Stoke City 2-3 Coventry City: Sky Blues close to survival with third successive win

Tyler Walker netted his seventh league goal of the season as Coventry went ahead just before half-time

Coventry City moved to within touching distance of securing Championship survival as they got the better of Stoke City in an entertaining game.

Viktor Gyokeres netted the winner on a night when they were twice pegged back before winning for a fourth time in five matches.

Tyler Walker had earlier put them ahead just before half-time from Callum O'Hare's ball across the area.

Stoke levelled after the break when Jacob Brown latched on to a mistake by Gustavo Hamer in his own penalty area before Maxime Biamou nodded them back in front.

Sam Clucas quickly drew Stoke level again with a half-volley but Gyokeres scored with just over 10 minutes to play with a low drilled shot past Angus Gunn.

Coventry's third successive win moved them 12 points ahead of third-from-bottom Rotherham United with three games to play. But they could still be caught by the Millers who have five games still to play.

Victory saw them win back-to-back away games for the first time this season having won at Rotherham on their last away day.

They eventually came out on top in a game during which four goals were scored in the space of 20 second-half minutes.

Goalkeeper Ben Wilson also ensured they came away with all three points as he denied Steven Fletcher from close range with a header in the closing moments.

Their goals came through Walker's deft dink over Gunn, Biamou with his first touch off the bench when he nodded in at the back post after Leo Ostigard had flicked-on a Sam McCallum long throw-in and Gyokeres being allowed time and space to pick his spot with a low shot.

Mid-table Stoke were unfortunate not to come away with at least a draw after two brilliant individual finishes from Brown and Clucas.

Fletcher also skimmed the crossbar with a header midway through the second half on a night when his luck seemed to be out.

Stoke boss Michael O'Neil told BBC Radio Stoke:

"It's hugely disappointing to lose the game. If anything, it epitomises the second half of the season for us.

"It was a very young team that started, we hoped we'd get energy from that but ultimately we struggled a little bit at times.

"We should've been ahead before we conceded a goal."

Coventry boss Mark Robins told BBC CWR:

"I think it was a really tough game. They're a physical side and you can see how much effort we had to put.

"I thought we passed the ball really well. The three goals were outstanding, although the goals we conceded were poor.

"After the hour we started to flag a little bit, I had players there on their last legs, and obviously we needed some energy higher up the field. But thankfully we got through it."