Town are one point away from a return to the Premier League after a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Coventry City at the Coventry Building Society Arena. Kieffer Moore’s eighth minute goal gave the Blues a 1-0 half-time advantage, but the Sky Blues, who were in charge for long spells, levelled through Haji Wright on 64, however, Cameron Burgess restored the lead with his second goal of the season five minutes later and Town saw out 11 minutes of added-on time to secure three vital points and put them a single point away from back-to-back promotions.
Boss Kieran McKenna made three changes from the team which drew 3-3 at Hull City on Saturday, while Leif Davis was fit enough to start at left-back.
George Edmundson came in for Luke Woolfenden at the centre of the defence, Nathan Broadhead returned from the minor knock which kept him out at Hull and was on the left replacing Conor Chaplin with Omari Hutchinson switching to the central role of the three behind striker Kieffer Moore, who came into the XI for George Hirst.
All three players who dropped out were on the bench, but neither Harry Clarke nor Ali Al-Hamadi were among the subs. Cameron Humphreys came into the squad as cover for Davis, who limped off at Hull after rolling his ankle.
Coventry made two changes from the team that drew 0-0 at Blackburn Rovers on Saturday with the previously injured Ben Sheaf coming in for Callum O’Hare, who was on the bench, and Joel Latibeaudiere for the suspended Liam Kitching.
The Blues started positively with Hutchinson hitting the first shot of the game in the fifth minute but straight at Coventry keeper Brad Collins.
And in the eighth minute they went in front. Hutchinson played a clever ball in behind the left-back for Wes Burns, who cut it back from the byline to Moore on the penalty spot and the Wales international slammed a low shot through keeper Collins and into the net before celebrating his eighth goal for the Blues in front of the already noisy Town fans away to his right.
Having gone behind, Coventry looked to get themselves back in it, Massimo Luongo doing well to block a 13th-minute shot from Kasey Palmer just outside the box.
Three minutes later, the Sky Blues broke quickly after Davis had overhit the second of two Town corners on the right and Burgess did well to cut out a dangerous cross from the right.
Coventry went closer in the 20th minute when Sheaf was found breaking towards the area in space by Palmer and his 25-yard shot flew only just wide of Vaclav Hladky’s right post, catching the string attaching the net to the stanchion on its way.
Town were giving the ball away too easily and were suddenly under pressure with the home side dominating the ball, Burgess heading a left-wing cross away from summer Blues target Ellis Simms.
On 25, Burns was tripped by Palmer as Town broke on the right and spent time on the floor in order to get treatment and slow the game down, also giving the Blues a chance to readjust after a team consultation with manager McKenna on the sideline.
However, within a minute of the restart, Coventry won a corner on the right, which was played low to Liam Kelly on the edge of the box by Jay Dasilva but the Scotland international’s strike was blocked by one of numerous Town defenders sliding in and Davis completed the clearance.
The Blues continued to struggle to get out of their half and on 32 the Sky Blues came very close to levelling.
Milan van Ewilk cut back from the right towards two unmarked Sky Blues players breaking into the box, one of whom, Palmer, hit a low shot which struck skipper Sam Morsy and then Burns on the line before rebounding to Wright to the left of goal. The US international seemed certain to score but somehow Hladky reacted quickly to turn the ball over the bar.
It was a fortunate escape for Town, who had hardly been in the game since going in front.
Coventry continued to see most of the ball, Josh Eccles cutting back from the right to Simms on the edge of the box but the former Everton striker looped his shot well over.
Town had shown little as an attacking force since their goal, but on 43 they worked their way out from the back down the right, Hutchinson brought it forward into the area but his cutback found only Sky Blues players and the danger was cleared.
In the final scheduled minute, ahead of an announcement of two added on, Moore played a clever pass for Burns as his fellow Wales international made his way into the area on the right but the ex-Fleetwood man lost his footing.
Within a minute, the Blues worked an even better opening, Burns beating a man on the right before crossing deep towards Broadhead, who headed powerfully goalwards but Collins was equal to it.
Coventry had one more attempt before the end of the half, Simms shooting well over after taking the ball down the middle and being forced wide by Burgess.
There was a roar from the Town support at whistle, but despite the lead, it hadn’t been the most convincing half from the Blues.
Town had started brightly and deserved their goal when it came but, as was the case at Hull on Saturday, having gone ahead, the opposition were allowed most of the ball, the Blues were unable to get out of their half and probably should have been pegged back to 1-1, Hladky making a superb save from Wright.
However, Town began to look more of a threat in the final few minutes and Broadhead was unfortunate not to score with his opportunity.
Just over a minute after the restart, Eccles struck a powerful effort from distance which curled away and scuffed the side-netting, some Sky Blues fans initially believing it had gone in.
But Town began to get on top and were next to threaten, Moore rising high but nodding wide from Davis’s left-sided corner, which had been won by Broadhead.
The game was held up in the 55th minute for a change of official, referee James Bell making way due to a calf injury and the experienced Dean Whitestone taking over.
