HAJI Wright’s late goal earned Coventry City a hard-fought 2-1 win against Millwall as the Sky Blues moved eight points clear at the top of the table.
Wright netted the winner for the second game running when he blasted a shot into the net from 12-yards out on 78 minutes at the Coventry Building Society Arena.
That came after Romain Esse’s first Sky Blues goal put the home side ahead on 11 minutes before Mihailo Ivanovic’s volley drew Millwall level just before the half-hour mark.
The result means Coventry sit eight points clear of Ipswich Town at the top of the Championship table with third-placed Middlesbrough to play tomorrow night.
Millwall spurned the game’s first chance after just five minutes as Ivanovic overhit a cross into the box from the left with Thierno Ballo waiting to turn the ball home following a rapid counter attack.
The visitors forced Carl Rushworth into action soon after as the Coventry keeper reacted sharply to hold Macaulay Langstaff’s flick following a corner from the right.
However, Coventry broke the deadlock on 11 minutes when Esse forced the ball home from close range to score his first goal for the Sky Blues after Max Crocombe kept out Haji Wright’s initial header.
Millwall looked to respond when Jay Dasilva inadvertently headed the ball straight into the path of Femi Azeez who could only drag a shot wide from 15-yards out.
And the visitors equalised on 29 minutes when Ivanovic poked Azeez’s cross from the right into the net on the volley from eight-yards out.
Coventry had the ball in the net early in the second period when Wright poked home from close range only for the assistant to flag for offside against Esse in the build-up despite the winger not making an attempt to play the ball.
Millwall missed a glorious chance to take the lead just past the hour mark when Ivanovic broke through on goal only for Rushworth to make a superb one-handed stop as Dasilva headed the loose ball to safety.
Substitute Victor Torp almost put Coventry back in front when he lashed a free-kick into the side netting from 30-yards out.
However, the Sky Blues reclaimed the lead 12 minutes from time when Brandon Thomas-Asante controlled Tatsuhiro Sakamoto’s cross and the ball eventually broke to Wright who powered a shot through the gloves of Crocombe.
Coventry should have sealed the points late on when Ephron Mason-Clark slipped in Thomas-Asante only for Crocombe to make the save but the Sky Blues saw out the remaining minutes to claim a valuable three points.
