Kyle McFadzean’s first goal for the Sky Blues helped secure a 3-2 win for Mark Robins side against Queens Park Rangers on Friday night.
After falling behind to a Lyndon Dykes penalty, goals from Matty Godden and Callum O’Hare turned the game in City’s favour early in the second half.
Despite Yoann Barbet equalising for the R’s, McFadzean powered home Gustavo Hamer’s corner late on to secure the Sky Blues first win of the Sky Bet Championship season.
Sky Blues boss Robins made two changes to the side that were beaten at Bristol City last weekend with Fankaty Dabo and Jordan Shipley replacing Josh Pask and Liam Kelly respectively.
The first chance of the game fell to the visitors when Bright Osayi-Samuel dribbled through the Sky Blues midfield before firing an effort straight at Marko Marosi.
City looked to break on the half-hour mark, when Callum O’Hare played in Ryan Giles down the left-hand side, only for the defender’s effort to deflect off O’Hare and go behind for a goal kick.
The Sky Blues first effort on target came from a corner on the right, with Joe Lumley making a comfortable save to deny Leo Ostigard’s tame header.
QPR responded when more good work from Osayi-Samuel created a chance for Tom Carroll, with the midfielder striking a powerful effort straight at Marosi.
The visitors took the lead from the penalty spot when Kyle McFadzean came together Osayi-Samuel in the box with Dykes blasting the resulting spot kick into the net on 41 minutes.
City responded right on the stroke of half time, when Giles floated in a superb cross from the left-hand edge of the penalty area towards Godden, who headed between the legs of Lumley at the back post from close range.
HALF-TIME: SKY BLUES 1-1 QUEENS PARK RANGERS
The Sky Blues came racing out of the blocks in the second half and took the lead when Dabo’s cross from the right was taken in by O’Hare who drilled an effort past Lumley to complete the turnaround.
City’s pressure continued when Godden almost caught Lumley off his line with a speculative long-range effort that went wide of the post.
Having set-up City’s second goal, Dabo almost grabbed one for himself when he lashed a loose ball goalwards that went inches past the post.
With just over 15 minutes left to play, Marosi made an important save from close range to deny Geoff Cameron an equaliser.
City went straight up the other end and created a chance of their own when Jamie Allen picked out Gustavo Hamer on the edge of the area, only for the midfielder to blaze his effort over the bar.
QPR drew level on 76 minutes when Barbet flashed an effort past Marosi at the back post after City failed to deal with a corner from the left.
The Sky Blues almost retook the lead, minutes later, when McFadzean met Hamer’s corner from the right, but couldn’t direct his effort on target.
However, the centre-back wasn’t to be denied a second time, powering home another Hamer corner from the right to restore City’s lead with five minutes left to play.
FULL-TIME: SKY BLUES 3-2 QUEENS PARK RANGERS
Goals: Dykes (pen 41’), Godden (45’), O’Hare (50’), Barbet (76’), McFadzean (85’)
Yellows: Shipley (60)’ Chair (65’), Wallace (88’)
Sky Blues XI: Marko Marosi (GK), Fankaty Dabo, Leo Ostigard, Kyle McFadzean (C), Dom Hyam, Ryan Giles, Gustavo Hamer, Jordan Shipley (Sheaf 90’), Jamie Allen, Callum O’Hare, Matty Godden
Unused Subs: Tom Billson (GK), Michael Rose, Brandon Mason, Josh Pask, Tyler Walker, Amadou Bakayoko
QPR XI: Joe Lumley (GK), Osman Kakay, Rob Dickie, Yoann Barbet, Lee Wallace, Geoff Cameron (C), Tom Carroll (Smyth 72’), Bright Osayi-Samuel, Luke Amos (Ball 82’), Ilias Chair (Thomas 82’), Lyndon Dykes
Unused Subs: Liam Kelly (GK), Todd Kane, Conor Masterson, Aramide Oteh