Coventry City 2-1 Reading - Soaring Sky Blues beat Royals to climb to fifth
- Published
- comments
Coventry City beat relegation-threatened Reading to climb to fifth in the Championship.
Gustavo Hamer sets up the first goal for Matt Godden on 36 minutes, then scored the matchwinner on 54 minutes, just three minutes after Lucas Joao had levelled for the Royals.
Coventry's extension of their unbeaten run to five games keeps Reading in the relegation zone in 22nd, with two massive 'six-pointers' to come.
Now winless in 11 games, both are against key rivals, at bottom club Wigan Athletic, then a final-day home game against Neil Warnock's Huddersfield Town, the side just one point and one place above them.
Mark Robins' relentless Coventry, who began the day eighth in the table, now host former landlords Birmingham City next weekend before finishing on the final Monday at Middlesbrough.
The Sky Blues could have gone ahead sooner when top scorer Viktor Gyokeres was put clean through by Hamer, only to go wide in trying to get round keeper Joe Lumley, who blocked his eventual shot.
Gyokeres then shot wildly off target after Hamer's blocked effort had rebounded to him, then Reading went close when Mamadi Camara's pass put in Jeff Hendrick, but home goalkeeper Ben Wilson saved.
It was a deserved breakthrough when Godden finally hooked in the opener and the lead could have been doubled right on half-time but Gyokeres worked space to shoot after being found by Liam Kelly, but hit the post.
All the missed chances looked like they might prove costly six minutes into the second half when Joao bent a superb shot into the far corner from outside the area.
But Hamer drove through midfield before running on to the loose ball after his pass was cut out to steer a right-foot shot beyond Lumley.
Coventry City manager Mark Robins told BBC CWR:
"Others would swap results with us. At this stage of the season, you've got to win. This was must-win, next week will be a must-win and the one after that at Middlesbrough will be a must-win, no doubt.
"There are other teams there that have still got an advantage, but we're in there with a shout, which is brilliant going into the last home game of the season.
"It's all to play for, recovery is very important and we'll wrap them up in cotton wool.
"We played pretty well, moved the ball, created chances, and should have been ahead before we were. But Viktor hit the post. He's had a few chances when he's gone through and had too much time to think about it."
Reading interim boss Noel Hunt:
"We were the better side in the second half. They got a couple of breakaways because we're trying to get back into the game.
"But if we stay on that page of front-foot football, it gives us a good chance for next week."
On a pitch invader who came on in stoppage time: "Some idiot came on to the pitch and football doesn't want to see it, really.
"If you want to get on the pitch, work hard every day like these boys do, put their bodies on the line and make yourself a career. Otherwise stay in the stand and clap and cheer.
"I don't understand how you can have 10 stewards with one man and they can't get him off the pitch - it was absolutely pathetic to be honest.