Ephron Mason-Clark produced a stunning late bicycle kick to give Coventry City a 1-0 victory over Stoke City at the bet365 Stadium, a result that stretched the Sky Blues' lead at the top of the Championship to five points. With four minutes of normal time remaining, the winger acrobatically converted Ellis Simms' corner to finally break the resistance of one of the division's strongest defences and end Stoke's three-match winning run.
The outcome tightened Coventry's grip on the promotion race, delivering a sixth win in seven league games and their fifth away success of the season, while condemning Stoke to a first defeat in four and dropping Mark Robins' side down to third. For long spells it looked as if Frank Lampard's team, who had scored at least twice in each of their previous eight matches, would be frustrated by Viktor Johansson's goalkeeping and Stoke's discipline, before Mason-Clark's third goal of the campaign provided the decisive moment.
There was late concern for the match-winner, who suffered a heavy blow to the face in the act of scoring and had to be stretchered off, forcing Coventry to withstand 16 minutes of stoppage time without him. Yet the leaders' off-the-ball organisation and collective work-rate saw them through a tense finale as Stoke pushed for an equaliser that never quite materialised.
Leaders set the early tempo against stubborn Stoke