- Full time: Coventry City 2-1 Sunderland
- Diallo scores late consolation for Sunderland (90+4)
- Gyokeres seals points late on (89 mins)
- Allen put Coventry ahead with easy finish (25 mins)
- City secure third successive league victory
15:50
That’s all folks
That’s all from us here at the CBS Arena as Coventry kept their play-off hopes alive with a superb 2-1 win against Sunderland.
Coventry are next in action away at Preston North End on Tuesday night with kick-off at 7.45pm at Deepdale.
See you next time.
15:30
Robins: ‘Three points thoroughly deserved’
Mark Robins was delighted with the quality of his side’s goals as City clinched the points with two well-worked moves and had further chances to pull clear of their opponents.
The Sky Blues boss felt City were deserved winners on the day and praised the impact of his substitutes.
Robins said: “It was a feisty game, we were brilliant, Jamie Allen’s goal was outstanding and Vik deserves his goal because of the way he works.
“We think we’ve won the game, there’s literally two minutes to go and we give away a stupid goal, that’s annoying because in possession they’re one of the best teams we’ve played.
“They were gowing into the game and then we lost Kasey Palmer which made it really difficult, the changes were pretty good from our perspective.
“It was a brilliant second goal, Gus has played it first time and reversed it back to Matty [Godden] and two touches and it’s in the back of the net.
“It was a thoroughly deserved three points.”
14:50
Gyokeres: ‘I want to score every game’
Coventry’s main man Gyokeres now has 15 league goals to his name this season and is just four behind the Championship’s leading scorer Middlesborough’s Chuba Akpom.
The Swedish striker hopes he can keep up his recent form after socring the winner against Sunderland.
Gyokeres told Sky Sports: “If we want to go for the play-offs we needed to get three points today and we did.
“It was nice to score, I had two good chances in the first half, the first one bobbled up a litte bit and the second one was close, but I scored in the end which was nice.
“Hopefully, I can keep this run going, I want to score every game.”
Jamie Allen added: “He holds the ball up and presses from the front and he gets the goals, hopefully we can keep him in this form.
“He’s got a couple of assists for me this season, if he keeps it up, hopefully I’ll get into double figures myself.
“It’s always a big game and I’m just delighted to win this game.
“It’s three wins in a row, we’ve got that good team spirit at the moment, hopefully our confidence keeps building.”
14:30
Deserved lap of honour
Coventry players have done a lap of honour around the pitch at full time taking in applause from all four corners of the ground and deservedly so after a huge win.
Several thousand supporters stayed after the final whistle to show their appreciation.
There’s still plenty of work to do but City fans will be dreaming of the play-offs now!
FULL TIME!
Coventry 2-1 Sunderland
There’s the whistle which is met by huge roars from the Sky Blues faithful!
Coventry hold on to secure a fantastic victory and move within two points of the play-offs.
Reaction to follow.
90+4 mins
GOAL!
Coventry 2-1 Sunderland
This is not over just yet as Diallo curls an excellent strike into the left corner with Wilson rooted to the spot.
90 mins
ADDED TIME!
Coventry 2-0 Sunderland
There will be six minutes of added time here at the CBS Arena.
Coventry look good for the points now.
90 mins
CHANCE!
Coventry 2-0 Sunderland
Striaght from kick-off, Hamer produces an immense press and wins the ball back before sliding it to Godden who sees his scuffed effort held by Patterson.
89 mins
GOAL!
Coventry 2-0 Sunderland
The Sky Blues seal the points and it just had to be that man Gyokeres on his 100th appearance for the club.
Gyokeres gets ahead of Ballard to turn home Godden’s ball across the box from close range after Hamer’s excellent switch of play found the substitute in space.
The CBS Arena is rocking now!
86 mins
YELLOW CARD!
Coventry 1-0 Sunderland
Wilson is booked for time-wasting which is quite ridiculous.
81 mins
SUBSTITUTIONS!
Coventry 1-0 Sunderland
Mark Robins turns to his bench with City under pressure in the last few minutes as Doyle and Jake Bidwell make way for Godden and Michael Rose.
