QPR wipe out Coventry's Championship lead
Coventry City saw their lead at the top of the Championship wiped out as their poor away form continued with a 2-1 loss at Queens Park Rangers.
Frank Lampard's side's seventh winless league game on the road since victory at Middlesbrough on 25 November has seen a 10-point advantage drop to zero in that period.
They are now ahead of Boro only by virtue of their better goal difference after the Teesiders beat Norwich City 1-0, with both sides on 58 points from 30 matches.
QPR had the better of the first-half chances, with Richard Kone seeing a looping header palmed onto the crossbar and away for a corner by Coventry goalkeeper Carl Rushworth.
But it was the Sky Blues who went in front shortly after the restart when Josh Eccles peeled away from his marker and headed in from a tight angle at the far post.
QPR were soon level when Kone finished well at the near post after an excellent move before Nicolas Madsen blasted them in front seven minutes later to send Loftus Road wild.
Coventry have a five-point buffer to third-placed Hull City ahead of two home fixtures, against struggling Oxford United and then Middlesbrough in what will be a massive game in the title race.
Coventry took the game to the hosts from the off as Jack Rudoni - one of four changes made by Lampard after Monday's loss at Norwich City - headed the recalled Tatsuhiro Sakamoto's second-minute cross over from six yards.
But Rangers created moments of their own early on as Karamoko Dembele, Harvey Vale and Kone all created chances.
The R's almost went ahead 10 minutes from the break, but Rushworth did superbly to get back and palm away Kone's header to keep it level.
The hosts had a penalty appeal turned down shortly before half-time when Paul Smyth went down under a Matt Grimes challenge as an entertaining first half ended goalless.
Coventry went in front eight minutes into the second half as Eccles' goal - Coventry's only effort on target until stoppage time - came from Jack Rudoni's curling cross from the right to send the visiting fans wild.
But 13 minutes later, the scores were level as Vale's excellent ball found Madsen on the right wing and his low cross was clipped in by Kone.
Rangers should have been ahead not long after when Daniel Bennie fluffed his finish after Vale's cushioned ball over the back line saw him have a clear sight on goal.
But the home fans did not have to wait long for the winner. Sakamoto felt he had been impeded on the left wing, but with no foul given, Vale found himself near the byline, and when his pacey low cross was palmed away by Rushworth, Madsen took a touch and smashed home from 10 yards.
Bennie almost got a third two minutes from the end when he flashed a low effort just wide of Rushworth's far post before Eccles had a stoppage-time effort easily saved by Joe Walsh as Coventry's lack of attacking threat left their fans concerned.
Coventry City manager Frank Lampard told BBC Radio Coventry and Warwickshire:
"We didn't deal with the messy parts of the game well enough, second balls a little bit, a few duels and get punished for it.
"It's a great goal, great header from Josh, great ball from Rudy. The feeling was on this pitch against a difficult opponent it was going to be a tough game and there wasn't much in it before that, so it's a great goal to get us in front and you fancy us a little bit.
"But again when there's mess in games and the second balls and balls dropping and we don't deal with them, they end up going in behind us and we're late on some things and then you get punished.
"What we must do now is keep positive, look to the next one. We're in a difficult moment, it's clear, a difficult moment and we're top of the league.
"We know that gap's gone now, so it's a race from now and we have to pick ourselves up very quickly."
Check back later for match comment by Frank Lampard.
