Coventry City striker Haji Wright secured the Sky Blues’ first three points of the Championship season with a dramatic 96th-minute winner against newly promoted Oxford United.
Oxford, who had won both their opening league and cup games, twice came from behind, giving them hope of maintaining their unbeaten start to the season. They responded quickly to Wright’s opening header with Ciaron Brown’s equalizer. Then, after Milan van Ewijk drilled Coventry into a half-time lead, Oxford struck back again. Mark Harris leveled the score from close range in the 55th minute.
However, Wright delivered a late twist. Making his first start after a difficult, injury-plagued pre-season, he capitalized on Will Vaulks’ misplaced backpass. Wright rounded the keeper to earn Coventry their first home victory since early April.
Coventry took the lead for the first time when Van Ewijk and Tatsuhiro Sakamoto combined in a rapid move down the right. Van Ewijk’s hanging cross found Wright, who powered home an unstoppable header. Wright nearly doubled the lead soon after, but Ellis Simms squandered the chance from Wright’s left-wing cross.
Oxford equalized in the 22nd minute. Coventry’s failed attempt to clear a controversially awarded free-kick led to the ball deflecting off Simms’ shin. The ball fell to Oxford defender Brown, who drilled a first-time low left-foot finish just inside the left upright.
Coventry regained the lead after 31 minutes. Wright’s attempt to cause havoc down the left was halted, but the ball skewed across the 18-yard line. The alert Sakamoto cleverly let it pass to Van Ewijk, who was lurking behind him. The Dutch defender’s powerful low right-foot shot nutmegged two Oxford defenders before finding the net.
Wright was then denied at the far post, missing another chance to give Coventry a two-goal cushion. This proved costly 10 minutes into the second half when Oxford leveled for the second time. Cameron Brannagan’s left-wing cross found Ruben Rodrigues, who attempted a diving header at almost floor level. The ball flew toward Harris, who, kept onside by Coventry’s last man, turned it in off his groin.
Oxford keeper Jamie Cumming kept his team in the game with a flying save to deny Coventry defender Luis Binks’ back-post header. He followed that up with a brilliant late double save from Wright and home debutant Ephron Mason-Clark. But in such an open game, a final twist seemed inevitable. Wright provided it with one last costly lapse of concentration by Oxford.
Coventry City Boss Mark Robins:
“We can drop ourselves in it, that’s for sure. We can’t be giving goals away like that. But some of our attacking play was unbelievable, and they had to defend really well. Their keeper made two great saves. If Haji Wright keeps going like that, with his pace and power all over the pitch, then he’s going to be unplayable. What a game though. Some tasty football from both sides, and a great way for us to start at home.”
Oxford United Boss Des Buckingham:
“Football can be a cruel game, and the last 30 seconds of the game just showed us that again. We deserved a point. But I said to the players they can be so proud, after a wonderful performance last week, of the way we’ve come away from home and performed against such a tough team in an atmosphere like this. To come here and be brave enough to play the way we did, I can’t ask much more of them. If we keep showing that same desire and togetherness for the next 44 games, we’ll put ourselves in a very strong position.”
Next Matches:
Coventry will return to action next Saturday with one of three lunchtime kick-offs at Bristol City, a team they beat in the League Cup at Ashton Gate in midweek. Oxford will also be on the road that day, with an afternoon match against Blackburn.
