Coventry City 1-0 Millwall: Top scorer Viktor Gyokeres ends drought as Sky Blues triumph

Viktor Gyokeres (right) had not scored for Coventry City in the league since Boxing Day

Viktor Gyokeres scored his first league goal since the January transfer window opened as Coventry City beat Millwall for only their second win of 2023.

Gyokeres hit his 14th goal of the season to lift the Sky Blues to 11th in the Championship, five points shy of the play-offs.

Fed by Manchester City loan man Callum Doyle, he turned his marker on the left edge of the Millwall area, wriggled to his right and then curled a superbly struck right-foot shot beyond George Long into the bottom-right corner.

Gary Rowett's Millwall, who drop out of the top six to seventh, were a disappointment, taking until the 77th minute to get an effort on target - a header from Charlie Cresswell.

After losing the first game back after the World Cup break, this was only Millwall's second defeat in nine matches since.

But, only in a brief late rally did they ever look like escaping from the Coventry Building Society Arena with anything.

Three times in their previous four home games Coventry had got off to a bad start: 2-0 down inside 18 minutes in the FA Cup against Wrexham, 3-0 inside 18 minutes against Norwich, one down inside 40 seconds on Saturday against Luton Town.

But this time their patient, composed but dominant start led to a happier home outcome.

City were without Saturday's penalty-scoring match-saver Matt Godden, and suspended Manchester City loan signing Josh Wilson-Esbrand, but they had the man destined to be the match-winner in the artful Gyokeres.

He was the only man on either side who looked remotely like picking the lock before the break, forcing a good save from Long with a powerful right-foot shot on the angle.

The Millwall keeper then made another brave save just before half-time when Kasey Palmer fed Gyokeres down the inside-left channel, but Long got there to block and the rebound ballooned off the Swedish striker's chest to land just the wrong side of the right-hand post.

But, after another great turn in the box led to a frantic Millwall scrambled clearance, Gyokeres tried his luck one more time on 67 minutes.

And he won the game with the sort of quality strike that earned so many admirers in the first half of this season.

Coventry have always insisted that he was never for sale but, with great irony, had he come up with a matchwinner like this in January, it might actually have tempted a few clubs to make a serious offer.

Who's next?

Coventry are now on the road on Saturday, when they are scheduled to travel to one of manager Mark Robins' former clubs Rotherham, where the City boss began his managerial career in 2007.

Millwall are at home to second-placed Sheffield United in the lunchtime kick-off.

Coventry City manager Mark Robins told BBC CWR:

"We were made to work hard but we showed some really good quality and we were good value for the win.

"To keep a clean sheet was important - and the goal that won it was worthy of winning any game. Kasey Palmer did well and Vik's turn and strike was absolutely magnificent.

"The work he puts in, the stick he takes. He's taken over from Callum O'Hare as our most fouled player - but they all want his shirt at the final whistle. That's how well he's thought of.

"Matty Godden has picked up a calf strain. He says it feels like cramp. He's probably going to be back for the Sunderland game a week on Saturday."

Millwall manager Gary Rowett:

"Against a team like Coventry, when they've got Gyokeres up front, what you can't do is give balls away and leave him space against defenders because he's very, very good at utilising that space.

"At times he looked an immense threat. Did we not deal with him well enough? Or is he just a really good player that a lot of teams are going to struggle against? I don't know. But, if you want to keep a clean sheet and get something out of the game, you've got to go and keep him quiet.

"He looked a handful all night. The goal is probably a testament to that, he brings it down, turns one way, wriggles back inside and hits it from 30 yards.

"Coventry really had the edge about them at the start, a bit like we've done to so many teams. Really bright, full of running. It took us a while to get into the game. Did we deserve a draw? Probably not."