Plymouth Argyle remain rooted to the bottom of the Championship table after their 4-0 Boxing Day defeat by Coventry City.
All four of the goals conceded by Wayne Rooney's Pilgrims came in the first half, with Josh Eccles scoring two of them while Tatsuhiro Sakamoto and Ephron Mason-Clark also on target.
Goalkeeper Dan Grimshaw made a few good saves in the second period to prevent Coventry, managed by Rooney's former England team-mate Frank Lampard, from winning by an even wider margin.
Read More: Wayne Rooney delivers clear response over his Argyle position
Argyle went into the match with six players on the injury list and that total was added to when Mustapha Bundu went off late in the first half because of a hamstring issue.
To make matters even worse, substitute Callum Wright was sent-off in the 87th minute for a foul on Coventry defender Joel Latibeaudiere and will now be suspended for the next three matches.
His ban will start when Argyle, who are now winless in 12 away league games this season, travel to Oxford United on Sunday. The U's moved out of the relegation zone with a 3-2 home defeat of Cardiff City under new boss Gary Rowett.
Scroll below for all the updates from Chris Errington at the Coventry Building Society Arena:
Key Events
Full-time: Coventry 4 Argyle 0
There are boos from the Green Army at the final whistle after another heavy away-day defeat for Argyle, whose miserable afternoon was compounded by a late red card for Callum Wright.
Callum Wright sent-off
Argyle have had Callum Wright sent-off in the 87th minute for a high tackle on Joel Latibeaudiere. He will now be suspended for three games.
Grimshaw called into action again
Coventry substitute Brandon Thomas-Asante has a powerful angled shot beaten away by Dan Grimshaw. Argyle have posed absolutely no attacking threat in the last 20 minutes or so.
Today's attendance
The croiwd at the Coventry Building Society Arena is 29,420. No figure has been given for the Green Army.
Two more Argyle changes
Argyule make their final two substitutions in the 71st minute as Jordan Houghton and Matty Sorinola take over from Darko Gyabi and Brendan Galloway.
Simms lets fly
Coventry substitute Ellis Simms has a shot which Dan Grimshaw cannot hold at the first attempt but he dives on the ball before any City players can get to it.
Coventry double change
Coventry make two 62nd minute substitutions as Norman Bassette and Tatsuhiro Sakamoto are replaced by Ellis Simms and Brandon Thomas-Asante.
Torp goes close for City
Victor Torp lets fly with a terrific shot from distance which Dan Grimshaw pushed away for a corner at full stretch for a corner.
Forshaw on for Argyle
Rami Al Hajj sends a shot high and wide following an Argyle coner. Before play restarts with the goal kick Adam Forshaw is sent on as a 55th minuite substitute for Al Hajj.
Wright up front
Callum Wright is being pressed into service as Argyle's striker, with Freddie Issaka in the wide left attacking role.
The second half is under way
Freddie Issaka is on as a half-time Argyle substitute for Andre Gray while Coventry have replaced Ephron Mason-Clark with Victor Torp.
First half stats
Coventry had 60 per cent of the possession. They had eight shots, four of which were on target - all resulting in goals, They had 15 touches of the ball in the Argyle box.
The Pilgrims had three shots, one of them on target, from their 40 per cent of the possession. They had four touches of the ball inside the Coventry penalty area.
Half-time: Coventry 4 Argyle 0
Mistakes all over the place from Argyle and Coventry have punished them ruthlessly. Just nowhere near good enough from the Pilgrims.
Argyle concede fourth
It is now 4-0 in the 45th minute. Argyule tried to play out from the back but Adam Randell lost possession of the ball and Josh Eccles punished the mistake with a low shot past Dan Grimshaw.
We are into five minutes of added time at the end of the first half and it is already turning into a rout.
A third goal for Coventry
Argyle's defence is non-existent as Ephron Mason-Clark runs in behind them and fires past Dan Grimshaw to make it 3-0 in the 39th minute.
Wright replaces Bundu
Adanm Randell receives instructions from Mike Phelan as Mustapha Bundu walks off the pitch and straight to the away dug-out. Callum Wright is on as a substitute for him. Yet another Argyle injury.
Another break in play
Now Mustapha Bundu is down on the ground and needing treatment after being hurt in a challenge a few moments earlier.
Chance for Al Hajj
A chance for Argyle to reduce the deficit, and a good one, when after good play from Mustapha Bundu on the right there is a shot from Rami Al Hajj which is deflected wide for a corner..
