Tatsuhiro Sakamoto produced a glorious far-post finish to give Coventry a 3-2 victory at Oxford and boost their Sky Bet Championship play-off hopes.

Frank Lampard's side, who came into the match in fifth place, twice saw their lead wiped out before Sakamoto struck to give them a third triumph this season over Oxford, who have now gone seven games without a win.

What had been a fairly mundane first half was transformed by a breathless start to the second that included four goals and a missed penalty inside 18 minutes.

Coventry had opened the scoring in the seventh minute when Jack Rudoni got in between two defenders to head home Sakamoto's right-wing cross.

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Dutch forward Ole Romeny scored his first Oxford goal to level in the 53rd minute as he converted Przemyslaw Placheta's low cross and that was the catalyst for the game exploding into life.

Five minutes later Ephron Mason-Clark put Coventry back in front when he capitalised on a misjudgment from Jamie Cumming to reach a bouncing ball before the keeper and head into the net.

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U's skipper Elliott Moore headed home at a corner to level it again at 2-2 in the 62nd minute.

The Sky Blues were then presented with the chance to go back in front again from the penalty spot after a spot-kick was awarded against Will Vaulks for pulling a Coventry player's shirt at a corner.

However, Cumming made amends for his earlier error by superbly saving Ellis Simms's penalty low down to his right.

Haji Wright, following up, smashed his angled shot against the bar before United desperately cleared the danger.

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But Oxford fans' delight did not last long. With the home defence stretched in the 70th minute, Jake Bidwell crossed from the left and Sakamoto finished beautifully.

City, who were unchanged from last weekend's 2-1 win over Preston, started the game the sharper, Mason-Clark working space for himself to fire in a shot that was comfortably saved.

Oxford boss Gary Rowett made three changes to the side beaten 2-0 at West Brom, with skipper Moore returning from an abductor muscle injury.

The U's had not scored for seven hours, and the lack of confidence was evident at times.

Polish winger Placheta tested keeper Oliver Dovin with an angled shot, and Romeny sliced a volley over the bar at the back post.

Oxford went close to a third goal late on, Moore heading one corner over and Dovin saving well from Michal Helik at another, but it was Coventry who went home with the points.

The managers

Oxford's Gary Rowett:

"I thought we actually started to settle down quite well after about 10 minutes and moved the ball quite well and got into some promising positions.

"To then equalise, the disappointment was to then not have the lead for too long. We just needed to hold on for a bit longer.

"We had a bit of momentum when we got it back to 2-2 but we conceded some really poor goals today.

"With the goals we're conceding, we're making it a bit difficult for ourselves at the moment in this recent run."

Coventry's Frank Lampard:

"It was a fantastic finish from Sakamoto. We were not at our best today, but that can happen in these kinds of games.

"I think the early goal gave us the sense that we could really control the game and that went away. But at this stage, when we're trying to churn out results and points you've got to look at the team and think yes, we're not at our best but we've managed three goals again and missed a penalty.

"We felt that we could play through them with ease for five or 10 minutes and we continued with that type of football, playing it quickly and making it quite transitional, which I think suited them more than us.

"In the first half I don't think they were giving us too many problems, whereas we were always dangerous for them, for sure.

"Then we lost that element of control that we wanted and that happens and you have to fight through that.

"I liked our reaction to the goals in the second half. Their first goal was a clear foul in the build-up, so I wasn't happy with that. It gave them a lift."

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