Coventry were held to a goalless draw away at MK Dons, as Jordy Hiwula’s penalty miss proved costly, on a day which saw 6,200 Sky Blues fans make the journey to Milton Keynes.

Following last Sunday’s first home loss of the season versus Tranmere, Coventry were looking to bounce back with a victory against an out-of-sorts MK Dons team, which had won just one of their last seven games in all competitions.

The tone of the game was set straight away, a drab affair, with little meaningful possession. It took twenty minutes for the first chance of the game to come, and it was to the away side. Zain Westbrooke’s ball into the area fell to Jordy Hiwula, whose back heel was blocked and cleared.

It was to be another ten minutes until the next decent chance. It was Sam McCallum’s turn to put the ball into the box; it was met by Amadou Bakayoko, but he could only head wide. That spelled the end of a drab first-half.

In fairness, the second half did liven up slightly. Jordan Shipley, captaining the side for the first time, had a free-kick saved by Nicholls and then had another shot easily collected by the home side’s ‘keeper.

Before the hour mark, City were awarded a penalty. Hiwula was played through and brought down by Nicholls. The man who won it stepped up to take it but to no avail. His shot was saved low to the left and a chance to take the lead was squandered.

MK used that as a wake-up call and dragged themselves into contention, in a game where they were veritable bystanders for the first hour-or-so. It led to their first meaningful chance of the game, with Hiram Boateng’s strike forcing the first save of the day from Marko Marosi.

However, as MK opened themselves up, they were left vulnerable to the counterattack. Captain Dean Lewington was booked after the hour mark and was lucky to be on the pitch come the end of the game, committing an array of cynical fouls.

The game shrank back into its shell for a period in the second half, with the next half-chance coming from Zain Westbrooke’s volley, which flew high and wide of the goal and almost into the upper tier.

For the closing stages of the game, though, the game opened up again. Westbrooke’s shot went just wide of the post with five minutes to go, before substitute Ben Reeves struck the bar for the home side just two minutes later. A minute later, Fankaty Dabo got on the end of Westbrooke’s flick but he fired wide.

There was four minutes of added time, but nothing came of it. A generally dreary game of football between two sides who didn’t deserve to come away with the three points sent the 13,000-strong crowd home fairly displeased. Coventry move up to 6th, but are now without a win in five games, in all competitions. MK Dons stay in 19th place, just two points above the relegation zone.

MK Dons line-up: Lee Nicholls (GK), George Williams, Jordan Taylor-Moore, Joe Walsh, Dean Lewington (C), Conor McGrandles, Jordan Houghton, Callum Brittain, David Kasumu, Hiram Boateng (Ben Reeves 70’), Alex Gilbey (Kieran Agard 84’)

MK Dons unused substitutes: Stuart Moore (GK), Regan Poole, Baily Cargill, Brennan Dickenson, Ryan Harley

Coventry line-up: Marosi (GK); Fankaty Dabo, Dom Hyam, Michael Rose, Brandon Mason; Liam Walsh, Jordan Shipley (C), Zain Westbrooke; Callum O’Hare, Amadou Bakayoko (Max Biamou 63’), Jordy Hiwula (Gervane Kastaneer 70’)

Coventry unused substitutes: Ben Wilson (GK), Tennai Watson, Brandon Mason, Kyle McFadzean, Liam Kelly

words Liam Murphy, Coventry City fan & writer