Coventry City 2-0 Wigan Athletic: Sky Blues climb to 12th with third consecutive win
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Gustavo Hamer has scored four goals for Coventry City in 12 appearances this season
Coventry City scored two late goals to beat out-of-form Wigan Athletic as they registered a third consecutive Championship win.
The Sky Blues were finally rewarded for their overall dominance when Gustavo Hamer fired home a deflected shot on 77 minutes.
Viktor Gyokeres then added a goal of the season contender in injury time when he received Josh Eccles' pass inside his own half, turned sharply, then beat three men as he powerfully carried the ball forward 60 yards before unleashing a stunning low right-foot shot into the bottom left corner.
Coventry's sixth win in eight games lifts Mark Robins' side up into the top half in 12th, while Wigan remain 23rd, now just two points ahead of victorious bottom club Huddersfield - although still only two points off safety.
In a match rearranged from August following their disrupted, pitch-related start to the campaign, City came into it on the back of the two straight wins which had finally lifted them out of the Championship bottom three.
In contrast, Wigan are on a woeful run, having now picked up just one point in seven games, Saturday's draw at Swansea, which ended a run of five consecutive defeats.
The hosts came close to taking the lead in a goalless first half on the verge of the break when Kasey Palmer fired wide of the Wigan goal having beaten his marker.
The Sky Blues then appealed for a penalty early in the second half when Callum O'Hare's shot appeared to be handled, but their calls were waved away.
Wigan did well to keep out the hosts until Hamer finally broke the deadlock with his low angled shot that deflected off Jack Whatmough's toe past Wigan keeper Jamie Jones.
Thelo Aasgaard headed Max Power's delivery straight at Coventry keeper Ben Wilson as Wigan pushed for a leveller before Gyokeres sealed victory with his superb solo effort in the fifth minute of added time.
Who's next?
Coventry City are at home again this Saturday when they host faltering QPR in their final round of games before the month-long World Cup break, while Wigan are also at home, to north-west neighbours Blackpool.
Coventry City boss Mark Robins:
"They're a really tough nut to crack. They've got some really powerful players. They were very stubborn. We had to try and be patient and not get anxious and try to force things because that's what they're after.
"What we didn't do really well is move the ball well enough with the thought to try and create something. We were flicking too many things. When you're flicking, you're not looking and there's not enough space. When the ball went wide we didn't have enough quality and there was only one in the box.
"Then changes were made and it opened things up a bit for Gus to hit one, which went in off Whatmough's toe. We needed something like that,
"But for the second one the pass from Josh was outstanding - and the movement and power that you saw from Viktor and then the calmness, it was a fantastic finish."
Wigan manager Leam Richardson:
"You can't feel sorry for yourself. We knew it was going to be challenging coming out of the summer coming into this league.
"It was a disappointing result, but first half it was very even. The keepers didn't have much to do. We possibly shaded it being the away team.
"Second half they started very brightly. The momentum swung with them and our distances became a little bit too open, but we saw it through until the sucker punch of the deflected goal.
"Coventry have been going really well for a few years now. They've been recruiting really well. I think they'll be right up there come the end of the year. They've got a really strong squad of players who've been together. They look really well coached, really well drilled. The quality of player is there to be seen."