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73 min Van Ewijk robs Kudus deep inside the Spurs half and flights a cross to the back post … just over Rudoni. Coventry are playing with the belief that they can equalise.
72 min Play resumes with a Coventry throw, Van Eweijk hurling into the box and Spurs heading clear.
70 min Changes for Spurs, Davies for Robertson, Gallagher for Maddison – who enjoys the acclaim of the crowd as he departs – and Fernandes for the cramping Tosin. I guess they’ll go to 4-2-3-1.
68 min Coventry are building a bit of pressure, a cross-kick into the box allowing Thomas to leap all over Gray, heading back across and forcing Van de Ven to diving head away. Already, it’s a bit panicked and, with so long left, that is not the way spurs want to be defending.
67 min “Completely agree about how horrible Parma Violets taset,” says David Wall. “However they’re very useful when ground up if you want to colour the purple layer of a rainbow cake and haven’t got the right food dye. Fortunately the violet flavour is subtle enough that you can’t actually taste it in the cake.”
That is good information, thanks – though would one not use Fizzers to get the same effect and a bit more action?
65 min Coventry are indeed getting Rudoni into the game, as we said they’d have to; he’s drifting about unchecked and lasers a pass into the box that Awoniyi can’t quite get on the end of. As long as it stays 2-1, Coventry have a decent chance of sneaking a point.
64 min A fine long pass from Van Hecke sets Solanke at Thomas, right side of the box, and he chops inside well only to see the shooting lanes closed down, thwacking an effort that’s blocked.
64 min Tonali runs away from Rudoni, who slides in for the hell of it and snags an ankle; he’s booked, as he knew he would be.
62 min Credit to Spurs, by the way, who didn’t feel sorry for themselves after conceding but went after a second goal – which they ought really to have done straight after their first. They’ve not made that mistake this time, though, pushing hard for a clinching third.
61 min A double change for Coventry, Onyeka and Awoniyi for Yirenkyi and Cherif.
60 min There was proper contact but VAR deems it accidental, which I think is a bit of a touch for Spurs. I guess it’s one of those you’re vexed if you score it and it’s chalked off, but you’re also vexed if it’s scored against you and it isn’t, so it makes some sort of sense to go with the original call.
ANOTHER LOVELY GOAL! Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Coventry City (Marmoush 59)
Marmoush spins Van Eijk, introducing elbow to nose in the process, feints the shot then, stepping inside, punches a curler from 20 yards that Rushworth gets hands to but can’t keep out. That’s his first goal for Spurs, but will VAR disallow it?
56 min “Coventry’s is kit the same colour as Farage’s blazer on big paper’s lead story,” notes James Chambers.
What are we calling this? Innocent guv lilac?
55 min Again, Tonali seizes on a loose ball, swiping studs across it to evade a challenge before welting another shot over the top.
52 min We said Spurs would need a second goal and they’re seeking one, Kudus hitting the line and cutting back a decent cross, half-cleared to Tonali, charging in … and he hammers an effort that flies over the top.
51 min VAR wants a look at the goal because there’s a claim the ball hit Thomas-Asante on the arm, but a replay shows it was chest.
GOAL! Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Coventry City (Rudoni 50)
There he is! Van Hecke, again over halfway, runs into trouble, and Thomas-Asante carries forward, finding Rodoni out on the left and drilling into the box for Yirenkyi, wo feeds back to him. So he tries a shot which hits Thomas-Asante in the middle but, having followed the pass, he’s well-placed to force a second shot past Kinsky, who gets a solid touch to it but can’t stop it from looping in.
48 min Spurs move the ball from side to side, Van Hecke stepping up from right centre-back to add an extra body, but Sakamoto then intercepts a Van de Ven pass and Coventry bring it away.
46 min I wonder if Coventry can get Rudoni into the game because so far, near enough the entirety of their threat has come from Thomas-Asante.
46 min We go again…
Half-time email: “There are a few players who slip through the fingers of every major club,” writes John Tumbridge. “My current gripe is Lankshear scoring for fun for Middlesbrough.”
To restore cosmic balance, check out this goal Spurs loanee Oli Irow scored for Plymouth a few weeks ago.
