Captain Kyle McFadzean grabbed a stoppage-time winner as Coventry celebrated their return to the city with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Nottingham Forest.
The 34-year-old defender drove in from 15 yards to ensure the Sky Blues won their first match back at the Coventry Building Society Arena.
It represented a terrific finale for Mark Robins’ men, who had spent the last two years as tenants at Birmingham City’s St Andrew’s stadium following a dispute between the club’s owners Sisu and rugby union club Wasps, who also play at the ground formerly known as the Ricoh Arena.
Sweden international Viktor Gyokeres had earlier cancelled out Lyle Taylor’s first-half effort for Forest.
The last-gasp victory was also a fitting tribute to former FA Cup-winning manager George Curtis, who passed away last month, with his memory honoured by a minute’s silence before kick-off.
Forest, meanwhile, demonstrated the same shortcomings that characterised their 2020-21 campaign, as they failed to make their first-half superiority count with a second goal, meaning they have now only scored more than once on one occasion in their last 19 outings.
In the early exchanges, winger Joe Lolley offered the first threat on goal, but his curling effort was routinely gathered by home goalkeeper Simon Moore.
At the other end, Callum O’Hare was exploiting pockets of space behind Coventry’s front two of Martyn Waghorn and Gyokeres and, in the 12th minute, burst positively through the middle of the pitch before dragging a shot wide.
Just before the quarter-hour mark, Taylor miscued a wild shot out for a throw-in after being released through the left channel by Gaetan Bong, while O’Hare continued to look lively for the Sky Blues but his cross from the byline was only met by a tame Julien Dacosta header that failed to extend goalkeeper Brice Samba.
Forest forged in front from the next attack of the game when Brennan Johnson left already-cautioned midfielder Ben Sheaf trailing in his wake down the right before delivering a low cross that Taylor made no mistake with from four yards – his second goal in 30 appearances.
The hosts could not find the same incision going into the interval, with an unconvincing 30-yard Gyokeres attempt always lacking the conviction to trouble Samba.
Chris Hughton’s men almost doubled their advantage in first-half stoppage time when Moore reacted smartly at his near post to push behind a Johnson strike.
After the break, Ryan Yates blazed over from an unfavourable angle before Coventry began to make their presence felt in the final third.
Former Arsenal midfielder Sheaf thudded a side-footed shot against the crossbar from 15 yards after exchanging passes with O’Hare.
Just before the hour mark, Waghorn also curled over from a free-kick after Taylor had been booked for tripping Gustavo Hamer.
Waghorn should have made it harder for Samba to save his edge-of-the-box effort after being teed-up by O’Hare and immediately made way for last season’s seven-goal top-scorer Tyler Walker.
It was his strike-partner Gyokeres, however, who levelled the scores when he swept in from 10 yards after Sheaf had helped the ball on following some excellent trickery on the right byline from the irrepressible O’Hare.
With Coventry fans roaring on their team, McFadzean then blasted in a low drive from 15 yards after Samba had kept out Dominic Hyam’s header and an O’Hare shot.
