Perfect New Year for Coventry

COVENTRY City lost their final three matches of 2010, but they have the perfect remedy to poor form, as they host struggling Ipswich to begin 2011.

Home defeats to leaders QPR, Norwich and Cardiff have cooled the Sky Blues early season progress, but there is no doubting the quality of the three sides that Coventry have fallen too. Aidy Boothroyd will have been disappointed by those defeats, but his side have rarely failed to capitalise on opportunities against sides further down the Championship table. Coventry’s last win came with a 1-0 home success over Middlesbrough back at the start of December, a result preceded by wins over Scunthorpe and Burnley. Indeed, while Coventry have hardly made the Ricoh Arena a fortress, their results show an interesting pattern. They have suffered defeats against QPR (leaders), Norwich (promotion chasers), Leeds (promotion chasers), Cardiff (promotion chasers) and Preston (relegation candidates). Meanwhile, Coventry have dispatched Middlesbrough (bottom end of the table), Burnley (mid-table), Barnsley (mid-table), Doncaster (mid-table), Derby (mid-table) and Portsmouth (mid-table). Their only draw was a respectable 1-1 affair with Leicester, and the Preston result aside, Coventry have had their way with all but the best at the Ricoh.

As for Ipswich, a surprising 3-0 trouncing of Leicester in the snow at Portman Road cannot hide their obvious deficiencies under Roy Keane. Town have lost their last three away matches, including a 1-0 loss at Preston and a 4-1 defeat against local rivals Norwich. They did pick up a 2-1 win at Sheffield United in November, but the Blades have had their own home issues this season. That positive result did not herald the turning of the corner for the Tractor Boys as they lost their next two home games – 2-0 against Derby and 3-1 against Barnsley. There is little reason to expect something different to follow their win against Leicester.

Coventry also got the better of Ipswich at Portman Road, winning 2-1 earlier in the season. Shane O’Connor will also be absent for the visitors after a good performance against Leicester, while Coventry will have to rely on David Bell and Clive Platt with midfielders McSheffrey and Gunnarsson missing out. However, despite those absentees, the 11/8 available on a home win is too big to resist.

SUGGESTION:

Coventry WIN (11/8 @ VC)