Dress rehearsals come in many forms but they are rarely as downright strange as the dry run staged here.
Given that Mark Robins’s Coventry required a point to guarantee a playoff place it was not quite a phoney war but no one expects things to be quite as politely low tempo when they meet Middlesbrough again in an impending two-legged Championship playoff semi-final.
“Everyone should be proud of what we’ve achieved,” said Robins whose team have one of the smallest budgets in the second tier. “In the circumstances it’s a dream; we’ve just got enjoy the moment.”
Since falling out of Premier League in 2001 Coventry have been on quite a journey, most of it unpleasant. Quite apart from the nadir involving their eventually dropping into League Two they have frequently seemed on the verge of homelessness and/or extinction.
Among the few good things to have happened to them in recent years was Robins’s installation for a second stint at the managerial helm in 2017. The one time Manchester United striker immediately led Coventry out of the fourth tier before winning promotion to the Championship three years ago.
Here they were up against a Boro side who kicked off destined for fourth place regardless of the result. It left Michael Carrick, with quite a dilemma. If there was no point in busting a gut and collecting needless injuries and suspensions on Monday Boro’s manager must trust his team can regain their customary intensity in the Midlands on Sunday before the all important return to the Riverside three days later.
Coventry made the better start here, taking a 22nd minute lead when the impressive Gustavo Hamer lashed a loose ball beyond Jack Steffen following a goalmouth tussle.
Boro barely shifted out of second gear throughout that first half but equalised on the brink of the interval courtesy of their first shot on target when Cameron Archer expertly lost his minder and pounced on the fall out from a corner. It was the Aston Villa loanee striker’s 11th goal in 20 appearances since arriving at the Riverside in January.
As Boro staged a modest second half revival, with Riley McGree influential in midfield, Carrick will have been pleased by the manner in which his central defenders, Paddy McNair and Darragh Lenihan subdued Coventry’s gifted Sweden striker Viktor Gyokeres. The Championship’s second top scorer has registered 21 league goals this season but he was repeatedly second guessed here.
With a similarly well-marked Chuba Akpom also having a quiet game by his high standards, clear-cut chances were rare. Not that Robins is likely to have been fooled by Akpom’s performance. Boro’s leading scorer has not claimed 28 league goals this season by accident but the former Arsenal forward has benefited from some high-calibre final passes.
Championship
Sunderland v Luton Sat 13 May (5.30pm) & Tue 16 May (8pm)
Coventry v Middlesbrough Sun 14 May (12pm) & Wed 17 May (8pm)
Final Sat 27 May (4.45pm), Wembley
League One
Peterborough v Sheffield Wed Fri 12 May (8pm) & Thu 18 May (8pm)
Bolton v Barnsley Sat 13 May (3pm) & Fri 19 May (8pm)
Final Mon 29 May (3pm), Wembley
League Two
Salford v Stockport Sat 13 May (7.45pm) & Sat 20 May (12.30pm)
Bradford v Carlisle Sun 14 May (7pm) & Sat 20 May (3pm)
Final Sun 28 May (1.30pm), Wembley
Indeed, in many ways Carrick is the Roberto De Zerbi of the second tier. He readily admits that Brighton are very much his stylistic template and since his appointment last October – when Boro sat 21st after a disastrous start under Chris Wilder - the former Manchester United and England midfielder has overseen an extraordinary transformation.
Not that he is accepting any plaudits just yet. “The job’s far from over,” stressed a manager refusing to contemplate a possible north-east derby with Sunderland at Wembley just yet.
