Coventry City 2-0 Birmingham City: Sky Blues win to close in on play-offs
- Published
- comments
Viktor Gyokeres stroked home his penalty for his 22nd goal of the season
Coventry City moved closer to sealing a Championship play-off spot as a home victory over Birmingham City propelled them up to fifth.
Viktor Gyokeres cut in and laid the ball back for Josh Eccles to fire in his first senior goal from the edge of the box and put Coventry ahead after just three minutes.
Sky Blues top scorer Gyokeres then doubled the lead shortly before the break, stroking home a disputed penalty after the ball hit the arm of Wales midfielder Jordan James.
The Sweden striker had another ruled out for offside, but Coventry had enough - and can now secure a top-six finish if they win at Middlesbrough on Monday week in their final game.
Mark Robins' side will head to Teesside on the final day of the season with their fate in their own hands and in superb form after an 11th home win of the season. They have now lost just once in 16 league matches.
In front of a bumper gate of 30,175 - the best Sky Blues crowd for a league game since they moved to the Arena in 2005 - Coventry made a great start with Eccles' opener. But Birmingham responded when Jobe Bellingham then sent a close-range wide from Marc Roberts' long throw.
However, the hosts ended an evenly matched first half well on top when referee James Linington pointed to the penalty spot despite concerted Birmingham protests - and Gyokeres duly slotted his 21st league goal of a superb campaign.
Coventrys former landlords Blues, who sit 17th, came out strongly after the break but were almost picked off twice by Gyokeres, who broke into the box and fired just wide and then had a second chalked off for offside.
Kevin Long glanced a header narrowly wide from Hannibal Mejbri's corner as Birmingham plugged away, but their struggles in front of goal continued - they have found the net just six times in nine matches.
Defeat could have been heavier without goalkeeper Neil Etheridge, who tipped over Jake Bidwell's late strike after more good work from Gyokeres.
The gate was the biggest Sky Blues home league attendance since January 1980 when 31,644 watched a 1-0 win over Liverpool at Highfield Road.
They did also have 31,407 for the FA Cup quarter-final at the Arena against Chelsea in March 2009.
Coventry City manager Mark Robins told BBC CWR:
"We took charge of the game from the first minute. All the way through the game we were on top.
"To come away with a 2-0 win is fantastic in front of that crowd in the last home game of the normal season. Hopefully we can extend that.
"We've got plenty of work to do but we've got nine days before the next game so we can have a breather.
"We couldn't go to a more difficult place next week. Middlesbrough is a tough place to go and we know they are a really good side. It might be that we play them again but just to have the chance would be brilliant."
Birmingham City boss John Eustace told BBC Radio WM:
"The first 15 minutes we couldn't match their intensity which was disappointing. I felt we got a little bit of a foothold in the game.
"After that the penalty decision was really poor. It was a ludicrous decision in my opinion. I don't think anyone appealed for the handball.
"It killed our rhythm and going in 2-0 down is always going to be difficult.
"The second half we huffed and puffed without much quality so it was a disappointing afternoon."