Coventry 3-1 Middlesbrough: Wright hat-trick fires Sky Blues back to top of Championship | OneFootball

Coventry City returned to the top of the Championship with a 3–1 victory over Middlesbrough at the Coventry Building Society Arena.

Haji Wright scored all three goals for Frank Lampard’s side, netting once in the first half before adding two more after the break to seal a clinical win.

Riley McGree pulled one back for Boro shortly after Coventry’s second goal, but it proved only a brief response as the hosts went on to secure the win.

As it happened

Wright nearly gave the home side the perfect start inside two minutes, rising highest to meet a cross from the right and sending a glancing header towards goal, but his effort crashed against the post.

The game settled into an end-to-end rhythm, with both sides creating chances, before Wright landed the first blow in the 21st minute of the top-of-the-table clash. Middlesbrough failed to clear their lines, allowing the Sky Blues to keep the move alive. Jack Rudoni then drove into the box and fired a low cross across the face of the goal for Wright to slot home and open the scoring.

Just before half-time, the away side had their best opportunity when Matt Targett delivered an excellent ball into the box for Morgan Whittaker to attack, but the midfielder was unable to guide his effort on target, with the score remaining 1–0 at the interval.

Kim Hellberg’s side started the second half brightly, with Whittaker again finding space, though this time he lifted his effort over the bar.

Against the run of play, the home side doubled their advantage with a hammer blow for the visitors. Carl Rushworth launched a long ball forward for Wright, who drifted into space before firing across the goal of Solomon Brynn to extend the Sky Blues’ lead.

The away side responded almost immediately through a moment of quality from McGree. Boro worked the ball into the area, where it dropped to McGree around 12 yards out, and he rifled a powerful half-volley into the roof of the net.

Minutes later, the home side were awarded a penalty after Targett was adjudged to have handled the ball. Wright stepped up and calmly converted from the spot to restore Coventry’s two-goal cushion and complete his hat-trick.

Boro pushed for a route back into the contest and enjoyed a spell of pressure, but they were unable to fashion any clear-cut chances to truly test Rushworth, as Coventry ran out 3–1 winners.

The result sees Coventry move one point clear of Middlesbrough in the table, a significant victory for the Midlands side. Boro, meanwhile, will take encouragement from elements of the performance despite their six-game unbeaten run coming to an end.