Coventry City reignited their automatic promotion charge with a dramatic late victory over Midlands rivals Leicester City, coming from behind to win 2-1 at the King Power Stadium. The crucial strike came from substitute Haji Wright, who netted for the first time since early October to secure a vital three points for Frank Lampard's side.
A Tale of Two Halves at the King Power
The match began in perfect fashion for the hosts, with Leicester taking an early lead after just 11 minutes. A slick, flowing move was finished by Jordan James, who swept home at the near post for his ninth league goal of the season after good work from Bobby De Cordova-Reid and Abdul Fatawu. Marti Cifuentes's side dominated the opening period and came close to doubling their advantage, but Carl Rushworth produced a superb save to deny De Cordova-Reid.
Coventry emerged from the break with renewed purpose and found a swift, if somewhat fortunate, equaliser. Less than two minutes after the restart, a lashed effort from Jack Rudoni struck Ellis Simms and deflected into the corner of the net, pulling the Sky Blues level.
Wright Makes His Mark from the Bench
With the game seemingly heading for a draw, the decisive moment arrived with just five minutes of normal time remaining. Leicester failed to clear a dangerous situation in their penalty area, and Japanese winger Tatsuhiro Sakamoto seized on the loose ball. His shot across goal found Haji Wright perfectly positioned at the far post, and the American international slid in to score the winner, sending the travelling Coventry fans into raptures.
The victory was a significant boost for Coventry, who had seen their lead over the chasing pack shrink after a patchy run of form. This hard-fought win against a direct rival demonstrates their resilience and keeps them firmly in the hunt for a top-two finish.
Championship Roundup: Ipswich and Millwall Secure Key Wins
Elsewhere in the Championship, Ipswich Town extended their unbeaten run to six matches with a commanding 3-0 victory over Blackburn Rovers at Portman Road. An early own goal from debutant Eiran Cashin set them on their way, with Jack Taylor adding a second. Former Blackburn player Sam Szmodics rubbed salt in the wounds with a late third goal against his old club. The result keeps Ipswich in third place, while Blackburn's woes continue as they hover just four points above the relegation zone.
Millwall also enjoyed a successful away day, defeating promotion rivals Watford 2-0 at Vicarage Road to solidify their playoff position. The victory was inspired by Femi Azeez, a former Watford youth player released by the club at 14, who scored one goal and helped set up Josh Coburn for the other. The win ended Watford's impressive four-game winning streak in the league.
The Championship promotion race remains fiercely contested, with every point proving critical as the season enters its decisive phase.
