Coventry City 3-2 Bristol City: 10-man Sky Blues grab late win
- Published
Coventry striker Matt Godden has six goals in 10 Championship appearances this season
Battling 10-man Coventry City twice came from behind to snatch a dramatic 92nd-minute winner against Bristol City in the Championship.
The hosts missed a flurry of first-half chances before Ian Maatsen's red card for a foul inside the area led to Chris Martin's opener from the spot for the visitors.
Coventry replied via a penalty of their own from Matt Godden before Andreas Weimann tapped into an empty net to restore the Robins' lead.
Callum O'Hare fired in a second leveller before team-mate Godden sealed victory at the death as Coventry remained fourth in the table.
After suffering their first home league defeat of the season, against Swansea in midweek, the Sky Blues were determined to start well and Gustavo Hamer's long-range strike was heading for the corner before Robins goalkeeper Daniel Bentley tipped it wide.
A parry by Bentley then fell to O'Hare, whose attempted half-volley was blocked by a wall of defenders in red, as was Hamer's shot from the edge of the area.
After conceding seven shots without reply, Bristol City grew in confidence on the half-hour mark, with Tyreeq Bakinson striking from distance, and Alex Scott blazing Callum O'Dowda's cross over the bar.
Their golden chance came when Maatsen was sent off for bringing down O'Dowda inside the area, with Martin's penalty securing his fifth goal of the season.
Coventry came up with the perfect response just after the break, with Godden firing into the bottom corner from the spot after Viktor Gyokeres was brought down.
Bristol City - without unwell manager Nigel Pearson - made their numerical advantage count when Martin knocked the ball square for Weimann to strike from close range.
But the visitors looked devastated when O'Hare fired in after a poor clearance from a corner before Godden snatched all three points after being slid in by Liam Kelly from a free-kick.
Coventry City manager Mark Robins told BBC CWR:
"We were good, we had control of the game, we were moving the ball really well. For whatever reason, things shifted, Maatsen got on the wrong side.
"It's not the end of the game because you've lost a man. They were in good spirits.
"They were really brave and stuck at it. We just got back on with it, the crowd roaring us on.
"It was brilliant play. As soon as [Matt Godden] gets there, you know he is going to hit the back of the net, and then my assistant hit me!"
Bristol City assistant manager Curtis Fleming told BBC Radio Bristol:
"Goals change games. Sometimes it's easy to say, and not do. We didn't do a lot of the stuff that we thought we should have been doing in the second half.
"Whether it was nerve, I don't know, but it was disappointing. Just that hunger to keep it out of the net.
"It's happened to us a few times. You're playing against 10 men and you're 2-1 up.
"Why should we be nervy? I don't think we were brave enough."