Now here was a Sky Blue victory built on honesty and decades of endurance – unlike the one at Anfield 24 hours earlier.
Coventry City are not Manchester City, be that on the pitch or off it. During the years when Manchester City cheated their way to Premier League and European titles, Coventry were playing in all three divisions of the Football League.
Their ascent to the top tier has not been particularly pretty, and neither at times was this first home win of the season. It lacked, for the large part, the silk and skill of Manchester City’s dismantling of Liverpool.
But Frank Lampard’s side have different qualities – and Newcastle were no match for that hard work, grit and collective will. This win was pure, never to be contested in a court of law or the court of public opinion.
The goal that confirmed elevation to 14th did not arrive until the 81st minute – on the back of a nervy period in which Newcastle threatened to steal a point – but when it did it was entirely deserved.
‘An outstanding performance,’ said Lampard. ‘We were really good at the basics – second balls, duels. Those actions are critical to the modern Premier League. It’s not all pretty patterns.
Coventry secured back-to-back Premier League wins by earning a 4-1 victory over Newcastle
Sidiki Cherif scored the pick of Coventry’s goals with a driven effort from outside the box
Matthias Jaissle has seen his Newcastle side concede four times in their last two away games
‘And yes, it’s big thing coming out of the bottom three. We have to tap into that in a humble way. It’s the balance of confidence to over confidence now.’
It was substitute Ellis Simms who slammed into the bottom corner after an error from Joelinton for 3-1. Then, to give the scoreline a better reflection of Coventry’s superiority, fellow substitute Stephen Mfuni lashed home another belter four minutes from time.
‘You’ve seen the City, now **** off home’ chorused the home crowd, and a chunk of the away end soon heeded that advice. Newcastle have more problems than their opponents right now – a lack of leaders and identity, for starters. This was a second straight 4-1 defeat on the road and, beyond long balls that invariably come back, it is hard to determine what Matthias Jaissle is trying to achieve with his team.
‘We can only apologise to the fans that took the journey,’ said Jaissle. ‘We need to analysis it clearly, especially in the box, at both ends. The desire and hunger to score, to finish the attacks, that was missing. We conceded the goals too easily and didn’t finish our chances.’
Even before kick-off, this did not feel like a stadium that had witnessed two defeats without a goal on their team’s return to the Premier League, such was the noise. The 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest before the break had clearly restored belief.
But there is nothing quite like a home goal to raise spirits – and the volume – still further. Twenty-five years on from Coventry’s last, and just six minutes in, Jack Rudoni brought relief to that particular quest.
The midfielder had Newcastle goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek to thank for the opportunity to score his first Premier League goal from the penalty spot. The Czech looked like he was gathering a bar of soap when Ephron Mason-Clark’s low shot ran through bodies and into – and out of – his grasp. Hornicek should have cut his losses but instead chased redemption. His team were soon chasing the game when his recovery dive sent Sidiki Cherif skyward at the expense of the spot-kick.
Coventry missed a couple of chances to extend their advantage – a lack of composure was their undoing – but that was also the case at the other end, and preservation of the lead was always Lampard’s chief concern.
Jack Rudoni opened the scoring for Coventry from the penalty spot in the early stages
Jaissle’s concern should be his £51million forward Matias Fernandez-Pardo, who does not look or play yet like a Premier League striker
Sven Botman had given Newcastle some barely deserved hope with a rocket into the top corner
Ellis Simms, pictured, and Stephen Mfuni came off the bench to score and seal Coventry’s win
Jaissle’s concern, meanwhile, should be his £51million forward Matias Fernandez-Pardo. The young Belgian wants to play as striker and he used that desire as part of his bargaining when agreeing to join from Lille last month. Except, he does not look nor play like a Premier League centre-forward. At least not yet. And so, in the short term, the head coach needs to ignore the wishes of the player and pick a better option in such a key position.
The second half began as badly as the first for Jaissle’s side. Milan van Ewijk’s long throw-in was headed only as far as the edge of the penalty area by defender Malick Thiaw and, when the efforts to close down Cherif were slow, the Guinean teenager very quickly blasted back into the bottom corner.
Sven Botman gave Newcastle some barely warranted hope with a 20-yard rocket into the top corner, but it was short-lived. Coventry’s stay in the Premier League, you suspect, might not be.’
