John Hartson continued his marvellous recent scoring run as Coventry's incredible 'Great Escape' continued apace as his goal earned the Sky Blues a victory over Sunderland.

The Welsh international scored for the sixth successive match, tucking a diving header inside the far post after a magnificent one-touch move featuring Lee Carsley and Jay Bothroyd.

Hartson is starting to show the form that has made clubs shell out over £13m in transfer fees and with his pay-per-play contract at City, must rank as one of the bargains of the season.

It moved Coventry away from Manchester City, and they are now just two points behind Middlesbrough after Ipswich came from a goal behind to take all three points from the Riverside.

For Sunderland, however, they are sliding down the table much as they did at this stage last year. They are now without a win in four games and have been victorious only once in the last 11 games.

They created the better chances in the opening period, but were made to pay for their profligacy. Stanislav Varga was the chief culprit, somehow contriving to kick the ball backwards when Julio Arca's shot was deflected into his path just six yards from an open goal.

It was a miserable Easter for Varga. Castigated by manager Peter Reid on Saturday following some schoolboy defending in the defeat against Tottenham, he followed up us dire miss, with a red card for two fouls on young Bothroyd.

Kevin Phillips, desperate to impress in front of England boss Sven Goran Eriksson, didn't have the happiest of games, firing high and wide when he broke through, while Coventry stopper Chris Kirkland got a vital finger to Don Hutchison's cross with Phillips waiting to pounce.

After the dismissal, City poured forward and the score only stayed as it was due to some inspired goalkeeping by Thomas Sorensen. Hartson looped a header against the bar, while Bothroyd saw two ferocious efforts brilliantly stopped by the Boro keeper.

John Eustace could have had a hat-trick after three glorious chances, but he saw one blocked, a second bounce over the bar and the third well saved by Sorensen.

Yet the longer the game wore on, the more nervous the Coventry players became and Phillips came close slammed a shot into the side netting from a tight angle, while Kirkland saved superbly at Hutchison's feet after Richard Shaw's sloppy backpass.

However, Gary Breen was a rock in the defence, repelling almost every ball that came into the box as Coventry held on for three vital points.