Japan international Tatsuhiro Sakamoto struck both goals as Coventry continued to rise up the Sky Bet Championship standings with a 2-0 win over struggling Sheffield Wednesday.
Although the Sky Blues remain in mid-table, they now find themselves just three points behind the play-off places following their third win in five games unbeaten.
While Mark Robins’ side are looking upwards in hope, the Owls do so in desperation after Huddersfield’s victory over Blackburn left them eight points adrift of safety.
The match got off to a scrappy opening with neither team able to keep hold of the ball for sustained periods.
The flow wasn’t helped by an unfortunate head injury to Wednesday forward Callum Paterson and it was while he was about to be substituted off that Coventry took the lead in the 20th minute.
It was USA international Haji Wright who pulled the ball back from the left for Sakamoto, and although his shot was not the cleanest it found the bottom corner.
The opening goal of the game actually came from its first effort, a feat the Owls could not replicate when Marvin Johnson shot tamely at Brad Collins after working himself into space.
The best chance the visitors had to draw level before half-time was when Johnson was given plenty of time to cross, only for George Byers to miscue his header off target.
Sakamoto had an opportunity to double his and Coventry’s tally seven minutes after the restart when he shot wide from just outside the area after Josh Eccles’ corner was cleared his way.
Wednesday managed to ride out what was a bright start to the second half by the Sky Blues and they really should have equalised after 64 minutes when substitutes Anthony Musaba and Ashley Fletcher both had efforts from point-blank range blocked.
The hosts then had a great opportunity to put clear daylight between themselves and the Owls when Eccles played in a fine cross that was headed wide by Wright at the back post.
Chances were finally stating to flow, with a mistake from Coventry’s Bobby Thomas letting in Bailey Cadamarteri, whose effort was beaten away by Collins with what was his first real save.
Bambo Diaby then headed Barry Bannan’s free kick over as the visitors continued to press for an equaliser, but time was now running out for Danny Rohl’s side.
Instead, the Sky Blues put the game beyond them in the 89th minute when Sakamoto was found in space on the right and he cut inside before bending a fine finish beyond Cameron Dawson.
Frustration boiled over after the final whistle, as Diaby was shown a red card following a fracas with Coventry’s Liam Kitching, who was also sent off.
Uruguay's last-gasp win over Colombia will 'bring everyone closer', says Bielsa
Marcelo Bielsa believes Uruguay's memorable 3-2 win over Colombia in World Cup Qualifying, secured by Manuel Ugarte's 101st-minute strike, will "bring everyone closer".
Former Leeds United boss Bielsa had found himself under pressure, with La Celeste going five matches without victory since finishing third at the Copa America.
However, they climbed to second in the CONMEBOL qualification group – ahead of Colombia on goal difference – by edging a five-goal thriller in Montevideo.
Andres Gomez's 96th-minute strike had appeared to salvage a point for Colombia, but Ugarte volleyed home following a knock-down from Facundo Pellistri mere moments after Uruguay had kicked off again.
Speaking after the dramatic finale, Bielsa said: "Victories like today are healing in the sense that they bring everyone closer, around a feeling as strong as Uruguay's connection with the national team.
"It was a very exciting match, and the players' determination to secure the win was evident.
"They have a well-oiled style of play; they defend, press, manage the ball, and have individual brilliance, which makes them a tough rival to beat.
"It's not easy to win against this opponent, as they have physically gifted, technically proficient players across all positions, many of whom can change the game's dynamics."
Next up, Uruguay face Brazil, with the Selecao languishing in fourth after they played out a frustrating 1-1 draw with Venezuela on Thursday.
Bielsa, however, is under no illusions regarding the magnitude of the task awaiting his team in Salvador on Tuesday.
"If Colombia is an athletically strong team with an offensively capable system that creates danger and has organisation in possession, Brazil has that and more," he said.
"We will try to control the ball in their half and not ours. Sometimes we succeed, and sometimes we don't, like against Venezuela."
Amorim wants Man Utd players to be inspired by club's history
Ruben Amorim wants his Manchester United players to be inspired by the club's history as he bids to bring a winning mentality back to Old Trafford.
Amorim, taking over at the Premier League club following the departure of Erik ten Hag, was speaking in his first interview with the club after a tour of their home venue.
The Portuguese tactician had visited Old Trafford earlier in the week and met a group of supporters, as well as the women's team's vice-captain, England star Ella Toone.
"When you come [to Old Trafford], it's so different. You see the trophies, you see the tragedy that we have as a club. The history," said Amorim.
The 39-year-old added the manner in which the club defied the odds to succeed under Matt Busby after the Munich air disaster in 1958 should be a particular source of inspiration.
"This kind of strength, I think it's important to put in our team. When the players come here, they should take the stadium tour all the time. I think this is very important to do," Amorim said.
"It's normal if you go a lot of years without winning, you start losing that feeling. So I think we need to put all the players doing the same thing, to regain that feeling.
"We haven't won the Premier League for a long time. But if you ask, United is the biggest club in England.
"So this is part of history, it is not now. So we have to address that, to show that and to try to win again."
Asked what his footballing philosophy is, the former midfielder said it all comes down to being a team.
"The team is the most important thing for me. And if you work as a team, then the talent individually is going to shine," he said.
"But if I have to explain the importance of everything, it is the character, the way we fight, the way we play, and we must have an identity.
Indonesia 0-4 Japan: Visitors stay unbeaten with rout
Japan continued their unbeaten start to World Cup qualifying with a 4-0 victory over Indonesia on Friday.
Two goals from the visitors in either half were enough to seal the three points and get them back to winning ways after a stalemate with Australia last time out.
Ragnar Oratmangoen should have put Indonesia ahead, but he hesitated one-on-one with the goalkeeper, and Japan did not look back after that. They got a bit of fortune with their first goal, Justin Hubner deflecting a cross into his own net in the 35th minute.
Takumi Minamino got their second just before the break, finishing off a pacy counter-attack by darting onto the end of Kaoru Mitoma’s cross to sweep it past Maarten Paes.
While there was not much the goalkeeper could do with that one, he was at fault for the third as he gifted the ball to Hidemasa Morita, who coolly picked out the bottom corner just after the break.
Yukinari Sugawara came off the bench to round off the scoring in the 69th minute. He raced down the right wing and instead of looking to his options, he rifled it in from a tight angle at the near post.
Japan are up to 13 points after five games, sitting top of Group C, while Indonesia are bottom, still in search of their first win.
Data Debrief: Clinically done
For a team still chasing their first win, Japan are probably not high on the list of opponents they would want to face, and Indonesia were undone by their visitors.
Hajime Moriyasu's side created 0.79 expected goals (xG) to Indonesia's 0.72, while they only had four more shots than their hosts (12 compared to eight).
Japan took their chances, and though the win margin may look harsh, they were deserving of the three points, having dominated throughout the game.
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