The U21s came from behind to extend their unbeaten start and stay top of the Professional Development League in a Bank Holiday bonanza, writes Pete Oliver.
Julian Darby’s side was given its first outing at the Toughsheet Community Stadium and didn’t disappoint as they made it three wins in a row.
Daeshon Lawrence followed up his double in last week’s 7-0 rout of Colchester United with two more goals as the young Whites continued their impressive start to life at a higher level.
Recent signing Max Lott also continued his positive impression since arriving from Aston Villa with another goal as Wanderers produced an excellent attacking performance to outshine the Sky Blues.
The presence of a number of first-teamers as over-age players had helped skew the outcome against Colchester but this was more like the line-up Darby will be working with and they looked the part against a Coventry side which has now started the season with successive defeats.
The visitors went ahead 20 minutes in through Elijah Briscoe’s assured finish but within minutes Lott had hit the woodwork as Wanderers mounted a rapid response on the back of an upbeat start which had seen a Toby Ritchie corner cleared off the line among a flurry of early openings.
The equaliser deservedly followed shortly afterwards when Ritchie released Lawrence to drill the ball home and the Whites had the chance to lead at the break but Lawrence failed to pick out Harry Leigh’s run as the visitors’ defence was again exposed.
Darby’s men didn’t have to wait long to go in front, however, as a clinical break-away involving Lawrence and Ritchie ended with a chance for Slott he coolly tucked away 11 minutes into the second half to claim his second goal of the campaign.
And after having to weather a brief response from City – Luke Lomax making a second important save to deny Harry Gray – Wanderers wrapped up the win.
Leigh and Conor Lewis had just passed up chances and Ritchie went close with another long-range special before Denver Clement came off the bench and with virtually his first touch crossed for Lawrence to take a touch and sweep the ball home.
It was entertaining stuff for those that came to watch and Wanderers are back at the stadium this coming Friday night when they take on Southampton in their second group game in the Premier League Cup (KO 7pm) in another fixture open to supporters.
Wanderers: Lomax; Wilkinson, Paye, O’Neill, Oliver (Quirk 85); Lott (Kirkpatrick 85), Leigh, Irwin, Lewis (Clement 65); Ritchie; Lawrence (Coyne 80) Substitutes: Shillinglaw, Evans, Baxter.
Coventry City: Meredith; Critchlow-Woyo, Mantle, Holman (West), Dunn (Williams); Gray (Bassega), Jorgensen (Dausch), Cullinane, Shepherd; Betjemann; Briscoe. Substitutes: Ruddy, Uzochukwu, Lincoln.
Referee: Jonathan Maskrey