Stoke City 0-2 Coventry City: Gustavo Hamer stars as Sky Blues beat Potters

Coventry's Jamie Allen scored his first goal in 14 months to set the Sky Blues on their way at Stoke

Gustavo Hamer marked his first start in more than a month by making one and scoring the other as Coventry City won at Stoke.

The Brazilian returned from his four-game ban for a second red card of the season - and proved the architect of the Sky Blues' third win in eight days.

Six minutes into the second half, Hamer split the Stoke defence with a superb inch-perfect pass into the inside-left channel to set Jamie Allen free to go on and crash home into the roof of the net for his first goal since August 2021.

Hamer then settled the outcome with a terrific solo effort, weaving his way into the box past two men on the left before curling his right-foot shot into the bottom right corner for the Brazil-born Dutchman's second goal of the season.

Coventry also made it four straight clean sheets, the first time they have achieved that in the top two tiers of English football, having last achieved a run of four shut-outs in April 2015 in League One.

The Potters had their fair share of opportunities, the closest of them being when veteran defender Phil Jagielka hit the bat, but their wastefulness in front of goal was punished as they slipped to a second home defeat in five days.

Mark Robins' men climb above West Bromwich Albion to 22nd, now within a point of safety - and still with at least three games in hand on most teams as they prepare for a congested period of matches as they make up for lost time following the early season CBS Arena pitch saga.

After just one defeat in eight games, and one goal shipped in their last 10 and a half hours of football, Coventry are remarkably now just nine points shy of a play-off place.

They are also within three points of Alex Neil's Stoke, after he lost for the first time against a team managed by Robins, whose side sent the 2,487 away following home happy.

Gus Hamer made the first, then scored the second for Coventry at Stoke

Coventry are at home again on Tuesday to Rotherham United, followed by next Saturday's visit of Blackpool. Victories from both could propel Robins' Sky Blues into the top half.

Stoke are back in action at Carrow Road next Saturday, when Neil takes his Potters side to another of his old clubs, Norwich City.

Stoke boss Alex Neil:

"Goals change games. Until the first goal went in, we were by far the best team. It was as dominant as we've been.

"Against a good Coventry team, we were dominant. They couldn't get out of their half in the first half. But nobody really cares about that. What they care about is winning games and scoring goals.

"We didn't carry enough of a threat, we weren't clinical enough, we made two really poor errors defensively and the game gets taken away from us in two moments.

"Beyond that, I didn't think Coventry had anything in the game, but nobody cares because we lost. Until the first goal, you can see the type of team that we could be, but towards the end you can see why we are where we are."

Coventry boss Mark Robins:

"It's a brilliant away win. I'm delighted because they were better than us in the first part of the game. But we stayed in the game when we weren't at our best.

"For all their possession, they've only really had Jagielka's chance, and we've defended really well.

"And we scored two absolutely unbelievable goals. They probably didn't belong in this game because I thought it was a bit scrappy.

"Our fans are really vocal and really behind the players and that's a big boost. In over five years here, they've been absolutely magnificent and the players respond to that."