Coventry City 2 Middlesbrough 2

THE home dressing room at the Riverside was like a morgue nine days ago following Middlesbrough’s 5-0 home defeat by West Bromwich Albion.

According to Gareth Southgate the mood in the away dressing room at the Ricoh Arena on Saturday at 5pm was even worse.

It was the fifth minute of injury time when Leon Best slid in at the far post to convert substitute Elliot Ward’s cross that squirmed through several bodies on its way through to the Coventry striker.

Boro had been two-up with 13 minutes left. It should never have been a draw, and Southgate, the players and the fans all knew it.

“We had three points in our grasp here so, if anything, it feels worse (than West Brom),” said Southgate.

“We’ve thrown two points away and that’s difficult to take.

“I don’t know if it’s a good thing or it makes it worse to see how other results have gone (West Brom losing).

“In itself a point away from home at Coventry is not a disastrous result but in the position we were it was a big disappointment not to get the three.”

Boro were in command at half-time with goals from Sean St Ledger and Rhys Williams – both scoring their first for the club – and they could have been in an even better position.

Within a minute of the start Marvin Emnes took advantage of an error from Stephen Wright, only to have his effort from the edge of the box pushed away by Keiren Westwood.

Jeremie Aliadiere was also guilty of profligacy when oneone with Westwood on the quarter hour after Adam Johnson had played him in.

Johnson was again taking full advantage of the gulf in class between the Premier League and the Championship with his usual livewire performance. He created the opener four minutes before half-time, his corner headed in by St Ledger off the underside of the bar.

Williams made it two in injury time after Coventry failed to clear Gary O’Neil’s dink into the box following more good work from Johnson.

Despite the advantage Boro’s defence never looked assured and a third goal seemed imperative before there was any semblance of certainty about the win.

Coventry boss Chris Coleman changed formation and personnel at half-time. Despite a more even second 45 minutes ensuing, Boro held firm until Clinton Morrison easily out-muscled Justin Hoyte in the 78th minute and gave the Sky Blues a lifeline.

The game should have been over as a contest in the last minute when last man Wright tugged back Leroy Lita.

“Leroy Lita is pulled down by the centre-half and I can’t see it being any other decision than a red card and then that’s game over,” said a clearly irate Southgate.

“He doesn’t give a red card and in the time added on for it they get an equaliser.”

Coleman almost agreed with his former Crystal Palace team-mate, except he didn’t see the incident as a foul.

“I can understand Gareth’s frustration. If the linesman sees it as a foul and gives it and the referee’s going to book him (Wright) then I can see where Gareth’s coming from,” said Coleman.

“But I saw it as two sixes and a 12. Wrighty wasn’t going to let Lita past – he’d need a motorbike to catch him – but it was pulling and pushing from both players.”

That incident added another minute to the four minutes of injury time already declared and there was a certain inevitability about Best’s goal.

An unnecessary free kick was given away near the halfway line and when Boro failed to clear they paid the price.

Another setback, but according to loan signing St Ledger the players remain committed to their goal this season.

“We want to win the league – it’s as simple as that. Who knows we may even look back at this game and see it as a valuable point,” said the centre- back.

“We all know we should have won today. We had the game in the bag so it’s extremely disappointing to come away with only a draw.

“They were two sloppy goals. But if we can win on Tuesday it won’t feel like such a bad result. We need to put this behind us and look forward to Leicester now and win that.”

Match facts

Goals:

0-1: St Ledger (41, headed home Johnson’s corner off the bar)

0-2: Williams (45, 12-yard shot Westwood failed to hold)

1-2: Morrison (78, brushed aside Hoyte’s challenge and scored from inside the box)

2-2: Best (90, slotted home at the far post after defence failed to clear)

Bookings: Bennett (22, foul); Johnson (74, diving); Ward (90, dissent); Wright (90, foul); Lita (90, time wasting)

Referee: Graham Horwood (Luton) - should have sent Wright off late on and if he had Boro would have won 4

Attendance: 16,771

Entertainment: ✰✰✰

COVENTRY CITY (4-4-2): Westwood 6; Clarke 7, Wright 5, Turner 6 (Ward, 77), Hall 6 (van Aanholt, 46, 7), Osbourne 5(Gunnarson 46, 5), Clingan 6, McIndoe 5, Cork 5, MORRISON 8, Best 7.

Subs (not used): Kontstantopolous (gk); Cranie, Cain, Eastwood.

MIDDLESBROUGH (4-4-2):

7 Jones: Some important saves but needed more help from his defence

5 Hoyte: Dangerous going forward but at fault for Coventry’s first goal

6 Wheater: Some good challenges but more work needed on partnership with St Ledger

6 St Ledger: Good goal but defensively far from assured

7 Bennett: A first-half booking was the only negative in an accomplished display

6 O’Neil: Plenty of work down the flank and created the second goal for Williams

7 Williams: His first senior goal and the best midfielder on show

6 Arca: Effective in the first half but faded after the break

8 JOHNSON: Always a threat and received what appeared to be a harsh booking for diving

7 Aliadiere: Ran all the defenders ragged and a big threat at Championship level

6 Emnes: Should have scored inside the first minute and worked well with Aliadiere

Subs

Lita (for Emnes, 53 ): Too quick for Coventry but never threatened to score 6

Grounds (for Bennett, 64): Arrived just as the Sky Blues were throwing everything at Boro and struggled to keep them at bay 5

Yeates (for Johnson, 74) (not used): Coyne (gk); McMahon, Hines, Folan.

MAN OF THE MATCH

ADAM Johnson – Coventry were the latest Championship club unable to cope with his direct running.