Coventry march on after goals from Gustavo Hamer and Viktor Gyokeres

Posted Wednesday, November 09, 2022 by PA

Gustavo Hamer and Viktor Gyokeres were on target as clinical Coventry secured their third Championship win in a row as they beat Wigan 2-0 at the CBS Arena.

Only Blackburn had taken more points from their previous six games than Mark Robins’ men, who made it nine clean sheets in 12 outings.

Coventry’s sixth win in eight also took them into the top half of the Championship for the first time this season, just five points off the play-offs with two games in hand over sixth-placed QPR, who Robins’ men host on Saturday.

Wigan missed the opportunity to move out of the relegation zone with a sixth defeat in seven matches and remain second bottom, two points from safety.

In a game bereft of chances, Kasey Palmer came closest when Callum O’Hare flicked Jake Bidwell’s pass into the path of the midfielder shortly before half-time.

The former Chelsea academy product turned past Curtis Tilt but his effort was met by a flying Rarmani Edwards-Green.

The Sky Blues enjoyed 62 per cent of the ball in the first half but failed to muster a shot on target.

The visitors also failed to trouble Ben Wilson in the Coventry goal and looked most threatening from set-pieces as Jack Whatmough’s header back across goal was fired wide by James McClean.

The Irish winger also saw an effort deflected inside the first 10 minutes, while Charlie Wyke headed a corner narrowly wide for Leam Richardson’s men.

The Latics had taken 14 of their 20 points this season from their travels prior to their trip to Coventry, including earning four of their five victories to date on the road.

Hamer and Josh Eccles also blazed over for Mark Robins’ men before Michael Rose lifted O’Hare’s cutback into the empty stand behind the goal after a clever corner routine.

Hamer almost handed the Latics the lead when he forced Wilson to scramble across goal and clear his mis-placed back pass to prevent an embarrassing own goal.

But the midfielder broke the deadlock at the other end 13 minutes from time when he latched onto Gyokeres’ lay-off.

The 25-year-old took aim from outside the box and his effort cannoned off Whatmough, leaving Jamie Jones stranded in the Wigan goal.

Wigan failed to threaten the Sky Blues’ slender lead and it was Swedish striker Gyokeres who finished the job in stoppage time.

Coventry’s top scorer netted his eighth of the season when he latched onto Eccles’ punt forward and left the Wigan defence in his wake before calmly slotting beyond Jones with only the second shot on target of the night.