04/01/2000  Coventry 2 Chelsea 2
 
Tore Andre Flo hit two quick-fire goals to earn Gianluca 
Vialli's unimpressive Chelsea a draw with battling Coventry at 
Highfield Road.

Vialli had challenged his players to show the consistency 
needed to get back into the title race as they played the 
first of their games in hand on leaders Leeds United.

But the Londoners failed to spark for long periods against 
Gordon Strachan's men although they did manage to end their 
run of four successive defeats at Highfield Road.

Only the quick thinking of Flo got them any tangible reward 
as he cancelled out goals from Cedric Roussel and Robbie Keane 
in super-fast fashion.

It means the Londoners are still 13 points adrift of Leeds 
with only two matches in hand - and they will have to improve 
massively if they are to be a title force to be reckoned 
with.

Coventry, conquerors of Arsenal on Boxing Day, can again 
take great heart from a performance which combined skill and 
commitment and any threat of relegation must surely soon be 
banished on current evidence.

Chelsea briefly threatened in the opening exchanges and 
Coventry defender Paul Williams made a fine tackle to halt Flo 
in his tracks after Didier Deschamps had threaded the ball 
into his path.

But it was Strachan's side who looked more purposeful and 
there was no shortage of confidence after their success over 
the Gunners a week earlier.

Coventry skipper Gary McAllister was clearly unhappy after 
being caught by a late challenge from the recalled Chelsea 
skipper Dennis Wise.

The first semblance of an opening fell to Coventry in the 
15th minute when Cedric Roussel headed a Paul Telfer lob into 
the path of Mustapha Hadji whose low shot flashed across the 
face of goal.

Roussel was winning his fair share of the ball and another 
flick from the Belgium under-21 international found its way 
into the path of Robbie Keane, whose shot from a narrow angle 
was blocked by De Goey.

Keane was causing problems for Descamps with his trickery 
but it was Roberto Di Matteo who was yellow carded for 
bringing down the Republic of Ireland star.

The resulting free-kick from McAllister picked out Carlton 
Palmer but he flashed his header just wide.

A mistake by Gianfranco Zola then almost proved costly as 
Keane intercepted and sent in a low centre which Emerson Thome 
was forced to clear at full stretch as Roussel prepared to 
pounce.

Little was seen of Chelsea as an attacking threat until the 
five minutes before the interval when Flo headed a Zola 
free-kick over the bar and Thome shot wide when well placed in 
the Coventry area.

McAllister took some retribution on Wise with a late 
challenge before the interval and the pair were clearly 
involved in a running battle during the opening 45 
minutes.

Coventry also started the second half brightly and Roussel 
set up Keane for a vicious dipping 25 yard effort which flew 
just past the post.

But there was a slice of good fortune on their side when 
Roussel finally broke the deadlock in the 54th minute.

Hadji's low shot was going well wide of the far post but it 
struck Roussel and fell perfectly for him in front of 
goal.

The on-loan Ghent player needed no second invitation as he 
drilled his shot past De Goey and then raced the the dug-out 
to celebrate with Strachan.

But those celebrations were premature for within 30 seconds 
Chelsea were back on level terms.

The creator was Zola who broke into space on the left of 
the area before pulling the ball back to Flo.

He had time to steady himself before planting the ball past 
the stranded Hedman for his 11th goal of the campaign.

Chelsea then found a bit of rhythm at long last and Telfer 
came to Coventry's rescue when he blocked Di Matteo's shot on 
the line after he had seized on Wise's low cross.

But Coventry were still giving as good as they got and De 
Goey was forced to tip a low drive from the impressive Hadji 
around the post.

The Sky Blues thought they had again clinched victory when 
the unmarked Keane headed in at the far post after Roussel had 
flicked on a cross from Telfer.

But Chelsea's reply was instant once again, with Zola the 
creator for the second time before Flo calmly chipped the ball 
over Hedman.