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Stoke 0-1 Coventry
The second half concludes with Coventry City securing a 1-0 victory over Stoke City.
It was a tight match, with Coventry edging out in terms of big moments.
Despite a valiant effort late in the game, Stoke City couldn’t find the equaliser.
Stoke 0-1 Coventry
We are now into the final moments of added time with 101 minutes played.
Coventry still lead Stoke City 1-0, managing to slow the game effectively in the dying minutes to maintain their lead.
Stoke 0-1 Coventry
Jamie Allen replaces Victor Torp for Coventry City, aiming to preserve their late lead.
With the clock ticking, Coventry are slowing the pace, as Rushworth prepares to take his time with a free-kick.
Stoke 0-1 Coventry
Lamine Cisse comes on to replace Ben Pearson for Stoke City as they make another attempt to boost their attack in the closing stages of the game.
Stoke 0-1 Coventry
Kaine Kesler-Hayden replaces Ephron Mason-Clark for Coventry City due to an injury.
Mason-Clark, who scored the only goal, is stretchered off as play resumes during added time.
Stoke 0-1 Coventry
Due to multiple injury treatments, including Ephron Mason-Clark, the fourth official has announced 11 minutes of added time in the game.
Stoke City will look to use this extra time to try and find an equaliser.
Stoke 0-1 Coventry
Tomas Rigo replaces Million Manhoef for Stoke City as they aim to find a late equaliser.
The substitution comes as Ephron Mason-Clark receives treatment after scoring.
Stoke 0-1 Coventry
Ephron Mason-Clark may have secured the win for Coventry with an incredible finish into the top corner.
His goal, assisted by a clever flick from Ellis Simms, gives Coventry a crucial advantage at the top of the Championship table.
Mason-Clark has taken a knock scoring but the quality of his finish can't be understated.
Ephron Mason-Clark
Ephron Mason-Clark hooks the ball over his shoulder into the top right corner, breaking the deadlock for Coventry City. Ellis Simms provided the assist with a headed pass.
Stoke 0-0 Coventry
Ellis Simms replaces Haji Wright for Coventry City as Wright extends his goalless sequence to five appearances.
Simms has been effective off the bench recently and Coventry hope he will make an impact.
Stoke 0-0 Coventry
Victor Torp receives a yellow card after pulling back Bae Jun-Ho. The referee sees the foul as tactical and shows a caution.
Stoke 0-0 Coventry
Tatsuki Seko comes on for Lewis Baker due to injury.
Baker, who scored the winning goal in the corresponding fixture last season, is unable to continue after attempting to run off a knock.
Stoke 0-0 Coventry
A looping header from Bobby Thomas misses the target as he fails to convert from the centre of the box following Victor Torp's set-piece delivery.
Coventry City can't find the breakthrough despite being top of the league.
Stoke 0-0 Coventry
Coventry City come close as Mason-Clark gets in behind turning it goalwards. Thomas-Asante charges into Johansson, resulting in a corner.
That was Coventry's best opportunity of the second half.
Stoke 0-0 Coventry
Lewis Baker is receiving treatment for an injury after a painful collision with Solomon Thomas-Asante. There might possibly be substitutions needed to reinforce Stoke's midfield.
Stoke 0-0 Coventry
Coventry City are flagged offside during a set-piece attempt, showing signs of frustration as they struggle to break down Stoke’s solid defensive line.
Stoke 0-0 Coventry
Ben Pearson earns himself a yellow card, his third of the season, as he disrupts Coventry's play.
There's some tension on the sidelines too, with Frank Lampard showing signs of discontent, possibly receiving a yellow card as well.
Stoke 0-0 Coventry
Stoke City are gaining momentum as an attacking force, having more of the game in the past five to ten minutes.
Stoke 0-0 Coventry
Manhoef finds himself one-on-one with the keeper after a great ball but is pushed wide by a superb recovery from Jay Dasilva, forcing him to get the cross in, which is cut out at the near post.
Stoke 0-0 Coventry
Carl Rushworth makes a crucial claim in a crowded six-yard box following Stoke City's corner, keeping the score tied at 0-0.
Coventry boss Frank Lampard celebrates their late winner at Stoke
Ephron Mason-Clark scored a late goal to earn Coventry a big win at Stoke, strengthening their position at the top of the Championship.
Frank Lampard's team looked like they would be frustrated by former boss Mark Robins' Stoke side, who boast one of the second tier's best defences.
But Mason-Clark struck his third goal of the season four minutes from time to stretch Coventry's lead at the top of the table to five points.
Stoke slipped to third place in the race for promotion after seeing their three-match winning run ended by the Sky Blues at the bet365 Stadium.
Lampard will be relieved at the crucial victory and the way his side kept going to finally find a way through Stoke's well-drilled defence.
