Coventry maintained their push for the Championship play-offs with a 2-1 win over Sunderland at the Coventry Building Society Arena.
Jamie Allen opened the scoring after 25 minutes, heading in his second goal in as many games, following a flick-on from Victor Gyokeres, who slid in a second and produced a superb display on his 100th appearance for the Sky Blues .
Coventry City’s Victor Gokeres celebrates his side’s second goal of the game
Manchester United loanee Amad Diallo struck a beauty to halve the deficit in second-half stoppage time but it was little more than a consolation for Tony Mowbray’s side, who missed out on a chance to jump into the play-offs having extension. haven’t beaten Coventry away in the league since April 1985.
The Sky Blues, meanwhile, climb to 10th place, two points outside the top six with 13 games remaining.
How the Sky Blues finished in the top six
With valuable points, the pace was high from the start. Both teams tested the water with half chances early on, with Danny Batth sounding the alarm when he jumped over Kasey Palmer to send a header onto the crossbar.
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Sunderland’s Danny Bath gets a header on goal that comes off the post during his side’s match against Coventry in the Championship.
Sunderland soon took control of possession but that meant little to Coventry – who had won 11 of the games this season where they had less than 50 per cent of the ball.
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Coventry’s Jamie Allen heads into the box to put his side 1-0 up against Sunderland in the Championship
Shortly after Gyokeres had run onto a misplaced pass and lifted a shot over the bar, he marked his 100th appearance for the Sky Blues with an assist, driving into the box and pulling the ball back for Allen to guide home the opener.
The Swede then went it alone as the home side looked to double their advantage, sending a low shot wide of the upright.
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Viktor Gyokeres scores Coventry’s second goal against Sunderland in the Championship match
Much of the second period was uneventful. Coventry defended well and restricted Sunderland severely in the final third, then doubled their lead when Gyokeres pounced to head home substitute Matt Godden’s cross for his 15th league goal of the season.
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Amad Diallo scores a superb consolation goal for Sunderland in their Championship defeat by Coventry City.
The visitors finally got their breakthrough when Diallo controlled a cross and beat Ben Wilson with a superb effort, although it wasn’t enough to spark a dramatic equaliser.
Player of the match – Viktor Gyokeres
What’s next?
Coventry are next in action at 7.45pm on Tuesday 28th February when the face Preston in Deepdale, on the match live Red Sky Sports Football button.
Sunderlandmeanwhile, they return at 3pm on Saturday March 4 when they face off Stoke at the Stadium of Light.