Wycombe Wanderers 1-2 Coventry City: Liam Kelly double sets up Sky Blues win
- Published
Liam Kelly's opener was his first since finding the net for Coventry in a 3-1 over Stevenage in April 2018
Liam Kelly's double helped Coventry City to a narrow win over strugglers Wycombe Wanderers at Adams Park in the Championship.
Sky Blues skipper Kelly netted his first Coventry goal in over two years with a fine 25-yard strike after 34 minutes.
And he doubled his tally deep into first-half stoppage time, heading home after a well-worked free-kick routine.
Wycombe pulled one back from the spot in the 61st minute, as Joe Jacobson found the net after Ben Sheaf fouled David Wheeler in the area - and Scott Kashket thought he had crowned the comeback at the death, bundling home a rebound only for it to be ruled out for offside.
The result stretched the unbeaten run of Mark Robins' Sky Blues to seven Championship games.
Kelly had not scored since finding the net for Coventry in a 3-1 win over Stevenage in League Two in April 2018.
But the midfielder - who was replaced at half-time after picking up a minor knock - stunned the 2,000 home supporters in attendance as the visitors raced into a two-goal lead against the run of play.
Gareth Ainsworth's Chairboys started the day next to bottom but they rallied in the second half, deservedly halving the deficit through Jacobson's penalty - his second of the week after he scored in their midweek loss at Barnsley.
Coventry midfielder Gustavo Hamer nearly made it 3-1 in the 66th minute with what would have been a goal of the season contender, striking the post from 40 yards out after he spotted Wycombe keeper Ryan Allsop off his line.
The home side pushed for an equaliser with a late, off-target Wheeler effort and they nearly rescued a point moments before the whistle, but Kashket's tap-in after a fine Ben Wilson save was chalked off following a tight offside call.
Coventry's win puts distance between them and the drop zone, lifting them to 18th in the table, with Wycombe staying 23rd.
Wycombe boss Gareth Ainsworth told BBC Three Counties Radio:
"I thought we were by far the better team today, you know the chances count must be by far in Wycombe's favour.
"And we scored right at the death where the referee's given offside where, for all the world, it looked onside.
"All I can say is if we keep playing like that we'll be fine. We've been more than competitive today and I'm really pleased with (the performance)."
Sky Blues boss Mark Robins told BBC Coventry & Warwickshire:
"It was a tough game, this is a really difficult place to go to. They got a soft penalty, but we got lucky at the end with the offside. They're a really competitive side.
"Liam Kelly, he just hits it and it goes in, it was pure belief. After the goal, he's injured but I ask him to stay on and then he turns out to get the winning goal.
"[It's] bittersweet because we'll miss him for a period of time now, but ultimately it's a really good three points for us."