COVENTRY CITY suffered an agonising 2-1 defeat in extra-time of their FA Cup fourth-round tie against Premier League Southampton.
Sweden striker Viktor Gyokeres put City ahead in the first half only for Stuart Armstrong’s thunderbolt to level the scores just past the hour mark.
And Kyle Walker-Peters settled the game in extra-time with a deflected effort before Martyn Waghorn had a goal ruled out for offside at the death.
The Sky Blues started well and had the first chance of the game when Josh Eccles drove at the Southampton defence before seeing his low effort tipped behind by Saints stopper Willy Caballero.
Southampton responded with a chance of their own when a well-worked corner routine ended with Theo Walcott being denied by Simon Moore from eight-yards out.
And City broke the deadlock on 22 minutes when Gyokeres finished coolly into the bottom left corner after playing a stunning one-two with Ben Sheaf to send more than 5,000 travelling Sky Blues fans into delirium.
Mark Robins’ side almost doubled their lead when Ian Maatsen volleyed narrowly over from 20-yards out following a poor Saints clearance at a corner.
And Maatsen had an even better chance soon after when he fired a shot inches past the post from the edge of the penalty area after being picked out by Eccles.
The Premier League side made City pay for those missed chances on 63 minutes when Scotland international Armstrong sensationally found the top-left corner from 30-yards out.
Despite the setback, Coventry almost reclaimed the lead when substitute Waghorn shot over at the second attempt when in a promising position inside the penalty area.
However, Saints snatched the win in the second-half of extra-time when Walker-Peters’s shot found the corner via the aid of a deflection in the 112th minute.
City thought they had drawn level when Waghorn turned home Todd Kane’s initial effort from close range only for the goal to be correctly ruled out for offside.
That came after Saints keeper Caballero made an outstanding double save to first deny Gyokeres before then keeping out Waghorn who should have found the net.
Coventry are next in action at home to Blackpool on Tuesday, February 8 with kick-off at 7.45pm at the Coventry Building Society Arena.
