COVENTRY City claimed a 2-1 home win against Preston North End to end their 17-year wait for a league victory against the Lilywhites.
First-half goals from Jack Rudoni and Bobby Thomas at the Coventry Building Society Arena inspired the Sky Blues to a seventh win from their last eight league matches.
City secured their first league win against Preston in 23 meetings between the two clubs dating back to September 2007.
And the result means the Sky Blues remain one place and one point outside of the Championship play-off places.
Frank Lampard’s side went close to the opening goal when Thomas carried the ball out of defence and threaded a pass through to Ellis Simms who shot narrowly wide from inside the penalty area.
However, Coventry broke the deadlock on the half-hour mark when Ephron Mason-Clark delivered a cross from the left and Rudoni headed the ball into the right corner of the goal from eight-yards out.
And City doubled their lead seven minutes later as Matt Grimes floated a corner into the box from the left and Thomas saw his header from 10-yards out deflect past Preston goalkeeper Freddie Woodman.
The home side looked to stretch their lead after the break as Woodman kept out Tatsuhiro Sakamoto’s volley from just outside the penalty area.
And City somehow failed to make sure of the points soon after as Simms missed his kick with the goal at his mercy from eight-yards out before then seeing another effort saved by Woodman from close range.
And Woodman came to Preston’s rescue again moments later as the Liliywhites stopper superbly kept out Rudoni’s volley.
The visitors halved the deficit eight minutes from time as substitute Will Keane poked Brad Potts’ low ball in from the right past Oliver Dovin from close range.
City almost sealed the points late on with Simms just unable to reach Milan van Ewijk’s low ball across the face of goal which took a slight deflection on its way through.
However, the Sky Blues saw out the game comfortably to continue their push for a play-off spot.
