Coventry see off Wednesday with FA Cup win

Three goals in seven second-half minutes saw Coventry demolish Sheffield Wednesday and book an FA Cup fifth-round home tie against non-league heroes Maidstone United.

Mark Robins’ team, who themselves had gone three games without a victory, came out firing in the second half as Callum O’Hare scored his eighth and ninth goals of the season inside six minutes.

Wednesday, who also conceded four goals inside 12 minutes at relegation rivals Huddersfield on Saturday, then saw Haji Wright head in a fourth two minutes later.

That dire result in the Yorkshire derby had left Danny Rohl’s side eight points adrift of Championship safety, but any thoughts they might find some relief in the FA Cup crashed to earth at the Coventry Building Society Arena.

After drawing 1-1 in the first game at Hillsborough, they were behind inside two minutes as O’Hare fed Palmer and he drifted across the face of the Wednesday defence before reversing his shot into Pierce Charles’ bottom corner.

The Owls responded well, and were level in the 10th minute after some messy defending by Mark Robins’ team. Will Vaulks’ cross should have been dealt with but Wright volleyed his attempted clearance against team-mate Josh Eccles and the ball fell neatly for Cadamarteri to find the net.

O’Hare and Palmer continued to cause problems but Wednesday keeper Charles saved from the former, and from Eccles and Wright, while Coventry keeper Ben Wilson had to be sharp to prevent Jay Dasilva from turning Anthony Musaba’s dangerous cross into his own net.

Coventry were in uncompromising mood in the second half and after twice going close through Victor Torp, they were back in front in the 50th minute as Palmer’s no-look pass found O’Hare in the box and he guided his shot into the bottom corner.

As on Saturday, Wednesday simply collapsed once they had gone behind and six minutes later Mallik Wilks’ weak challenge allowed Dasilva to burst into the box. O’Hare took the ball off his team-mate’s toe, bamboozled the defence with a step-over and then expertly found the far corner to give Coventry a two-goal cushion.

Coventry wrapped up their third win in four meetings between the two in the last six weeks.

Wright glanced in Dasilva’s cross, which meant all four goals had been fashioned down Coventry’s left-hand side.

Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl told BBC Radio Sheffield:

“After the game at Huddersfield I had to make a decision on how we could go in this game and how we could freshen it as well for Friday (against Birmingham).

“At the end of the game we had five academy players on the pitch, which shows a lot.

“We invested a lot in the first half, which was a good game from both sides, but then we destroyed our performance in eight minutes, which is a bit of a pity.

“(The team selection) was a big decision but we have games on Tuesday and then Friday – Coventry play on Sunday which gives them two more days.

“We tried and not everything was wrong, but in the end it was a bad result. At the moment we make too many basic mistakes.”