London [UK], April 7 : Coventry City moved a step closer to securing promotion to the Premier League after being held to a 0-0 draw by Hull City in their EFL Championship clash at the MKM Stadium on Easter Monday.
Despite an underwhelming display, Coventry extended their advantage at the top of the table and now require just four more points from their remaining five matches to guarantee a return to the top flight for the first time in 25 years. Results elsewhere also favoured the Sky Blues, as promotion rivals dropped points, strengthening their position, as per Sky Sports.
Hull dominated large spells of the contest and came closest to breaking the deadlock early on. John Egan nearly capitalised on a goalkeeping error, but Liam Kitching produced a crucial block to deny him after Carl Rushworth spilled a cross. The hosts, however, struggled to convert their superiority into clear-cut chances.
The Tigers, currently pushing for promotion themselves, created pressure through Liam Millar and Cody Drameh on the flanks, while Joe Gelhardt fired over from distance. However, a lack of clinical finishing continued to hamper their efforts.
Coventry, led by manager Frank Lampard, endured a difficult opening phase but gradually settled into the match. They looked threatening on the counter-attack, with Victor Torp forcing a save from Ivor Pandur after getting in behind the Hull defence.
The second half followed a similar pattern, with Hull enjoying more possession but failing to carve out decisive opportunities. Headers from Gelhardt and Oli McBurnie lacked the power to trouble Rushworth, while Coventry's Tatsuhiro Sakamoto saw a promising move cut out by Egan.
Both sides introduced attacking changes in search of a winner, but neither could find a breakthrough, as the match ended goalless, mirroring the reverse fixture earlier in the season.
Speaking after the match, Lampard expressed satisfaction with his team's resilience, particularly in difficult conditions.
"It's a tough place to come, and they put us under pressure early on. But the way we defended and grew into the game was excellent. Getting a clean sheet here is important," he said.
He also pointed to a missed handball decision, calling it "very clear," but insisted his side must remain focused on their remaining fixtures.
Coventry will now look to take a decisive step towards promotion when they host already-relegated Sheffield Wednesday next.
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