Coventry 0 - 1 Colchester United: Colchester boost survival hopes with victory over stuttering Coventry

Posted Wednesday, March 30, 2016 by PA

Gavin Massey's first-half strike earned Colchester a valuable 1-0 win at the Ricoh Arena as Coventry's wretched run continued.

The 23-year-old struck the only goal of the game in the 18th minute, side-footing home after good work from Elliot Lee.

It was the second win of the Easter programme for Kevin Keen's relegation-battlers and sees them move to within seven points of Fleetwood and safety in Sky Bet League One.

For Coventry, though, the defeat leaves them eight points from the promotion play-offs.

Tony Mowbray's side have now won only twice since the first weekend of January and could well find themselves missing out despite occupying a top-six slot for most of the season.

And to make matters worse for the home side, they squandered the chance to take a share of the spoils when Jacob Murphy's 43rd-minute penalty was saved by keeper Elliot Parish who made a good save to his left.

Murphy, on loan from Norwich, could also have netted on the half-hour mark but for a superb block by Tom Eastman.

Massey, meanwhile, could have scored a late second for the visitors but clipped his low shot just wide of an upright with just 10 minutes remaining.