Sunderland have also made their last change as Costa Rica international Jewison Bennette comes on in place of Aji Alese.
75 mins
HUGE MISS!
Coventry 1-0 Sunderland
The visitors miss a glorious chance to draw level as Diallo’s cross causes havoc in the Coventry six-yard box only for Roberts to poke the ball wide from close range.
Another massive let off for the Sky Blues.
74 mins
SUBSTITUTION!
Coventry 1-0 Sunderland
Another change for Sunderland as O’Nien replaces Neil who was on a yellow.
74 mins
SAVE!
Coventry 1-0 Sunderland
A corner from the left is allowed to run all the way across the face of goal as Wilson tips Hume’s header over the crossbar.
A let off for Coventry.
Over 20,000 in attendance
The attendance has just been confirmed as 21,447, a great turnout from both sets of supporters.
68 mins
SUBSTITUTIONS!
Coventry 1-0 Sunderland
Sunderland make a triple change as Alex Pritchard, Abdoullah Ba and Pierre Ekwah all come on as Clarke, Michut and Gelhardt make way.
66 mins
APPEAL!
Coventry 1-0 Sunderland
Clarke goes to ground in the box under an extremely soft challenge from Norton-Cuffy and appears to handle the ball but the referee waves play on.
64 mins
STOPPAGE!
Coventry 1-0 Sunderland
A supporter from the Coventry end runs onto the pitch and drops a flare, no fewer than five stewards tackle him to the ground.
Play resumes.
62 mins
BLOCKED!
Coventry 1-0 Sunderland
Gyokeres picks up the ball down the left channel and finds Hamer on the edge of the box who works space for a shot only to see his effort blocked.
The Sky Blues fiathful are in full voice at the CBS!
60 mins
SAVE!
Coventry 1-0 Sunderland
Norton-Cuffy intercepts a cross-field pass before driving down the right hand side and floating a cross straight into the arms of Patterson at the back post.
56 mins
SAVE!
Coventry 1-0 Sunderland
Excellent save by Wilson low down to his left to keep out Diallo’s fierce drive.
City deal with a couple of corners before Wilson takes exception to Gelhardt’s attempt to challenge for the ball and the teams clash for a third time.
52 mins
SUBSTITUTION!
Coventry 1-0 Sunderland
Palmer comes back on only to go down immediately, he looks devastated.
Good shift from Palmer nonetheless and he’s replaced by Manchester City loanee Josh Wilson-Esbrand.
Looked like a potential hamstring problem for Palmer.
48 mins
INJURY!
Coventry 1-0 Sunderland
Bad news for Coventry as Palmer is down with an injury on the halfway line.
Matty Godden is warming up.
Palmer walks off to the sideline as Coventry have a corner to defend.
46 mins
BACK UNDERWAY!
Coventry 1-0 Sunderland
The teams are out for the second half as the Sky Blues get us back underway at the CBS Arena.
No changes at the break from either side.
13:25
Sky Blues deservedly lead at the break
Really good half of football that from Coventry who deservedly head into the break with the lead.
That said, the home side might be slightly disappointed not to be further in front after Gyokeres blazed over at 0-0 and shot inches wide soon after Coventry took the lead.
Mark Robins’ side have been more than happy to let Sunderland have the ball and the visitors will need to do more in possession if they are to avoid a second successive defeat.
The Black Cats did go close through Batth’s early header which hit the crossbar, but other than that Wilson has been relatively untroubled in the Sky Blues goal.
All to play for in the second half.
HALF-TIME
Coventry 1-0 Sunderland
Wilson deals with the free-kick and the referee blows for half time.
45+1 mins
ANOTHER FLASHPOINT!
Coventry 1-0 Sunderland
Josh Eccles is about to be booked for a challenge on the edge of the Coventry penalty area before both sets of players come steaming in.
In the end Eccles is indeed booked whilst Diallo is cautioned for Sunderland who appeared to take a swipe at the Coventry midfielder.
Dangerous position this.
45 mins
ADDED TIME!