Viktor Johansson was in the mood to frustrate Coventry and kept out a powerful free-kick from Victor Torp before he touched a curling effort from the same player over at full stretch.
Stoke had their moments and Coventry goalkeeper Carl Rushworth denied their captain Ben Wilmot at the back post before Million Manhoef saw a header drift just wide.
The Potters continued to press and Bae Jun-ho had a shot blocked before Manhoef saw another effort deflected wide.
Coventry had scored at least twice in each of their last eight games and Lampard's goal machine continued to try to break down Stoke's resolute defence.
Johansson thwarted them again, getting down well at his near post to save Mason-Clark's 20-yard effort, but Coventry got their reward when Ellis Simms flicked a long throw on for Mason-Clark to finish into the top corner for their 40th Championship goal this season.
Mason-Clark, who suffered an injury in the act of scoring, was stretchered off and Coventry had to survive 16 minutes of stoppage time to claim the win.
Stoke manager Mark Robins told BBC Radio Stoke:
"I think the manner of the defeat is even more difficult to take. I'm disappointed with the result, I'm not disappointed with the effort we showed – the lads have given everything and we've been really competitive.
"I can't remember any clear-cut chances that they had – there was some good play but they play for corners, long throws and put you under pressure that way. We didn't mark properly from the long throw and we got punished for it, that's the disappointment for us.
"In terms of overall play, it was pretty nip and tuck but we had the best chance of the game with Mill (Manhoef) right in front of the goal from a Sorba Thomas cross and we didn't take it.
"That was huge – had we taken that, it could have been slightly different. I thought one or two were off it today, we didn't get enough of a spark when we needed that."
Robins: 'The manner of the defeat is difficult to take'
Coventry City boss Frank Lampard told BBC Coventry & Warwickshire:
"It's a great feeling to win like that because it's a tough fixture.
"We dealt with the game brilliantly from start to finish. The work of the players and togetherness and the tactical approach was amazing, particularly off the ball. We thoroughly deserved it against a very good team.
"They try to play. We pressed and we stopped them getting any form of control. The threat of their wingers is always there but our full-backs were amazing but it's hard to single our players.
"We can't get overexcited we are winning a lot of games but we can't think we have cracked it."
(On Ephron Mason-Clark) "He has a big bang on his face. It was an outstanding goal for the skill level of it. Not every player can do that. He was really good today. He came against a really good opponent but Ephron kept going at him."
Lampard post Stoke City win
After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users.
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 40 | 13 | 27 | 34 |
| |
| 15 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 19 | 13 | 6 | 29 |
| |
| 15 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 21 | 10 | 11 | 27 |
| |
| 15 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 20 | 14 | 6 | 26 |
| |
| 15 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 26 | 24 | 2 | 25 |
| |
| 15 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 17 | 20 | -3 | 25 |
| |
| 14 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 26 | 16 | 10 | 23 |
| |
| 15 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 22 | 18 | 4 | 23 |
| |
| 15 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 16 | 12 | 4 | 23 |
| |
| 15 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 20 | 19 | 1 | 23 |
| |
| 15 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 20 | 17 | 3 | 21 |
| |
| 15 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 18 | 16 | 2 | 21 |
| |
| 15 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 20 | 19 | 1 | 21 |
| |
| 15 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 14 | 16 | -2 | 21 |
| |
| 15 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 19 | 18 | 1 | 20 |
| |
| 15 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 17 | 23 | -6 | 19 |
| |
| 15 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 18 | 21 | -3 | 18 |
| |
| 15 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 15 | 19 | -4 | 17 |
| |
| 14 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 14 | 19 | -5 | 16 |
| |
| 15 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 20 | -8 | 14 |
| |
| 15 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 16 | 22 | -6 | 13 |
| |
| 15 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 11 | 26 | -15 | 10 |
| |
| 15 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 14 | 23 | -9 | 9 |
| |
| 15 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 12 | 29 | -17 | -4 |
|
Manager: Mark Robins
Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1
Manager: Frank Lampard
Formation: 4 - 4 - 2
Manager: Mark Robins
Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1
Manager: Frank Lampard
Formation: 4 - 4 - 2
Championship
All competitions
All competitions
All competitions
Stoke have won just one of their last six home league games against Coventry (D1 L4), though it was a 1-0 victory in this exact fixture last season.
Since their return to the Championship in 2020, Coventry have lost just two of their 10 league meetings with Stoke (W5 D3).
Stoke have won their last three league games – they last won four in a row in August 2024 (the 4th game of which was against Coventry), while they last did so in the same season in December 2011.
Coventry have scored at least twice in each of their last eight league games – only once have they ever done so in nine in a row, with that run coming back in March/April 1932.
Coventry’s Brandon Thomas-Asante is the highest scorer in the Championship this season, with his 10 goals already just one short of his best return in a Football League campaign (11 in 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24).
