Sky Blues stun champions-elect at The CottageTwo goals in the space of four sensational minutes put Coventry City on course for a major upset against the Championship leaders at Craven Cottage.
Michael Rose headed the Sky Blues in front in the 20th minute before Viktor Gyokeres doubled the lead four minutes later in a superb 45 minutes that left Fulham shell-shocked.
In truth, Mark Robins’s men could have been further ahead after Ben Sheaf had two shots blocked from another set-piece while Simon Moore pulled off two decent saves at the other end to deny Fabio Carvalho and Aleksandar Mitrovic, before Kebano rattled the crossbar in an entertaining encounter in West London.
The Cottagers created chance after chance in a difficult second half when Moore pulled off more heroics to maintain City’s two-goal cushion past the hour mark. But the home side finally got one back from substitute Bobby De Cordova-Reid eight minutes from time to set up a nervous end to the contest that included four agonising minutes of added time.
But Callum O’Hare popped up with a dramatic stoppage time third to put the icing on the cake of a truly memorable afternoon.
The Sky Blues appeared content to play a game of containment as Fulham dominated possession and tried to force an early goal, but it was the visitors who had the first attempt from a Gus Hamer free-kick which the midfielder floated into the box where Jake Bidwell got a touch ahead of his markers. Sadly, however, the centre-back couldn’t direct it past goalkeeper Marek Rodak who dived to collect his tamely hit shot comfortably.
The home side then played themselves into trouble when centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo mis-controlled a back-pass, letting in Hamer who took too long to shoot and was forced to pull the ball back for Callum O’Hare, only for the ball to be intercepted.
City enjoyed more set-pieces with Dom Hyam heading over from a free kick before fellow centre-back Michael Rose glanced home an in-swinging corner from Hamer to give City an unexpected 20th minute lead.
Viktor Gyokeres then wriggled into space on the edge of the box and hit a powerful shot which Rodak got a hand to but fumbled as he fell back and watched it go over his head and into the back of the net
Aleksandar Mitrovic almost reduced the deficit on the half hour mark when he directed a powerful header at goal, only for Simon Moore to deny the striker his 39th goal of the season with a good reaction save.
City were then saved by the woodwork when Neeskens Kebano stretched to get o the end of a Neco Williams’ cross and send it onto the crossbar.
But the visitors were almost 3-0 up from a 40th minute corner when Ben Sheaf had two bites of the cherry, his first effort being blocked by Mitrovic before his second was stopped on the line by Williams.
Robins’s men went into the break with their tails up, knowing full well they had a tough second 45 to come. And the home side almost pulled one back within minutes of the restart when Mitrovic got a foot to a deep cross, only for his effort to sail wide.
But Coventry kept right in Fulham’s faces and used attack as the best form of defence whenever they could to keep the ball out of harm’s way and put even more pressure on the champions-elect.
Hamer intercepted a pass brilliantly to spark a counter attack, driving forward and hitting a low angled shot to the near post which the keeper saved.
The home side always looked a threat, however, and had City stretched on the hour when Carvalho headed narrowly wide before Williams was denied by a brilliant save from Moore before.
Harry Wilson then curled a free-kick from the edge of the box just over the bar before Moore came to the rescue again, this time diving full stretch to deny Williams from distance as City held on to their lead.
Coventry earned a little respite from the pressure when some good build-up play resulted in Ian Maatsen going close with a deflected shot that lifted over the bar for a corner.
City finally crumbled under the pressure, conceding in the 82nd minute when Cordova-Reid stuck home to the far post to set up a frantic end to the game with the visitors hanging on for grim death – Moore again coming to the rescue to deny substitute Muniz from point-blank range.
Hamer then nicked the ball in the final third and squared it across the face of goal for a simple tap-in for O’Hare to complete the job in the 93rd minute.
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