Liam Kelly’s first goals for over two years gave Coventry their first away league win of the season as they held on for a 2-1 victory at struggling Wycombe.
Kelly, who later went off injured, had not scored since a victory over Stevenage in April 2018 while the Sky Blues were in League Two, but his timely double sent Mark Robins’ side eight points clear of the bottom three.
Wycombe fought back hard after Joe Jacobson’s penalty pulled a goal back, but they remain two points adrift of safety after their winless run was extended to eight games.
Captain Matt Bloomfield almost had the Wycombe supporters out of their seats after 11 minutes when he sent a volley from just outside the area wide after Jack Grimmer’s cross had been cleared into his path.
The Chairboys certainly started the livelier of the two teams, albeit without creating any clear-cut opportunities in from of 2,000 supporters at Adams Park.
Bloomfield had another sighter after Alex Samuel had battled for a free-kick from deep, but his effort was comfortably dealt with by Coventry goalkeeper Ben Wilson.
The Sky Blues, unbeaten in six but the only team in the Championship without an away win this season going into this game, had their first opening after 33 minutes when Kelly shot wide.
But he was on target for the visitors just a minute later when he seized possession in midfield before smacking an excellent shot into the bottom corner from 25 yards.
Having ended his long goal drought, Kelly grabbed his second right on half-time, heading in from close range after Dominic Hyam had nodded Gustavo Hamer’s free-kick back across goal.
It was his last act, as he was replaced for the second half by Amadou Bakayoko, having taken a knock just before he doubled his tally.
Coventry were now looking full of confidence and came close to a third when an audacious lob from Fankaty Dabo dropped just over the bar.
But Wycombe were given a route back into the game just after the hour mark when Kyle McFadzean bundled over David Wheeler in the area and Jacobson sent Wilson the wrong way from the penalty spot to halve the deficit.
Fred Onyedinma should have drawn the Chairboys level four minutes later when he blazed over after surging through on goal.
Hamer then almost restored Coventry’s two-goal cushion in sensational fashion when his lob from 45 yards sailed over Ryan Allsop and clipped the outside of the post.
Wycombe thought they had snatched a point in the fourth minute of stoppage time when Scott Kashket tapped in after Wilson had saved Adebayo Akinfenwa’s volley, but an offside flag meant their joy was shortlived.
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