JACK Rudoni came off the bench to score twice and inspire Coventry City to a thrilling 3-2 victory against Derby County.
Rudoni scored the winner 10 minutes from time after he had earlier restored Coventry’s lead just minutes after his introduction from the bench.
That came after Frank Onyeka’s stunner put the Sky Blues into an early lead only for Ben Brereton-Diaz to twice draw the Rams level at the Coventry Building Society Arena.
However, Rudoni marked his return to the Coventry side with a brace as the midfielder moved the Sky Blues eight points away from securing promotion to the Premier League.
The result means Frank Lampard’s side now hold an 11-point lead at the top of the Championship table with six matches left to play.
Coventry broke the deadlock after just 12 minutes when Onyeka curled a stunning first time effort into the top-left corner from the right edge of the penalty area to score his first goal for the club.
However, Derby equalised on 38 minutes as Brereton-Diaz headed in Matt Clarke’s cross from the left into the net at the back post with Carl Rushworth caught underneath the delivery.
Rushworth atoned for his error in first-half injury time when he denied Jaydon Banel with an outstretched leg when one-on-one.
City spurned a glorious chance of their own early in the second half after Josh Eccles pounced on a misplaced backpass only to shoot straight at Richard O’Donnell when one-on-one.
However, Coventry reclaimed the lead on 68 minutes when Rudoni recovered from a slip to control Milan van Ewijk’s dinked pass in the box, cut inside three defenders and drill a low shot into the net.
The referee awarded Derby a penalty on 77 minutes when Brereton-Diaz wnt to ground in the box under a challenge from Rushworth despite the Coventry goalkeeper getting fingertips on the ball.
Despite furious protests, the referee stuck with his decision as Brereton-Diaz picked himself up to level the game for a second time from the penalty spot.
