Town once again had to come from behind to claim three important points as they beat Coventry 4-2 at Highfield Road. A poor first half saw the Blues two goals behind before Pablo Couñago (2) and Marcus Bent (2) scored the goals which keep Town in the play-off hunt.
As expected Jim Magilton and Thomas Gaardsøe recovered from their groin injuries, the Dane taking up his usual role at the centre of the defence.Matt Holland moved into midfield with Jermaine Wright dropping to the bench.
Coventry started the better side and Andy Marshall was first called into action in the second minute, pushing Jay Bothroyd's shot away and Thomas Gaardsøe clearing.
On five Pablo Couñago played through Marcus Bent. The ex-Blackburn player took the ball inside a defender but hit his shot over the bar from not far outside the area.
For Coventry Gary McAllister hit a shot from the edge of the area which was blocked after Fabian Wilnis had been caught in possession by Bothroyd. The manager's shot fell to Eustace but he put the ball wide.
In the 12th minute Matt Holland seized upon a loose ball 20 yards out, his shot flying powerfully wide.
Town had failed to get their passing going on a lumpy pitch but despite not being at their best they were rarely under a serious threat until the 21st minute. Craig Pead broke out of the midfield, leaving Tommy Miller in his wake. Pead played the ball wide to Bothroyd who crossed into the box where David Pipe hit an effort against the bar. Loanee Matt Jansen rebounded and, despite Town scraping the ball away, the linesman ruled that the ball had crossed the line.
Joe Royle immediately switched to 4-4-2, Matt Richards moving to left midfield and Chris Makin going to left-back. The goal gave the home side a boost and five minutes later McAllister hit a shot wide after Wilnis had again lost possession, his wayward pass to Miller having been cut out.
Town gradually started to look more like themselves as the half wore on. On the half hour Miller hit a shot over from 25 yards. Six minutes later Bent's cross from the left fell to Miller and his shot deflected over Montgomery and off the bar. Pablo Couñago's 39th minute shot from 20 yards was too easy for the keeper.
But Coventry would add to their lead before the break. Miller, who was having by no means his best half, slipped when receiving a pass from Gaardsøe, the ball running to Pead. The Coventry player broke down the left and put in a low cross which Naylor failed to cut out. The ball was half cleared to the edge of the area and Dean Gordon lashed it into the net.
While Town had largely been poor, the two-goal lead flattered a Sky Blues side who had looked little better. Town boss Joe Royle decided that a change was required at half-time, Martijn Reuser coming on for Richard Naylor with Makin moving back into the middle and Richards switching again to left-back.
Two minutes into the second period Coventry threatened to score a third, Bothroyd played through one-on-one with Andy Marshall. The Town keeper stood his ground well and pulled off a fine save.
In the 50th minute Town were awarded a freekick 25 yards out just to the right of centre after a foul by Dean Gordon. Holland and Magilton stood over the ball and played it across to Reuser. The Dutchman's right foot shot struck Marcus Bent, went looping into the air and over the keeper into the net, giving Town a vital lifeline. It looks likely that Bent and Reuser will argue over whose goal it was.
A minute later Richard Shaw was booked for a succession of fouls on Couñago who was once more giving the opposition defence a torrid time.
On 54 Andy Marshall hit a long kick towards Marcus Bent. The striker headed on to Couñago, who slipped between two defenders and poked the ball past Montgomery. Joe Royle could hardly have expected his side to be back on terms quite so quickly having been two goals down at the break.
Couñago was now on fire and in the 57th minute he hit a shot from the edge of the area which Montgomery did well to tip over the bar.
On the hour the Blues were ahead. Reuser played a corner on the left to Miller on the edge of the box. The former Hartlepool man hit a shot which was flying just wide until Couñago deflected it into the net. The Spaniard and the Town crowd went wild at another incredible turnaround in a season when the Blues have almost made it their trademark.
Not long after a shell-shocked Coventry side were awarded a freekick just outside the penalty box. Bothroyd's shot went into the wall and Gordon's follow-up hit a defender and went wide.
Town continued to have by far the best of it and in the 67th minute they went further ahead. The Blues broke quickly and, with Reuser screaming for it in space on the left, Magilton played a superb ball into the path of Bent ahead of him on the right. The striker took the ball down, went past the keeper and played the ball into the net to confirm his fourth scoring game in a row.
This was too much for some Coventry fans who headed for the exits in droves, something noted by the very vocal Town following, who had not forgotten the home fans' reaction to the first two goals and the announcement that Norwich were ahead at the break.
In the 71st minute John Eustace picked up a yellow card for a tackle from behind on Reuser. Not long after Konjic was also booked for pulling back a rampant Couñago.
The Blues ought to have had a fifth in the closing stages when Holland played in Bent one-on-one. The much-travelled forward looked odds on to score and beat the keeper but the ball slid just by the post. As the game reached the 90th minute Dean Bowditch replaced the excellent Couñago who received a standing ovation from Blues' followers.
A fine second half performance and comeback against a poor Coventry side, the renewed spirit instilled by Joe Royle again evident. In the first half Town were their own worst enemies, giving the ball away far too often, both goals a result of this tendency. Too many players had a bad 45 minutes with Tommy Miller perhaps having the kind of spell Richard Naylor did last week against Forest.
Two points nearer two of the sides in the top six and, with four games left to go, still a chance of a play-off place.
Town: Marshall, Wilnis, Richards, Gaardsøe, Naylor (Reuser 46), Makin, Holland, Magilton Wright 67), Miller, M Bent, Couñago (Bowditch 90).