Coventry 1-0 Sunderland
Up goes the board for added time and we will have two extra minutes before the half is out.
44 mins
CHANCE!
Coventry 1-0 Sunderland
Palmer swings a deep free-kick into the box with Doyle just unable to reach it at full stretch at the back post.
42 mins
CHANCE!
Coventry 1-0 Sunderland
Excellent work from former Black Cat Callum Doyle who brings the ball out from the back and finds Palmer who in turn passes to Gyokeres who sees his deflected shot bounce just wide of the right-hand post.
39 mins
YELLOW CARD!
Coventry 1-0 Sunderland
Plamer is in disbelief after he goes into the book for a challenge on Roberts.
The midfielder was adamant he won the ball.
He did win the ball with one foot but wiped out the Sunderland man with the other.
37 mins
CHANCE!
Coventry 1-0 Sunderland
Allen’s cross from the right is only half cleared to the left-hand side of the penalty area where Hamer hits a brilliant volley that flies inches over the crossbar.
What a goal that would have been.
34 mins
Mowbray not happy with the officials
Coventry 1-0 Sunderland
Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray is furious with the officials after Roberts has his legs taken away.
The fourth official receives an earful from the former Coventry boss.
I think he had a point there.
30 mins
FLASHPOINT!
Coventry 1-0 Sunderland
Tempers boil over on the touchline with the officials unsure which team to award a throw-in to as Palmer becomes embroiled in a shoving match with a Sunderland player.
27 mins
CHANCE!
Coventry 1-0 Sunderland
Almost a second for Coventry as Gyokeres makes a powerful run into the box before flashing a shot across the face of goal that goes inches past the left-hand post.
25 mins
GOAL!
Coventry 1-0 Sunderland
Jamie Allen makes it 1-0 to the Sky Blues!
A quite brilliant goal from Mark Robins’ side as Gyokeres breaks into the box down the right and picks out Allen who fires a simple finish into the net past a helpless Patterson.
The CBS Arena has come alive!
That’s Allen’s second goal in as many games following his strike at Rotherham last weekend.
23 mins
YELLOW CARD!
Coventry 0-0 Sunderland
Dan Neil goes into the book for a foul on Jamie Allen as Coventry looked to counter.
20 mins
CHANCE!
Coventry 0-0 Sunderland
Another corner from the right is swung into the Sunderland box and Luke McNally heads over the top.
17 mins
CHANCE!
Coventry 0-0 Sunderland
Gyokeres intercepts a loose pass from Manchester United loanee Amad Diallo and easily goes past Batth only to blaze his shot over the crossbar from inside the penalty area.
15 mins
Lively start
Coventry 0-0 Sunderland
Decent start to this one, Coventry came racing out of the traps and won a couple of early corners but Sunderland have wrestled back control with only the woodwork preventing Batth’s header from breaking the deadlock.
9 mins
CROSSBAR!
Coventry 0-0 Sunderland
Sunderland win a free-kick close to the corner flag on the left and Danny Batth’s header from the resulting set-piece hits the crossbar with Wilson beaten.
8 mins
SAVE!
Coventry 0-0 Sunderland
Back come Sunderland as Hume lets fly from 20-yards out and Ben Wilson pushes the full-back’s powerful strike to safety.
6 mins
CHANCE!
Coventry 0-0 Sunderland
Palmer looks in the mood this afternoon, the midfielder recieves a pass and nutmegs Edouard Michut before blazing wide from distance.
Positive start from Coventry.
3 mins
CORNER!
Coventry 0-0 Sunderland
Brooke Norton-Cuffy does well down the right to win a corner which is floated in by Gustavo Hamer and easily claimed by Black Cats keeper Anthony Patterson.
Shortly after Gyokeres comes inside from the right and finds Palmer who drives towards goal before winning another corner.
1 min
KICK-OFF
Coventry 0-0 Sunderland
Referee Dean Whitestone blows his whistle as Sunderland’s Joe Gelhardt gets us underway at the CBS Arena.
12:28
Players out of the tunnel
The two teams are making their way onto the pitch with kick-off just minutes away.
