouth defence comfortably dealt with the aerial threat to leave the game goalless at the break. Coventry were much brighter at the start of the second half and Morrison squandered a good chance in the 53rd minute after he had been found by Jay Tabb's cross. Rory Fallon responded a few minutes later for the visitors but saw his 20-yard drive fly past the post and Westwood made a good save in the 59th minute from Luke Summerfield free-kick. The lively Morrison continued to pose as Coventry's most likely source of a goal and 10 minutes later he found space inside the box, but could not control his shot and lifted his attempt over the crossbar.
Hero
Argyle defender Marcel Seip missed a great chance in the 80th minute when he was picked out by a Summerfield corner but his header failed to hit the target. It looked like Plymouth had missed their chance to take maximum points but a piece of individual skill by Noone - who had come on for Jamie Mackie in the 68th minute - three minutes from time finally saw Westwood beaten. The Liverpool-born midfielder, who joined Plymouth from non-league Southport, found space down the flank and broke into the area before he smashed the ball into the bottom-left corner of the net. Coventry piled forward in search of an equaliser but were unable to find a way past Larrieu as Paul Sturrock's outfit hung on to claim the win.

Around Sky