Haji Wright’s name will certainly go down in Coventry City history.
Wright came off the bench to score the Sky Blues’ winning goal in a 2-1 M69 derby victory over Leicester City on Saturday. It was Wright’s ninth goal of the season in all competitions and his first since October 4.
The visiting Foxes struck first after 10 minutes through Jordan James’ opening goal, giving Leicester City a 1-0 lead.
However, Frank Lampard’s side would use a second-half rally to claim all three points on the day.
Ellis Simms equalized for the Sky Blues in the 47th minute before Wright came off the bench to play the hero.
Wright bundled a loose ball into the penalty area with five minutes to play, giving the leaders a 2-1 lead that they would not relinquish. It
Coventry City would break their four-match unbeaten run in the league, moving six points clear of second-placed Middlesbrough.
Lampard praised Wright’s impactful second half and admitted he can play a big role in the final four months of the season.
“Sometimes it’s my job to talk to the players, but there are also times when I have to leave them alone a little bit,” said Lampard. said after the match in a club interview. “I’ve had periods as a goalscorer where things weren’t going well and I knew there was only one way out, and that was hard work. We haven’t had much training time to work, which has hurt Haji and the team, so this week has been a really competitive training week.
“When things don’t go well, I always say you have to keep believing and keep working and stay positive even when things aren’t going well,” Lampard added. “What happened today for Haji is a bit of a knock and I’m not belittling it because that’s how it goes. Now it’s up to him to continue like that because he was such a problem for Leicester when he came on, ran in behind, held on, chased, made tackles and helped us finish the game. We need that from everyone, but if Haji can do it then he’s a special player for us. He has all those things to offer.”
Wright expressed his approval of the result and revealed he cared more about the three points than ending his long goal drought.
“It felt good, it was a tough performance against a good team,” Wright said. “In the first half they made it very difficult for us, in the second half we gained more control of the match and ultimately came away with the three points.
“No, not really, just the win,” Wright said when asked if his goal was especially important given the three-month drought. “It happens, there are people on the pitch who try to stop us and sometimes it works. We are at the top of the league so points are important now and it felt good to win.”
Next up for the Sky Blues is a home date with Millwall in the play-offs on Tuesday.
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