EPHRON Mason-Clark scored for the third game in a row as Coventry City battled to a 1-0 Boxing Day win against Swansea City.
Mason-Clark scored the game’s only goal shortly before half time at the Coventry Building Society Arena as the Sky Blues beat the Swans at home for the first time in 44 years.
And the result means Coventry lead the Championship table by five points from closest challengers Middlesbrough.
The visitors tested Carl Rushworth in the Sky Blues goal early on as the Coventry keeper comfortably held Eom Ji-sung’s early effort.
And the Swans spurned a golden chance to take the lead minutes later when Liam Cullen squared the ball into the path of Zan Vipotnik only for Luke Woolfenden to block the striker’s goalbound effort from eight-yards out behind for a corner.
Coventry finally troubled the Swansea goal late in the first half when Tatsuhiro Sakamoto floated a cross into the box from the right and Swans goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux somehow clawed Ellis Simms’ close-range header away from goal from behind his own line.
Vigouroux could only push the ball into the path of Mason-Clark who drilled a low shot towards goal only for his strike to hit teammate Jack Rudoni which prevented a certain goal.
And the Sky Blues took the lead on 44 minutes when Swansea failed to deal with Milan van Ewijk’s long throw into the box and Mason-Clark lashed a loose ball into the roof of the net on the turn from seven-yards out.
Coventry went close to a second goal early in the second half as Mason-Clark cut in from the left and saw his low effort deflected behind with Vigouroux scrambling across his line.
The visitors missed a golden chance to equalise on 70 minutes when Cullen somehow volleyed Ethan Galbraith’s cross from the left over the crossbar from inside the six-yard box.
And the Swans spurned another chance to draw level as Rushworth held substitute Melker Widell’s effort from a tight angle in the box.
However, Coventry held firm in the remaining minutes to secure an eighth successive home victory.
