HAJI Wright missed a first-half penalty as Coventry City suffered a 2-1 defeat away at Southampton in a blow to the club’s play-off hopes.
Wright slipped as he took his spot kick with the game goalless as Kyle Walker-Peters and Che Adams struck to put Saints in command at the break.
Sky Blues defender Jake Bidwell scored his first goal in over a year to reduce the deficit with the visitors unable to find an equaliser at St Mary’s Stadium.
The result means City remain seventh in the Championship table, five points outside of the play-off places with a game in-hand on sixth-placed Norwich City.
Coventry won a penalty after just 10 minutes when Joel Latibeaudiere went down in the box under a challenge from Flynn Downes.
However, Wright slipped as he went to strike the penalty which deflected off his own foot and onto the crossbar.
And Saints made the most of that reprieve to take the lead on 18 minutes as Walker-Peters’ shot from distance deflected off Adams and past a wrong-footed Bradley Collins.
Collins then made a fine save to tip David Brooks’ low shot around the post for a corner only for Saints to strike again on 38 minutes when Adams bundled the ball home from close range at a corner.
The Sky Blues halved the deficit on 68 minutes as Bidwell produced a cushioned volley at the back post from Fabio Tavares’ cross from the right.
Coventry are next in action away at Birmingham City on Saturday, April 13 with kick-off at 3pm at St Andrews.