Sky Blues double their lead
Argyle are 2-0 down in the 21st minute as Josh Eccles crashs a right-foot shot past Dan Grimshaw from outside the penalty area after Ephron Mason-Clark set him up.
"It's a long way to Plymouth when you're s+++" sing the Coventry supporters.
Argyle behind on the road yet again
A bit of fog is swirling around inside the CBS Arena as Argyle try to recover from conceding that early goal. They are passing the ball around the back quite a lot without doing much of it.
There is a break in play as Adam Randell goes down after making a vital block tackle inside the box when it looked like Coventry might get a second goal.
Early goal for Coventry
Coventry take the lead in only the fifth minute. A cross from the left just clears Brendan Galloway and Tatsuhiro Sakamoto gets in a header which is straight at Dan Grimshaw but the Argyle keeper fumbles it into his own net.
Kick-Off
We are under way at the Coventry Building Society Arena.
The Green Army at Coventry #pafc pic.twitter.com/zwOwem947v
— Chris Errington (@ChrisErrington1) December 26, 2024
The teams are out
Lewis Gibson leads out Argyle who are wearing their yellow third kit. Coventry are captained by midfielder Ben Sheaf at a packed CBS Arena for this Boxing Day fixture.
The teams
ARGYLE: Dan Grimshaw; Bali Mumba, Kornel Szucs, Lewis Gibson, Brendan Galloway; Adam Randell, Darko Gyabi; Mustapha Bundu, Rami Al Hajj, Tegan Finn; Andre Gray.
Substitutes: Conor Hazard, Nathanael Ogbeta, Jordan Houghton, Julio Pleguezuelo, Callum Wright, Adam Forshaw, Matty Sorinola, Freddie Issaka, Victor Palsson.
COVENTRY: Oliver Dovin; Milan van Ewijk, Bobby Thomas, Joel Latibeaudiere, Jake Bidwell; Josh Eccles, Ben Sheaf; Tatsuhiro Sakamoto, Jack Rudoni, Ephron Mason-Clark; Norman Bassette.
Substitutes: Brad Collins, Luis Binks, Jay Dasilva, Jamie Allen, Ellis Simms, Liam Kitching, Raphael, Brandon Thomas-Asante, Victor Torp.
Coventry boss Frank Lampard on Wayne Rooney
I have known Wayne well for many years now, have full respect for him, and I look forward to seeing him. It was an absolute pleasure to play with him for England - and to play against him. He was a Premier League and England great, and his numbers and performances should never be understated. The level of player he was, was incredible. To see the work ethic behind it that he had as a player and see the impact he had on team-mates, being at camps with him where you see what the person is as well as the player, he is amazing."
The match officials
The referee is Adam Herczeg, whio will be asissted by Alex James and Richard Woodward. The fourth official is Zac Kennard-Kettle.
A big day for Tegan Finn
Tegan Finn became Argyle's sixth youngest-ever player at the age of 16 years and 230 days when he made his debut off the bench in the 3-0 Championship defeat at Leeds United on November 2.
Now 54 days later the academy product makes his second appearance for the Pilgrims against Coventry, presumably in the wide left attacking role vacated by Michael Obafemi, who has been ruled out by a groin injury.
Coventry team to play Argyle
Frank Lampard makes four chznges to his Coventry side against Argyle from the 4-1 defeat at Portsmouth on Saturday.
Coming into the team are goalkeeper Oliver Dovin, central defender Joel Latibeaudiere, left-back Jake Bidwell and midfielder Josh Eccles. The quartet of Brad Collins, Luis Binks, Jay Dasilva and Victor Torp drop down to the substitutes' bench.
Your team to face Plymouth Argyle. pic.twitter.com/v2g3Hteqmb
— Coventry City (@Coventry_City) December 26, 2024
Argyle substitutes
Conor Hazard, Nathanael Ogbeta, Jordan Houghton, Julio Pleguezuelo, Callum Wright, Adam Forshaw, Matty Sorinola, Freddie Issaka, Victor Palsson.
How Argyle will line-up
Dan Grimshaw
Bali Mumba, Kornel Szucs, Lewis Gibson, Brendan Galloway
Adam Randell, Darko Gyabi
Mustapha Bundu, Rami Al Hajj, Tegan Finn
Andre Gray
