COVENTRY City lost at home for just the second time this season following a 2-1 defeat against in-form Southampton in a blow to the club’s promotion hopes.
Second-half goals from Flynn Downes and Kuryu Matsuki brought an end to Coventry’s six-game winning run in the league at the Coventry Building Society Arena.
Coventry halved the deficit in injury time when substitute Victor Torp won and scored a penalty but Frank Lampard’s side could not find an equaliser in the remaining minutes against a Saints team now unbeaten in their last 10 league matches.
The result means the Sky Blues have seen their lead cut to seven points at the top of the Championship table with Middlesbrough only able to draw at home to Bristol City.
Southampton created the game’s first chance when Matsuki headed a corner from the right into the six-yard box as Cyle Larin hooked a volley wide of the post from close range.
Coventry first tested the Saints goal just past the half-hour mark when Tatsuhiro Sakamoto headed Jay Dasilva’s cross from the left into the side netting at the back post.
And the Sky Blues went close again moments later as Luke Woolfenden failed to direct Ephron Mason-Clark’s cross from the left on target from inside the six-yard box.
A stunning save from Saints goalkeeper Daniel Peretz, on loan from Bayern Munich, kept the game level just before the break as the shot-stopper sprung to his left to tip Liam Kitching’s near-post header behind for a corner.
The Sky Blues almost broke the deadlock in first-half injury time only for Haji Wright to volley Mason-Clark’s left-wing cross narrowly wide of the post.
However, Saints took the lead three minutes into the second-half after Carl Rushworth reacted sharply to tip Matsuki’s dangerous cross onto the post only for Downes to follow up and finish into an empty net from close range.
Saints went close again on the hour mark when Rushworth denied Caspar Jander after the midfielder burst into the penalty area.
Coventry spurned a golden chance to equalise moments later as Milan van Ewijk broke down the right and delivered a cross into the box which Wright headed straight at Peretz from six-yards out.
However, Southampton doubled their lead five minutes from time when a corner from the left hit Matsuki in the box and trickled into the net.
Coventry won a penalty in injury time when Shea Charles trod on substitute Torp’s foot in the box as the latter picked himself up to find the bottom left corner from the spot.
However, the Sky Blues ran out of time in their pursuit of a leveller despite applying plenty of pressure as Peretz denied Brandon Thomas-Asante at the death in a breathless finish.
