GUSTAVO Hamer scored one and set up another as Coventry City moved into the top-six with a crucial 2-1 win against Reading.
Hamer scored the winner just minutes after Lucas Joao had levelled for the Royals following Matty Godden’s first-half opener at the Coventry Building Society Arena.
And the result means City now sit fifth in the Championship table with just two matches left to play with several teams breathing down their neck for a coveted top-six finish.
The home side made a fast start as captain Liam Kelly, making his first league start since the final day of the previous season, found Gyokeres in the box who drilled a shot inches wide of the left-hand post in the opening two minutes.
City went close again soon after as Gustavo Hamer played a free-kick short to Gyokeres who spun his marker only to scuff a shot straight at Joe Lumley in the Reading goal.
And Gyokeres was denied again shortly after when he was played in behind by Hamer’s delightful pass and attempted to round Lumley only to be forced wide and then see his eventual shot blocked
The Swede had a fourth chance in the opening 20 minutes when he was presented with a sight of goal after some pinball in the Reading box only to shoot agonisingly wide from a tight angle from close range.
Coventry eventually took the lead on 36 minites when Godden volleyed the ball into the right corner of the goal from Hamer’s clever pass.
And the Sky Blues almost doubled their lead in first-half injury time as Gyokeres curled a short against the post from 20-yards out following a counter attack from a Reading corner.
However, Reading equalised against the run of play on 51 miniutes when Joao curled the ball into the right corner of the goal from the edge of the penalty area from substutute Tyrese Fornah’s pass.
Mark Robins’ side reclaimed the lead just three minutes later as Hamer won back possession and drove into the box before picking out the right corner after his initial attempted pass came back to him.
The visitors went close to an equaliser just past the hour mark when tall striker Joao headed over the bar at the near post from Nesta Guinness-Walker’s cross from the left.
City responded with a chance of their own after some neat build-up play in midfield set up a shot for Hamer who blasted the ball several yards wide from distance.
And Coventry spurned a glorious chance to extend their lead moments later when the ball broke to Hamer who drove towards goal only to be denied by the legs of Lumley when one-on-one.
Reading almost levelled at the other end when Joao headed narrowly wide at the back post after Cesare Casadei lifted a teasing ball into the box.
City should have sealed the points with two minutes left to play when Hamer picked up a loose ball and played a pass into Gyokeres who rolled his man only to somehow shoot wide from a central position inside the box.
However, Coventry saw out eight minutes of added time to secure a vital victory with the final whistle met by a huge roar from the home supporters with the Sky Blues in the play-off places with just two matches left to play.
