Sheffield Wednesday 1-2 Coventry City: FLW reports as Sky Blues climb to seventh with Ellis Simms late winner | OneFootball

FLW reports as Coventry City defeat play-off rivals Sheffield Wednesday thanks to Ellis Simms' late winner

Coventry City climbed to seventh in the Championship table with a 2-1 win away from home at play-off rivals Sheffield Wednesday, thanks to Ellis Simms' injury-time winner.

Prior to the action, Danny Rohl’s men were unbeaten in their past five home league games, which was their best run in S6 since December 2019, but a proud record which Frank Lampard's men put an abrupt end to.

Meanwhile, both sides sat within touching distance of the top-six ahead of kick-off, and were looking to capitalise on the fact that play-off rivals Bristol City had been held to a 1-1 draw in the Severnside Derby by struggling Cardiff City in a lunchtime kick-off.

It was the Sky Blues who ultimately took the spoils, courtesy of Simms, who scored in three successive away Championship games for the first time in his career, before going on to net the winner too.

Sheffield Wednesday 1-2 Coventry City

The first dangerous attack of the game arrived early on, when Wednesday’s Svante Ingelsson burst into the area, and a goalmouth scramble ensued.

However, it was the Sky Blues who took the lead on 16 minutes when Simms headed home Jack Rudoni’s cross, which the home side failed to deal with.

After Lampard’s side put their noses in front, though, it was the hosts who controlled possession, and dominated proceedings for the remainder of the opening 45 minutes.

Djeidi Gassama, who was a real livewire all first half, fired wide following a counter-attack, before Coventry goalkeeper Oliver Dovin was forced into action just minutes later, denying Ike Ugbo from a tight angle, meaning that the Canada international is still searching for his first Championship goal of the season.

While the half-time scoreline was 1-0 to the visitors, they had put the ball in the back of the net for the second time in the opening 45 minutes, after Rudoni forced James Beadle into a save.

Simms challenged the Wednesday shot-stopper before the ball trickled over the line, but the Sky Blues striker was adjudged to have fouled the England Under-21 international.

The Owls made a half-time change as Ingelsson, who had looked dangerous, made way for this season’s club top scorer, Josh Windass.

Wednesday’s pressure finally told two minutes after the hour mark, when Marvin Johnson’s testing cross resulted in a Latibeaudiere own goal.

The Sky Blues defender was unable to deal with Johnson’s ball, and could only divert it past the helpless Dovin, but after the Wednesday equaliser, it was the visitors who began to have some joy in an attacking sense.

With 15 minutes left on the clock, Sky Blues substitute Tatsuhiro Sakamoto diverted a header goalwards at the far post, only to be denied by a terrific diving save from Beadle.

Rohl's men soon came close to netting the winner themselves though, as Johnson drilled his effort wide of Dovin's goal in front of the home supporters.

The home support then made two penalty shouts in quick succession, as Hillsborough debutant Ibrahim Cissoko and then midfielder Shea Charles went down in the area, but referee John Busby waved play on both times.

However, the decisive action arrived in the 92nd minute, when Beadle failed to deal with a ball over the top, and could only parry it out to Simms, who duly obliged to bag the winner.

Frank Lampard's reaction to Coventry City's win at Sheffield Wednesday

Following his side's triumph at Hillsborough, the Sky Blues boss told the press: "Today was a really tough match, there's no doubt.

"But Ellis' (Simms) desire to chase a lost cause, that people maybe would have given up on, and finish it well was an individual moment for him.

"But for the team as a collective, we had to defend the box a lot, and we did it.

"Whether we deserve it on the game, it's debatable for sure, because they played well, they had a lot of chances on our goal, and crosses, corners and stuff.

"But for the work we've put in over these last two-and-a half months, and where we're trying to get to, sometimes the game's just challenging in a different way.

"This one did (challenge us), the players dug in, and we win it at the end."

Danny Rohl left frustrated Sheffield Wednesday fall to defeat against Coventry City

After Wednesday's loss to a direct play-off rival, Rohl said: "When you look to the game, we controlled it, we dominated it and we were the better side.

"We had a lot of good opportunities, a lot of chances.

"But this is football, to take something you have to be clinical in both boxes.

"I’m disappointed about the first conceded goal, again a situation with (a) crossed ball, defending in the right areas we can double up.

"We don’t stop the cross, then it was a good header.

"We fully deserved our equaliser.

"Nobody will ask how the game was, they’ll only look at the result, and that was 2-1 to Coventry."