Coventry City vs Queens Park Rangers. Sky Bet Championship.
The Coventry Building Society ArenaAttendance20,942.
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship clash between Coventry and QPR at the Coventry Building Society Arena as Albert Adomah struck the winner to seal all three points for Mark Warburton's side.
Saturday 22 January 2022 18:55, UK
Albert Adomah's 88th-minute header snatched three points for Queens Park Rangers as the promotion chasers beat Coventry 2-1 at the Coventry Building Society Arena.
Andre Gray opened the scoring for QPR inside the first six minutes before Jordan Shipley's thunderbolt levelled things after half-time.
Mark Warburton's team survived a barrage from the Sky Blues almost all afternoon but met David Marshall in top form before Adomah popped up to head home the winner.
It was QPR's fourth consecutive 2-1 away victory, while Coventry are now winless at home in four Sky Bet Championship matches.
Mark Robins made three changes to his starting 11 from the Sky Blues' 4-1 win at Peterborough a week ago as Simon Moore returned in goal, while Kyle McFadzean returned at the heart of the defence.
Viktor Gyokeres was also recalled to the line-up after Matty Godden announced he had recently been admitted to hospital to have his appendix removed and will miss a number of weeks.
There was also a place on the bench for former Rangers defender Jake Bidwell, who signed on a free transfer from Swansea earlier in the week.
Mark Warburton named just one change to his QPR side with Andre Dozzell replacing Stefan Johansen.
It was a lightning start at the CBS Arena as Jamie Allen was found by Ben Sheaf's defence-splitting pass, but the midfielder's effort was straight at Marshall.
At the other end, the returning Moore was out quickly to deny Gray, but the on-loan Watford striker was not to be kept at bay for long.
After being found by Chris Willock down the left, the striker calmly slotted his fifth goal of the season to put the visiting side a goal to the good inside six minutes.
The Sky Blues were undeterred and continued to pepper the QPR goal, who was guarded impeccably by 36-year-old stopper Marshall.
First it was Allen again, who after being released this time by Gyokeres, stung the palms of Marshall before the Scottish goalkeeper performed a double save to deny the Swede his first goal since October 2.
Callum O'Hare was next to test Marshall's mettle, his half volley heading for the top corner before Marshall clawed his effort away to safety.
Despite all their pressure, the Sky Blues nearly found themselves two behind moments before the break when Lee Wallace met a cross at the back post with the goal at his mercy but could only fire high and wide over Moore's goal.
Coventry's onslaught continued after the break when Rob Dickie's desperate header denied Gyokeres a tap-in inside the six-yard box before Shipley levelled things from the resulting corner.
Former QPR full-back Todd Kane had been subject to booing throughout the afternoon, but he clipped a corner to Shipley on the edge of the box and the academy graduate's volley rocketed into the top corner beyond the unmoved Marshall.
Robins' men continued to push after a lengthy delay following an injury to a steward during the celebrations, Sheaf's effort whistling narrowly wide of the left-hand post before Gustavo Hamer forced Marshall into another save down to his right.
But it was Adomah who was waiting at the back post to deal the decisive blow, Willock grabbing his second assist of the afternoon with a sublime cross onto the head of the wing-back who headed beyond Moore to seal all three points.
Coventry's Mark Robins: "Got away with one, didn't they? We've got to find a way to get a result against teams at the top of the table. We had good chances and loads of opportunities in the final third which we didn't take apart from a brilliant goal from Jordan Shipley. We opened them up brilliantly, the lads have been fantastic, got to a really high level and even if we drew the game we'd be thinking how have we not won it? But to lose it, is a right kick in the teeth.
"We had enough chances to go on and score a second and maybe even a third, but they've got the likes of Austin, Dykes, Willock and Andre Gray. Their ability to go and sign players, we are a million miles away from it and the fact they can score goals out of nothing obviously helps in games like this if they're under the cosh. We've got to dust ourselves down and get back at it on Tuesday."
QPR's Mark Warburton: "We lacked energy and intensity about our play today. You can talk all you like about formations and tactics, but the simple fact is we lost too many duels and didn't get tight to our opponent, but take nothing away from the players, they found a way. The players deserve a lot of credit but let's be honest, we've been on the other end of that, played outstandingly well and come away with nothing.
"Mark and his team will come away feeling very hard done-by but that's football, that is the Championship, but the overriding factor is being way below our best, coming up against an opponent that played significantly better on the day and we've emerged with three points, which is the sign of a good team. You've got to come to these places when you're not at your best and have to win those games or emerge with a point.
"My son gets bored of me saying the same things but it's one game at a time, our focus now has to be Swansea who will move it well and cause us problems, but we have to deliver a better performance in front of our fans."
