BANTAMS NOSTALGIA: When Wells hat-trick rescued late point

IT WAS a stylish way for Nahki Wells to bring up a half-century of goals for City.

His second hat-trick for the club took him to 50 – and in front of Sky’s live TV cameras at Valley Parade as well.

The Bermudian would score only three more. Two months later he was hopping across the M62 to join Huddersfield – a contentious move that did not sit well with the fans.

But on that Sunday afternoon in November, Wells was the toast of the Kop after two months hampered with an ankle injury. Rust? What rust?

The game itself had just about everything – including rank defending and a managerial spat at the final whistle when Coventry boss Steven Pressley delivered the infamous jibe that City had played “dark-age” football.

“That’s an amazing comment from someone who has just arrived in the English game,” responded Phil Parkinson after a bit of post-match push and shove.

“It was a great game and a feisty old affair on and off the pitch. The crowd must have got their money’s worth.”

Fingers could have been pointed at all three goals conceded by a home defence badly missing the injured Andrew Davies.

Without a win from their previous seven games – amid the worst slump of form during Parkinson’s City tenure – his side were up against before the clock had even reached two minutes.

Jon McLaughlin and Rory McArdle both went for Carl Baker’s free-kick into the City box. McArdle appeared to head the ball out of his keeper’s hands and it dropped kindly for Coventry centre half Andy Webster to accept the gift.

Things quickly got worse for the Bantams.

Callum Wilson outpaced McArdle on the Coventry left and although McLaughlin managed to parry his shot, strike partner Leon Clarke was on hand to tuck home the rebound.

City, fresh from an FA Cup thumping at Rotherham, were staring down the barrel and the game was only seven minutes in.

Wilson was proving a real handful and beat McArdle again before McLaughlin got just enough on his effort to divert it wide.

Despite a torrid opening, the home fans stayed with their team and City began to clear their heads.

Kyel Reid volleyed over and then Coventry keeper Joe Murphy pulled off a superb save to deny James Hanson burying a far-post cross from Stephen Darby.

But Murphy turned Sky Blues villain as City hit back, racing five yards outside his box to deal with Reid’s long ball – only to find himself in no man’s land.

Hanson pressured a mistake, Jordan Clarke swung and missed and Wells kept his head to commit covering defender Blair Adams before scoring.

Chances came thick and fast at both ends and John Fleck saw two goal-bound efforts charged down by desperate City defending.

Darby produced a trademark block with a diving header and received a huge ovation – that was then topped by the roar for the equaliser.

Hanson flicked on James Meredith’s free-kick and Wells latched on to it with an acrobatic volley to double his tally.

But the danger remained from Coventry – who were back in front before a frenetic first half was over.

Baker swept a long ball forward and Wilson held off Matthew Bates to beat McLaughlin from a tight angle. It was another goal that City should have prevented.

McArdle planted two headers over before the teams had chance to catch their breath at the break.

But the same breathless service resumed for the second half.

McLaughlin pushed away a drive from Franck Moussa and then Wells clipped the Coventry bar with a free-kick from the edge of the D.

The visitors showed no sign of shutting up shop as more efforts flew in at the home goal.

Mark Yeates had come on for Garry Thompson and set up a great chance for Hanson to level but the big man was unable to keep his close-range header down.

It was slipping away from City as added time went into the fourth minute.

But then Jordan Clarke threw a panicky hand at Darby’s cross – and Wells converted with a thumping penalty to take home the match ball.

City would end their winless run the following week at MK Dons but then it would be another 14 games before they would celebrate again with a stoppage-time victory over Port Vale in mid-February.

CITY: McLaughlin, Darby, McArdle, Bates (Connell 83), Meredith, Thompson (Yeates 68), Jones, Doyle, Reid (De Vita 85), Wells, Hanson.

COVENTRY: Murphy, Christie, J Clarke, Webster, Adams, Thomas, Fleck, Moussa (Phillips 85), Baker, L Clarke, Wilson.

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