Middlesbrough 1-3 Coventry City: Tatsuhiro Sakamoto double earns Sky Blues victory
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Coventry are three points shy of the play-off places after a third win in four matches
Tatsuhiro Sakamoto scored twice as Coventry City rose to eighth in the Championship by coming from behind to beat Middlesbrough at Riverside Stadium.
Japanese midfielder Sakamoto took his recent tally to five goals in four games by netting in each half for the in-form Sky Blues.
The summer signing drew the visitors level with an emphatic finish through a crowd of players after Coventry goalkeeper Tom Glover had brilliantly clawed Bobby Thomas' header out from under the crossbar.
After Haji Wright guided Ellis Simms' shot over the line for his eighth goal of the season to give City the lead midway through the second period, Sakamoto nodded in Jake Bidwell's cross to ensure his side extended their unbeaten run to seven matches.
Josh Coburn had headed in Isaiah Jones' cross to open the scoring following a fine run from Rav van den Berg, but the hosts led for only three minutes before Sakamoto struck.
Boro had been a little unfortunate not to go ahead with barely five minutes played when Jones reached Morgan Rogers' threaded pass, skipped around advancing goalkeeper Brad Collins on his way inside the penalty area and fired in an accurate strike from a tight angle which Thomas hooked clear off the line.
Matt Clarke's lofted pass also allowed Lukas Engel to tee up Sam Greenwood, whose shot was beaten away by Collins before the goalkeeper repelled Rogers' effort from the rebound.
Former Everton striker Simms could have given Mark Robins' side the lead shortly before Wright put them ahead, scooping a shot over the crossbar when he was played in by the USA forward's header.
City's first league double over Middlesbrough since the 1992-93 Premier League season means their only defeat in their past 11 games was a 2-1 loss at promotion-chasing Ipswich Town on 2 December.
Boro, who continued their miserable New Year's Day record with a 27th defeat on 1 January, slip to 12th and next host Premier League high-fliers Aston Villa in the FA Cup third round on Saturday.
Coventry are at home to League One side Oxford United earlier in the day in the same competition.
Coventry manager Mark Robins told BBC Coventry & Warwickshire:
"We struggled a little bit in the first half. They could have been out of sight. We defended where we needed to but Brad [Collins] made some brilliant saves to keep us in it. The weight of the pressure told for the first goal and we hadn't really laid a glove on them at that point.
"To get back into it with a brilliant finish from Tatsu - good move, he reacted first and buried it in the corner - was a welcome relief. To get in at 1-1 was really important.
"Tweaks at half-time - nothing major - affected the game. We were outstanding in the second half.
"We knew what was going to happen because they have a lot of injuries, as well as players who have gone to play at the Asian Cup. We moved the ball really well at times, got into some dangerous areas and finished clinically. The last 15 minutes were a non-event because we controlled the ball."
Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick told BBC Radio Tees:
"I can't really fault the players. We've been working with a small pool of players and it's probably caught up with us today.
"It was a game of two halves for that reason: we looked sharp, we looked bright and played ever so well in the first half. We looked dangerous, created chances and should have been more up.
"We deserved to be ahead at half-time but went in level. We couldn't find that spark, intensity and energy in the second half but it wasn't for lack of trying. It felt like the tank emptied on the boys. They've put in a great effort and there's a chance for them to rest for the next few days.
"It's the accumulation of a period of time. I'm not complaining because we want to be involved in all competitions but there have been times when we haven't had the numbers and depth. We've got that within the squad but we can't get the players on the pitch."
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