HAJI Wright scored an injury time winner as Coventry City claimed a dramatic 3-2 victory against Oxford United in their first home game of the season.
Wright struck six minutes into time added on to settle a thrilling contest after he opened the scoring earlier in the game with Milan van Ewijk also on target at the Coventry Building Society Arena.
Oxford twice drew level courtesy of goals from Ciaron Brown and Mark Harris before a late error allowed Wright to win the game for the Sky Blues.
Coventry made the perfect start when Wright powered home van Ewijk’s inviting cross from the right on 15 minutes from six-yards out.
And Wright then looked to tee up Ellis Simms minutes later with the striker just unable to connect with the former’s low ball in from the left.
However, Oxford drew level on 22 minutes when Brown reacted quickest to blast a loose ball into the bottom left corner after Coventry failed to clear their lines at a free-kick.
The Sky Blues almost reclaimed the lead moments after the restart as Jack Rudoni let fly on the half-volley from 25-yards out and went inches past the post.
City spurned another chance soon after when Luis Binks did well to keep the ball alive at the back post only for Wright to head straight at U’s goalkeeper Jamie Cumming from close range.
However, Coventry eventually restored their lead on 31 minutes when van Ewijk lashed an unstoppable effort into the bottom left corner after Tatsuhiro Sakamoto allowed the ball to run into the Dutchman’s path just inside the penalty area.
The Sky Blues came forward again soon after as Jake Bidwell picked out Wright who drove into the penalty area and saw his low effort from a tight angle kept out by Cumming.
Oxford made City pay for those missed chances on 56 minutes when Harris instinctively turned the ball home from a couple of yards out after Ruben Rodrigues miscued his initial header.
Coventry should have taken the lead for a third time when Josh Eccles flicked on a corner from the left to the back post where Binks headed the ball goalwards only for Cumming to somehow keep the ball out from point-blank range.
And City created another chance soon after as Wright failed to find the target with his head from another tantalising van Ewijk cross.
Sky Blues goalkeeper Oliver Dovin made a crucial stop at the other end to cut out Louie Sibley’s dangerous low cross before substitute Jay Dasilva cleared the danger.
City spurned a glorious chance to win the game late on as Cumming kept out Wright’s effort from 15-yards out low down to his left before also denying Ephron Mason-Clark’s follow-up.
Moments later Cumming pushed Binks’ swerving effort from distance to safety before holding Eccles’ driven shot in injury time.
However, in a late twist Wright latched onto a misplaced pass from Will Vaulks before coolly rounding Cumming and finishing into an empty net six minutes into injury time.
