Coventry thump Newcastle for first home win to move out of drop zone

Coventry made it back-to-back Premier League wins with a thumping 4-1 home victory over Newcastle to move Frank Lampard's side out of the relegation zone.

Goals from Jack Rudoni, teenager Sidiki Cherif and substitutes Ellis Simms and Stephen Mfuni gave the Sky Blues their first home win of the season.

A stunning Sven Botman strike had given Newcastle hope of a comeback in the 70th minute, but Simms restored the hosts' two-goal lead with his first touch 11 minutes later before Mfuni superbly added a fourth to become Coventry's youngest-ever Premier League goalscorer.

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The visitors, who suffered a second consecutive 4-1 away defeat, made a nightmare start at the CBS Arena as goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek brought down summer signing Cherif to allow Rudoni to hit a sixth-minute penalty opener.

Newcastle responded well to falling behind but were wasteful as Matias Fernandez-Pardo missed two big chances, with his one-on-one opportunity cleared off the line by Bobby Thomas.

Coventry then punished their profligacy immediately after the restart as Cherif fantastically doubled the lead in the 48th minute with the 19-year-old's powerful low strike from just outside the box, his first goal for the club.

Botman's goal, however, was even better as he thundered home from long range, but Coventry hit back through Simm's deflected strike three minutes and 15 seconds after he came off the bench.

Eighteen-year-old summer signing Mfuni, who joined from Manchester City on loan, then hit his first senior goal in the 86th minute to cap off a fine evening for Lampard's side.

Coventry can make it three victories in a row when they visit winless Tottenham next Monday, live on Sky Sports, while Newcastle aim to bounce back against Aston Villa at home on Saturday, also live on Sky Sports.

Carra: Newcastle have been 'beaten up' in their last two away games

Sky Sports' Jamie Carragher speaking on Monday Night Football:

"Every manager has their own way, but when you think of the lack of physicality in that [Newcastle] team, it might be a case where you leave one of the strikers out and go with an extra body in midfield.

"It's a young team, and it isn't as physically powerful as a lot of the teams in the Premier League.

"And in their last two away games, they've been beaten up twice - and that's got to stop very quickly."

Jaissle apologises to fans

Newcastle head coach Matthias Jaissle speaking to Sky Sports:

"We're frustrated. It's a feeling you don't want to have on a Monday evening after a match where you should win.

"We can only apologise to the fans who came here; they deserve a different result.

"We need to analyse it, clearly. There were bits that were good, but in both boxes, to defend our own goal, we need to improve and also score goals. The opportunities were there, but the desire and hunger to finish the attacks was missing.

"We need to improve on the things we can control, and that's a lot right now."

Lampard: We played like the team we want to be

Coventry boss Frank Lampard speaking to Sky Sports:

"We played like the team we want to be here. There's so much spirit and energy. We know we're going to have to suffer at times in games; we have to understand what the level is.

"But the work ethic from the team, the belief, then you get what you deserve, which is great finishes. We haven't had that rub of the green, which might have helped us nick a few more points.

"As a complete performance, we've got to keep our feet on the ground because it's only one game and we need 30 more of those. But it's a great feeling for the players."

Story of the match in stats

The key moments from the CBS Arena...

6: COVENTRY GOAL! Rudoni scores from the spot after Newcastle goalkeeper Hornicek brought down Cherif.

29: BIG CHANCES AT BOTH ENDS! Fernandez-Pardo dummies at the front post rather than going for goal himself, which allows Coventry to break through Cherif, but he shoots straight at the goalkeeper.

31: NEWCASTLE GO CLOSE! Jacob Murphy hooks the ball back across goal, but Thomas does well to get ahead of Fernandez-Pardo to clear before he can head home.

43: WHAT A CHANCE FOR NEWCASTLE! Thomas to the rescue again as he rushes back to clear Fernandez-Pardo's shot off the line after he had rounded the goalkeeper.

48: COVENTRY GOAL! Minutes into the second half, Coventry double their lead through a fine Cherif strike from just outside the box.

55: IT SHOULD BE THREE-NIL! Cherif misses a glorious close-range chance to grab his second as he fires wide after a poor Malick Thiaw clearance.

70: NEWCASTLE GOAL! A long-range Botman stunner gives Newcastle hope.

81: COVENTRY GOAL! Simms restores the home side's two-goal lead with a deflected strike.

86: COVENTRY GOAL! Icing on the cake for the Sky Blues as Mfuni hammers in a fourth in off the post.

Analysis: Coventry teach Newcastle a lesson in finishing

Sky Sports' Ron Walker:

On a night where they faced the Premier League's second-highest xG overperformers, it was Coventry who taught Newcastle a lesson in finishing at the CBS Arena.

It was one they had learned the hard way too, with the worst shot conversion of any team in the league coming into Monday's game and just one of 51 shots finding the back of the net to date.

But football is a funny old game. A 4-1 scoreline suggests Newcastle were outplayed, which could not be further from the truth, though they were certainly outfought.

Where Coventry stood resilient - even clearing off their own line from Fernandez-Pardo once he had rounded Carl Rushworth - Newcastle caused too many of their own problems, and, for once, the Sky Blues took full advantage.

Three superb finishes, and an early penalty, saw them to their first Premier League home win in more than 9,000 days, but their finishing was still not Coventry's most impressive quality on the night.

That fortitude, digging in after taking an early lead and hanging on after Botman's wonder strike had given Newcastle a glimmer of hope at 2-1, was what won them the day and, on fight at least, that was enough to crown them worthy winners.

They have already needed that mental strength to bounce back from four goalless and pointless games to start their Premier League return, and, in a league as punishing as this, that could be what decides whether they will stay there come May.

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