12:20
Sky Blues pay tribute to Motson
A nice touch from Coventry before kick-off with a tribute to legendary commentator John Motson who died aged 77 earlier this week.
Motson was on commentary duty for Coventry’s famous FA Cup final win against Tottenham Hotspur in 1987 and his commentary from that day was played out of the loud speakers.
A true broadcasting great who covered more than 2,500 matches during a 50-year career.
12:15
History books on Coventry’s side
Coventry have a fantastic recent record on home soil against Sunderland.
The Sky Blues were last beaten at home in the league by the Black Cats in April 1985 and are unbeaten in the last nine meetings when at home.
And Sunderland have failed to win any of the last five games between the two clubs and are yet to taste victory against Coventry at the CBS Arena.
Just 15 minutes until kick-off!
12:00
What happened earlier this season?
The two teams previously met on the opening day of the Championship season back in July as Viktor Gyokeres’ netted a second-half equaliser to cancel out Jack Clarke’s opener with both players starting again today.
11:50
Mowbray: ‘Coventry will give us problems’
Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray previously managed the Sky Blues during an 18-month spell and was full of praise for his former club pre-match.
The 59-year-old is expecting a tough game and singled out Viktor Gyokeres as the potential difference maker with the Swede having scored in each of his last two appearances.
Mowbray said: “Coventry like to play with the ball, Mark Robins is a very good coach who has a system and style of play that we have to be ready for, they will give us problems.
“They have one of league’s most potent centre-forward’s, it’s a tough game, I’ve managed Coventry, it’s an amazing stadium and the fans are very passionate about their football club.
“We’ve found a level of consistency that has allowed us to pick up points, we’ve got to try and continue that over the remainder and see where it takes us.
“We’ll try and go to Coventry and give them a tough game.”
11:45
Robins: ‘No surprise we can go on a run when everybody’s fit’
Coventry have enjoyed a recent resurgence of late with the Sky Blues unbeaten in their last three matches to lift themselves back into play-off contention.
And City boss Mark Robins believes having almost all of his senior players back available from injury can only aid Coventry’s hopes of achieving a top-six finish.
Robins said: “It’s no surprise that when we have everybody fit we have more chance of going on a run.
“I don’t think we have ever been short of confidence. I think fatigue and injuries have played a part this season, and everybody is experiencing that.
“It’s an unpreceded season and we’ve had an unprecedented amount of injuries. It’s difficult for us all, it really is.
“They’re above us in the table and they’re not too far outside the top six. If we can get a result it lifts us closer to them, and then we’re at lot closer to those top six places ourselves.”
11:35
TEAM NEWS: Black Cats change three after midweek defeat
Sunderland make three changes after they suffered a disappointing 2-1 defeat at struggling Rotherham in midweek with Trai Hume, Aji Alese and Patrick Roberts all coming back into the side.
Sunderland: Patterson, Hume, Batth, Ballard, Alese, Michut, Neil, Roberts, Diallo, Clarke, Gelhardt
Subs: Bass, O’Nien, Ekwah, Ba, Pritchard, Bennette, Lihadji
11:30
TEAM NEWS: Coventry unchanged as Gyokeres makes 100th Sky Blues appearance
The Sky Blues name an unchanged team for the third successive game after wins against both Rotherham United and Millwall whilst Viktor Gyokeres makes his 100th appearance for City.
Coventry: Wilson, McNally, McFadzean, Doyle, Norton-Cuffy, Hamer, Eccles, Bidwell, Allen, Palmer, Gyokeres
Subs: Moore, Rose, Dabo, Wilson-Esbrand, Maguire, Godden, Walker
11:15
Good morning!
Coventry welcome Sunderland to the CBS Arena this lunchtime as Mark Robins’ side try to close the five-point gap to the teams in the play-off places.
City have recovered from a slow start to climb up the table over the course of the campaign and know a win this lunchtime will see them move one point behind opponents Sunderland in the standings.
However, the Black Cats are enjoying a fine season themselves and sit eighth in the table having only been promoted from League One last term.
This should be a cracker!
Team news is on the way.
