Wright secures win for Sky Blues against Oxford

Haji Wright’s goal in the sixth minutes of added time earned Coventry their first victory of the season as they left it late to beat Oxford United 3-2 at the CBS Arena. Mark Robins’ side had been a goal to the good twice through Wright and Milan van Ewijk, but were pulled back first by Ciaran Brown and then Mark Harris before the American sealed all three points.
Wright was the star man for the home side as he opened the scoring after 15 minutes when he powered home a header following Van Ewijk’s inviting cross from the right. The USA international was also inches away from teeing up Ellis Simms as he flashed his cross across goal. Simms had been the Sky Blues’ top scorer last season but it was indecisiveness in his own box which allowed Brown to nip in and lash home an equaliser.
Coventry thrashed Oxford 6-2 when the pair met in the FA Cup third round back in January and it was they who made all the running in the first half.
Jack Rudoni, making his home debut after moving from Huddersfield in the summer, unleashed a powerful left-footed effort that whistled past a post with Jamie Cumming sprawling to his right. Wright then should have put Coventry back in front but his point-blank header was straight into the arms of Cumming.
Coventry were searching for their first league win since a 1-0 victory over Leeds on 6 April, a run stretching seven games either side of the summer break. The home side were deservedly back ahead when Van Ewijk met a loose ball across the box and rifled his effort into a bottom corner.
The CBS Arena was stunned 10 minutes after the break when Harris, who was also on the scoresheet during Oxford’s win on the opening weekend, bundled Reuben Rodrigues’ cross into the net to level the score.
Cumming was in excellent form himself as he tried to preserve Oxford’s point, withstanding a second-half onslaught when he flew across his line to prevent Luis Binks’ back-post header, while making a superb double save from Wright and then the debutant Ephron Mason-Clark. But Wright was to have the last laugh when he latched on to Will Vaulks’ poor back-pass and coolly rounded Cumming before slotting into an empty net.
Robins expressed his relief after Coventry’s first victory of the season . “It’s a relief and I’ve said it in years gone by, but this year might be the year I have a heart attack if we’re going to play like that,” he said. “I think we deserved it. They were really good and pushed us all the way. We took control of the game early on and got a brilliant goal, great ball, great header.
“I thought Haji was brilliant all night. I think the team played really well apart from the two goals, they were really avoidable and really poor, but if we can win a game and concede those goals then fine tonight, but we will come unstuck if we can’t defend and keep clean sheets.”