Haji Wright scored twice as Coventry came from behind to beat Watford 2-1 at Vicarage Road.

The FA Cup quarter-finalists do not play another Championship fixture until March 29 and needed the three points to remain in the Championship play-off picture.

United States international Wright converted a 40th-minute penalty to cancel out Ryan Porteous’ headed opener and then struck a composed 72nd-minute winner from the edge of the area.

The result was harsh on Watford, whose vibrant and energetic display belied their recent poor run of form.

Valerien Ismael’s side have now won just one of their past 10 league games and are in danger of being sucked into the increasingly-congested relegation battle.

Watford began positively, with an Edo Kayembe shot through the legs of a Coventry defender that was tipped away by the outstretched left hand of Brad Collins.

After Ismael Kone had pushed another effort just wide, the home side took the lead in straightforward fashion after 20 minutes.

A Ryan Andrews long throw found the head of Porteous, whose flick dropped over Collins and into the far corner.

At the other end, Wright took advantage of two Watford players running into each other, but he could only find the midriff of Watford goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann with his shot.

Having been outplayed for most of the half and looking disjointed, Coventry suddenly drew level.

Josh Eccles received a short pass from Ellis Simms before beating Porteous and then having his legs taken away by Bachmann, who had come rushing rashly out of his goal. Wright struck his spot-kick firmly into the corner.

The equaliser meant Watford extended their remarkable record of leading at half-time on just two occasions this season, the fewest of any club in England’s top four divisions.

With an FA Cup quarter-final at Wolves next weekend giving them a 20-day league hiatus, this felt like a match Mark Robins’ side needed to win.

Instead, it was Watford who continued to create the clearer opportunities, with another Kone shot followed by a Wesley Hoedt header that was held by Collins.

The Coventry keeper then stood firm at the near post to stop a strike from the impressive Yaser Asprilla.

But, just as they had in the opening period, Coventry conjured up a goal out of nothing.

Eccles played in Wright on the edge of the area and his shot was low and true into the bottom corner for his 13th league goal of the season.

Watford continued to press but lacked the ability to carve out any clear-cut openings before the final whistle that was greeted by boos from those home fans who remained inside Vicarage Road.

Liam Manning promised that his Bristol City side will get even better after their 4-1 victory at Watford.

The Robins thoroughly deserved their triumph, their third straight win under former Oxford boss Manning, who arrived at Ashton Gate last month.

It was also their first on the road under Manning, and City’s first back-to-back triple since November 2020.

Manning said: “We’re going in the right direction but I told the players afterwards that we can play better than that.

“That’s what excites me about the group. The challenge is to strive every day to improve, but there were so many positives today.

“Three or four weeks ago, I was giving interviews saying how it would come together for us, and it would happen.

“I’m delighted for the players. They’ve stayed level and grounded, they haven’t got too flat when we’ve lost or super high when we’ve won, and that’s the most important bit – head down and work hard.

“The game plan worked, I’m very fortunate to have a staff who are as obsessive and intense as me.

“They put a lot of hours in to create what we want to do. And huge credit goes to the players in the way they implement it.”

That game plan saw City go ahead in the 28th minute. Watford midfielder Edo Kayembe’s attempt to head clear from Taylor Gardner-Hickman’s free-kick fell straight to Cameron Pring, who hammered home.

Then, two minutes into first-half added time, Watford skipper Wesley Hoedt put Tommy Conway’s cross into his own goal – without a City player anywhere near.

Substitute Giorgi Chakvetadze narrowed the lead four minutes into the second half, only for Mark Sykes to make it 3-1 almost from the restart.

City replacement Andreas Weimann killed off the game with City’s fourth in the 83rd minute against his former side as Watford stood vainly waiting for the offside flag after the Austrian had been set free by Joe Williams’ pass.

Watford boss Valerien Ismael had been hoping to see his side break into the top six, but he said: “It’s a big disappointment.

“We gave the game away from the first minute. We made too many mistakes, which made it difficult to give a fluid display.

“What summed up the match was when he came back into it at 2-1 and then conceded. That was sloppy. We beat ourselves. We have to take control of the ball more.

“We have to always stay on a level where we can win the game. But against City we beat ourselves – it’s as simple as that.

“We never had control. Fatigue is no excuse – it’s the same for every team. We know we have the solution, but on the other hand we must make sure that everyone can perform at the correct level.”

A resurgent Watford continued their march up the Sky Bet Championship table with Mileta Rajovic’s double helping the hosts heap further misery on Rotherham with a 5-0 thumping at Vicarage Road.

Valerien Ismael’s side endured a difficult start to the campaign, but are now six games unbeaten and eyeing up the top half after their biggest victory of the season.

Despite just six places separating the two sides heading into the game, the gulf in class was evident throughout as Rajovic’s brace and second-half goals for Edo Kayembe, Tom Ince and Matheus Martins proving no more than the hosts’ domination deserved.

Injury and illness had forced Ismael into three of five changes made from the goalless draw at Huddersfield, including a first league start this season for goalkeeper Ben Hamer after regular shotstopper Daniel Bachmann was ruled out due to a concussion in training.

Rotherham manager Matt Taylor opted for a rare two-man frontline in an unsuccessful bid for elusive goals.

Starting the day four points adrift of safety and without a win on the road for more than a year, Rotherham’s hopes were dealt a blow after just 10 minutes when Watford scored with their first shot on target.

Ken Sema provided the perfect delivery, whipped from the left flank across the six-yard box, where Rajovic was able to burst through the defence and turn past the helpless Viktor Johansson.

Having offered little attacking threat, the visitors were forced into a change in the 33rd minute when Cafu replaced the injured Sam Clucas. The Portuguese midfielder immediately went closer than any of his team=mates had managed, smashing a 25-yard free-kick with his first touch of the ball which Hamer beat away.

In the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time, the same Watford combination that made the opening goal struck again. Sema outmuscled his defender, turned on the afterburners and squared in almost identical fashion to the opener, with Rajovic tucking home from close range.

Watford added their third in the 54th minute when Ryan Porteous drove at the Rotherham defence and played the ball to Kayembe. The Democratic Republic of the Congo midfielder’s expert right-foot control allowed him to turn his marker before firing home with his left.

With all of their substitutes used, Rotherham were forced to play the final 10 minutes a man down after Cafu went off injured, allowing Watford to add two more to the scoreline.

Substitute Ince provided the fourth goal after Ryan Andrews broke rapidly down the right and eluded two Rotherham defenders with his assist.

Martins then wrapped up proceedings in the fourth minute of stoppage time, drilling home after Rhys Healey had turned his defender to work some space on the edge of the Rotherham box.