COVENTRY RFC battled back from 19 points down to edge out Ampthill 26-24 and maintain their perfect home record.
Will Lane, Will Rigg, Ollie Betteridge and Will Talbot-Davies all crossed for tries with Pat Pellegrini kicking the crucial conversion that secured victory at Butts Park Arena.
The result means Coventry sit sixth in the RFU Championship table after three matches.
Coventry were forced into a change before the whistle sounded with Josh Bainbridge withdrawing from the squad due to injury which allowed Tom Ball to come into the starting XV.
Ampthill started the better of the two teams and were rewarded when Conor Rankin scored the game’s first trey after he held his width with Gwyn Parks kicking the extras.
And the visitors quickly added their second try when Syd Blackmore powered over from a rolling maul, after Coventry had been penalised on several occasions, with Sykes kicking the conversion.
Ampthill struck again when Ben Cambriani produced a superb individual chip and chase effort before diving over to hand the visitors a 19-point lead.
However, Coventry finally responded when Lane dove over from close range with Evan Mitchell quickly adding the extras.
And Coventry reduced the deficit to seven points at the break when Louis Brown made a near length of the field break before he passed to Rigg who touched down in the corner on his Championship debut.
The visitors halted Coventry’s comeback with a bonus point try early in the second half as Theo Dan scored from a quick tap and go after winning a penalty in the home side’s 22.
Coventry moved to within one score of Ampthill when Betteridge wrestled his way over the line, after a series of Ampthill infringements close to their own line, with Mitchell kicking the conversion.
And the home side completed an impressive comeback when Talbot-Davies dove over from replacement Pellegrini’s pass, with Ampthill’s Dan in the sin bin, before Pellegrini then kicked the extras to put Coventry ahead for the first time.
Ampthill defended heroically to prevent Coventry from extending their lead before Pellegrini shaved the post with a late penalty attempt as the home side held on to secure a narrow victory.
Coventry are next in action at home to defending champions Ealing Trailfinders on Saturday, October 1 with kick-off at 3pm at Butts Park Arena.
