Frank Lampard’s Coventry lost to Southampton.\u00a0Getty<\/p>\n
In-form Southampton ended Championship leaders Coventry’s six-match winning run with a 2-1 victory at the CBS Arena.<\/p>\n
Flynn Downes<\/a> pounced on a rebound to open the scoring shortly after half-time before Kuryu Matsuki<\/a> doubled Southampton’s lead with five minutes remaining.<\/p>\n Victor Torp’s stoppage-time penalty gave Frank Lampard’s side hope in the final moments, but the Sky Blues were condemned to just their second home defeat of the season.<\/p>\n It meant that Tonda Eckert’s side kept pace with sixth-placed Wrexham in the race for the play-offs as Saints extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to 12.<\/p>\n It was a cagey opening, although Cyle Larin<\/a> almost opened the scoring for Southampton when he hooked narrowly wide from Matsuki’s header back across goal.<\/p>\n Larin, who scored a last-gasp equaliser at West Brom on Wednesday, was one of three changes to Saints’ starting XI.<\/p>\n There was a huge blow for the visitors as Leo Scienza, who came off in the draw against the Baggies, failed to recover in time to be in the squad.<\/p>\n Coventry’s main threat came down the left through Ephron Mason-Clark, who had the beating of James Bree<\/a> and crossed for Tatsuhiro Sakamoto, but the Japanese winger could only head over.<\/p>\n Luke Woolfenden<\/a> then headed wide from close range from another Mason-Clark cross as Coventry continued to cause issues from out wide.<\/p>\n Southampton then had Bayern Munich<\/a> loanee Daniel Peretz<\/a> to thank as he made an incredible save to prevent Liam Kitching from opening the scoring on his 100th appearance for the Sky Blues.<\/p>\n Haji Wright<\/a> had been given a rest in Coventry’s 3-0 win over Preston in midweek but was recalled to the starting line-up, and the American striker almost added to his 16 league goals this season when he volleyed Mason-Clark’s cross inches wide.<\/p>\n Southampton stunned the CBS Arena just three minutes after the restart.<\/p>\n Matsuki’s cross evaded both Larin and goalkeeper Carl Rushworth and rebounded off a post, where it was met by the onrushing Downes who could not miss from inside the six-yard box.<\/p>\n