For those unfamiliar …
Half-time reading: some Spurs v Coventry fun from the vault.
HALF-TIME: Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Coventry City
James Maddison’s brilliant goal offers us an uplifting moment and gives Spurs the lead. They’ve been the better team, but Coventry have looked dangerousish at times, and will fancy themselves to get something from the game as long as it stays 1-0.
45+3 min Spurs end the half with more controlled possession, then Kudus slides in behind for Gray, hitting the line, who tries to win a corner but the ball ricochets off Dasilva and back on to him, so it’s a goalkick, which should take us to the break.
45+1 min We’ll have three additional minutes.
45 min Kudus teases Dadsilva, controlling on his thigh and lifting ball over head in what, I believe, the youtdem call a chapeau. So when he looks to move by on the outside, Dasilva hauls him back and is booked.
44 min A warning for Coventry and again Thomas-Asante is in behind but Van de Ven, who played him onside, uncorks his famed recovery pace, sliding in to make a fine challenge.
43 min I think we may have a correct answer: “That’s Parma Violet every day,” reckons Rob Watson. “Ask any kid from the 70s….”
This 80s kid agrees. Without doubt the worst-tasting sweet ever, I’d rather eat pot pourri.
42 min Spurs knock it about, probing, with Coventry sitting in shape, a back five with three in front looking to get around the ball. They force play backwards, and the home side start again.
40 min I wonder if, at half-time Lampard will instruct a midfielder to sit on Maddison because, so far, he’s enjoying far too much freedom.
39 min Coventry have been better these last few minutes but Spurs still look dangerous, Marmoush finding Tonali, who punches a pass in behind for Solanke; he spins, hits with his laces … and the ball flies over the top.
37 min Kinsky comes for the corner and the ball passes between his hands, but Spurs get it away anyway.
36 min Cheers as Kulusevski warms up, then Cherif barges away from Tonali, shooting from distance … and winning a corner when a decent effort is created. He then tussles with Maddison, who goes down and the ref speaks to both.
36 min “Coventry’s club shop describes this kit as ‘a purple-toned base … with a contemporary dotted pattern in dark purple and shades of orange,’” advises Eric Bader. “All of which is completely impossible to distinguish on television. But really, it’s lilac.”
35 min He swings out and Thomas heads away.
32 min Coventry lose the ball down the left so Solanke carries it forward and Spurs move it about, intimating confidence. They’ll know, though, that they need a second goal, and they’re seeking one, Maddison dictating so much of their play and winning a free-kick with an adroit turn away from Grimes, who can’t help but tread on him. Marmoush will deliver, 30 yards out, right of centre.
31 min And, though Marmoush’s delivery is headed clear, the ball ends up with Maddison, just outside the box on its left corner, so he swerves in one of those nasty crosses the keeper can’t come for in case someone gets a touch, powerless to intervene as it drifts just wide.
30 min After a frantic opening, things have quietened a little, but as i type, Solanke dashes in behind chasing a Maddison pass and Spurs win a corner.
27 min “When I worked in fashion,” brags Gary Naylor, “we’d have called that colourway Magenta. And if it were in stretch corduroy, ‘Hot Magenta’.
Hmmm, maybe I read too much Jennings as a kid, but Linbury Court’s magenta uniform was, in the cover illustrations, much redder than this kit.
25 min Coventry’s striker lands awkwardly on a shoulder – Cherif don’t like that, can’t believe I failed to make that pun last Monday night, apologies to all– so takes some medical attention. He should be fine.
23 min The free-kick comes to nothing but Coventry have steadied a little. Still, Spurs go at them again, Robertson crossing, again into a decent area, forcing Thomas to head away though Rushworth would probably have collected.
22 min “Puce or maybe mauve,” says Matthew Cobb of the Coventry kit, but I think it’s purpler than puce and pinker than mauve. Meantime, Thomas-Asante gets away inside the centre-circle – he’s been lively thus far – so Solanke pulls him down and is the second man to be booked.
21 min …and his delivery is decent too, between keeper and defensive line, but Coventry get the ball away.
20 min My SkyGo crashes, returning just in time for me to see Yirenkyi arrive late on Gray, introducing studs to heel at cost of a yellow card. Robertson will send in an outswinger….
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