Soon after the restart, the Blues went very close to a second goal. Broadhead seized on a loose pass just outside the area, took it on and curled a right-footed shot which slammed against the bar and away.
But the Sky Blues began to see most of the ball again and in the 64th minute, with Town readying their substitutions, they levelled.
Palmer played a pass in for Wright, who was on the final man just outside the box, and the former Schalke man smashed a powerful low shot under Hladky and into the net.
As the home fans celebrated, Town made their changes, Hirst and Jeremy Sarmiento replacing Moore and Broadhead.
The Blues began to take charge again and on 66 Sarmiento slammed a shot which Collins did well to stop.
Following the resultant corner, the ball fell to Morsy on the edge of the box and the skipper’s shot deflected through a crowd of players and fell to Burns but the Wales international was in and offside position.
Moments later, Sarmiento played Hirst in on goal, however, Collins was off his line quickly to block.
But Town fans didn’t have to wait too much longer for their side’s second goal. Davis won a free-kick out on the left and sent a deep ball to the far post. Burgess reached it and nodded it down to Edmundson, who hit the turf while battling for the ball, which hit a Coventry defender and fell back to Burgess, who hit a low shot off the inside of the near post and into the net to send the Blues supporters at the other end wild.
Town went looking for more goals, breaking from a Coventry corner and Morsy finding Hutchinson, who flicked a shot through to Collins from the edge of the area.
On 75, the on-loan Chelsea man took the ball into the right of the area but had it taken away from him before he could get in a shot, although with suspicions of a foul. However, new referee Whitestone wasn’t interested.
Following the corner, Coventry broke and Morsy was booked after catching Van Ewijk, the Dutchman making an awful lot of very little.
The Town captain moved to 14 yellow cards with a 15th on Saturday leading to a three-game ban should the Blues need the play-offs.
In the 79th minute, Burns burst away down the right and suffered what looked a recurrence of his recent hamstring injury but fortunately turned out to be cramp. After the Welshman had undergone brief treatment on the pitch, Kayden Jackson took over.
As the game moved into its final 10 scheduled minutes, but with injury time likely to be lengthy, Hutchinson brought the ball into the area before being dispossessed. It ran loose to Sarmiento, who took it on a couple of strides before hitting another strike which Collins again stopped.
Coventry made their first changes in the 86th minute. Latibeaudiere, having received treatment was replaced by makeshift centre-half Jake Bidwell, while O’Hare took over from Kelly.
Two minutes later, Hirst shot from the right of the box across Collins but was unable to trouble the keeper.
As Coventry overhit a corner from the right, the fourth official indicated an additional 11 minutes, perhaps not entirely surprising given the lengthy stoppage for the change of referee and one or two other injuries.
With the Sky Blues having most of the possession, Town swapped Hutchinson for Jack Taylor in the fourth minute of additional time.
Within a minute, Taylor had sent Davis away down the left and the full-back was sent flying by a Coventry challenge. Much to Town’s frustration, referee Whitestone waved play-on. Davis was OK to continue after treatment. Soon after, the Sky Blues made another change, Aidan Dausch replacing Palmer.
With seconds of the scheduled extra 11 minutes left, sub Dausch, making his home debut, curled a shot not too far wide of Hladky’s right post, much to the relief of the Town support.
But referee Whitestone kept playing and O’Hare was booked for a foul on Luongo on halfway.
The Blues played the ball forward and finally the whistle ended what had been an excruciating final few minutes for Town supporters, the cheers as much in relief as celebration of a vital win which takes Town three points in front of Leeds with both sides having one to play and the Whites with a superior goal difference.
The victory, Town’s 27th of the season, a record for a newly promoted second-tier club, takes the Blues to within a point of back-to-back promotions and a return to the Premier League after 22 years away.
It was a nervy evening for the Town support, Coventry having given them a game every bit as tough as Hull on Saturday.
After going in front, the Blues were under the cosh for much of the first period and Coventry were worth their leveller when it came.
However, with the subs as usual having an impact, Town had chance to go back in front before Burgess’s winner with the Australian having put in yet another huge display at the back.
From there, the Blues were able to see out the lengthy spell of injury time to secure the win which means they now need only a draw from Saturday’s final match of the season at home to Huddersfield to confirm their place in 2024/25’s Premier League.
Coventry City: Collins, Da Silva, Thomas, Latibeaudiere (Bidwell 86), Van Ewijk, Kelly (c) (O’Hare 86), Sheaf, Wright, Eccles, Palmer (Dausch 96), Simms. Unused: Wilson, Bell, Allen, Godden, Lusala, Andrews.
Town: Hladky, Tuanzebe, Edmundson, Burgess, Davis, Morsy (c), Luongo, Burns (Jackson 80), Hutchinson (Taylor 95), Broadhead (Sarmiento 65), Moore (Hirst 65). Unused: Walton, Woolfenden, Humphreys, Travis, Chaplin. Referee: James Bell (Sheffield) (Dean Whitestone (Northamptonshire)). Att: 26,457.