Coventry City 3-2 Stoke City: Sky Blues score last-minute winner as fine run under Frank Lampard goes on

Bobby Thomas scored a last-gasp winner to give Coventry a thrilling 3-2 win against Stoke at the CBS Arena.

Victor Torp had scored a first-half brace to put the Sky Blues ahead before substitute Sam Gallagher netted two of his own to haul Stoke level.

But Thomas sent the Sky Blue army into raptures in the seventh minute of added time when he thumped home to earn his side a ninth win in 10 league outings.

The clash also saw the return of Stoke manager Mark Robins after he was sacked by the Sky Blues in November.

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Robins' seven-year reign saw two promotions, a Championship play-off final defeat to Luton on penalties and FA Cup semi-final final heartbreak against Manchester United last season.

Robins had watched his side have the best of the opening exchanges when Ben Pearson slid in Liverpool loanee Lewis Koumas, who opened up his body and saw his effort well saved by Oliver Dovin.

The opening goal game after 22 minutes when Milan van Ewijk's long throw was headed in by the incoming Torp.

Tatsuhiro Sakamoto made Coventry's second nine minutes after the opener, nutmegging Enda Stevens before laying off to Torp.

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The Danish midfielder's arrival into the box allowed him to take a touch before slotting beyond Viktor Johansson.

Josh Eccles almost put the Sky Blues out of sight before the break when his curling effort came back off a post.

There was still time for controversy before the whistle when Coventry were denied a penalty.

Sakamoto's delightful pass over the top picked out Ephron Mason-Clark, who poked the ball beyond Johansson before being brought down by the flying Swede.

However, referee David Webb pointed for a goal kick as the ball bounced narrowly wide.

Robins introduced Gallagher at the break alongside Million Manhoef, whose cross was nodded narrowly wide by Ali Al-Hamadi.

The Potters halved the deficit when Wouter Burger drove into the box, evaded Liam Kitching's overzealous challenge and squared for Gallagher to tap into an empty net.

It was the former Southampton striker's first goal since a 6-1 victory over Portsmouth back in October.

Another in-swinging Manhoef cross created the leveller, the Dutchman's free-kick picking out Gallagher to nod home a second and stun the 30,011 crowd.

Burger almost stole all three points for Stoke when his clever backheel narrowly cleared the crossbar.

But Coventry had the final say when Thomas latched on to Stevens' would-be clearance, steadied himself and thumped his left-footed effort into the corner in the seventh minute of additional time.

The managers

Coventry's Frank Lampard:

"A midfield player that can score goals and have an all-round game is priceless for us and the balance of the team.

"It was my game, I suppose as a coach you set up the team and when you play with two eights who are mobile like he and Josh (Eccles) were today it has to be part of their game.

"I see it in training a lot and I work on those things because it was part of my game, but he's the one who did it and I'm delighted for him and the impact he had on the game today.

"I'd prefer it was done and dusted but it can't always be the way. I thought we started the second half pretty well but it felt cagey and you're always aware a goal changes the game and it did.

"If we get the penalty we should have had, it wouldn't have been done at half time but clear, and everyone in the stadium knew that.

"Their second goal was offside as well but keeping going when there's seven minutes, they had a bit of momentum which we grabbed back a bit in that extra time so I'm just really happy.

"Bobby's popped up with some big goals for us and that's what we're in football for, there will be times I sit here and I'll be disappointed and there's times when you know the Coventry fans in the stadium have gone away with an amazing game and an amazing feeling at the end."

Stoke's Mark Robins:

"The three goals were terrible and that's where we're lacking. We make really naive choices, we win the ball, knock it down to them in midfield, those are the things that are costing us in games and they need to realise that.

"To allow them to get a cross in, to allow Bobby Thomas to pick up a ball in our penalty area and allow him to drag it onto his left foot and then not stand in the way of a shot is unforgivable.

"We started brightly. We created three chances before they'd had a shot on target.

"Then their first effort on goal ends up in the back of our net. It's too easy, we've allowed him to jump into our centre half, who doesn't see him coming, and allows him to get a header and flick it into the far corner.

"We got back into the game out of nothing really, little bit of good play, they were sloppy, we capitalised on it, whereas if we'd have capitalised on the first three chances we had then it could have been a different afternoon for us.

"We could have caused them more problems, we turned it down, we were a bit negative and I don't know why, because these are there for the taking, I've got to say they're there for the taking and today we could have won this game."

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