Two second-half goals from managerless Coventry earned a 2-2 draw at Sunderland after the leaders had conjured up a couple of special finishes to take control.
With the Black Cats two goals up at half-time, Coventry followed up Haji Wright’s 62nd-minute finish with Jack Rudoni’s header with six minutes left to earn a point.
The biggest Stadium of Light crowd of the season must have felt it was going to be their day before that.
If French striker Wilson Isidor’s brilliant volley in the 16th minute hadn’t done that then Dennis Cirkin’s incredible second in the 35th minute certainly did.
But Coventry’s fightback under interim boss Rhys Carr earned a point, leaving Sunderland two clear of second-placed Leeds, although Sheffield United can move level by beating Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday.
Sunderland started quite slowly in the opening exchanges but Coventry, who sacked Mark Robins two days earlier, were soon hit by moments of magic from the leaders.
After Chris Rigg had forced Brad Collins into a save from Sunderland’s first real bit of pressure on the Coventry box, five minutes later the goalkeeper was beaten.
Patrick Roberts, who had just been booked for complaining about a decision given against him, played the ball out wide and Romaine Mundle quickly exchanged passes with Alan Browne.
Mundle whipped over a wonderful delivery for Isidor to hit the sweetest of first-time volleys over the head of the despairing Collins.
That was the Frenchman’s fifth in nine starts since arriving from Zenit St Petersburg on loan.
If more than 43,000 Sunderland fans thought that was special then they were in for an even bigger treat 19 minutes later.
This time Cirkin collected the ball deep in his own half after Trai Hume had won the ball.
After a quick one-two with Mundle, Cirkin ran largely uncontested for 40 yards towards the Coventry box.
With little other option on, and defenders running alongside him and preparing to dive in, Cirkin unleashed a thunderous drive from fully 30 yards that seemed to gain even more power as it flew to the right of Collins.
It was one of the best strikes the stadium has seen but Sunderland didn’t get going after the restart and that allowed Coventry to pull the first one back in the 62nd minute.
After the ball bounced around on the edge of the Sunderland area, it found its way to Wright, who calmly slotted inside the bottom-left corner of former Coventry goalkeeper Simon Moore’s net.
Then after Isidor was denied by Collins at one end, Coventry grabbed the equaliser in the closing stages when Rudoni headed in Tatsuhiro Sakamoto’s cross at the back post.
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