Huddersfield Town's Championship safety confirmed by rare Danny Ward goal

Danny Ward s first goal since returning to the home side in the summer cancelled out Jordan Shipley's opener 10 minutes earlier.

The struggling Terriers had the first effort of note inside seven minutes when Yaya Sanogo - looking for his first Football League goal since February 2016 - fired an effort from an acute angle narrowly wide of the target.

Carlos Corberan's side, who have only one win to their name at the John Smith's Stadium in 2021, nearly opened the scoring when Josh Koroma latched onto a Lewis O'Brien dink and fired a low strike goal-wards, only for goalkeeper Ben Wilson to parry.

After guaranteeing their Championship safety last weekend in what Coventry boss Mark Robins called a "miracle" and his "proudest achievement", the visitors gradually grew into the game, with the lively Callum O'Hare testing Ryan Schofield.

Former Sky Blues man Richard Keogh spurned a glorious opportunity for an opener when the ball fell fortuitously in the six-yard box, only for the veteran defender to hopelessly miss his swipe at the ball.

Viktor Gyokeres was left feeling aggrieved moments before the half-time whistle when his penalty appeals were waved away by referee Keith Stroud, with replays showing the forward's goalbound effort was blocked illegally by the hand of centre-back Keogh.

Seconds after the restart, substitute Shipley combined well with Gyokeres, with the latter's accurate strike destined for the far corner before Terriers keeper Schofield tipped the effort onto a post.

The Sweden international was again thwarted by Schofield moments later as Gyokeres skipped past two half-hearted tackles before seeing his low strike kept out by the onrushing Schofield.

No side has fewer points in the second tier than Huddersfield in 2021 and that was evidenced further in the 69th minute when Coventry capitalised on poor play, with substitute Shipley's first-time strike deflecting beyond a wrongfooted Schofield to break the deadlock.

However, the Sky Blues, who looked destined to coast towards a third consecutive away victory in the Championship for the first time since August 2007, surrendered their advantage with 10 minutes of normal time remaining.

Wilson struggled to deal with a deep corner kick and dropped his catch into the path of Ward, with the substitute taking advantage and firing the leveler low into the net.

The home side threatened to complete a late turnaround, with Rolando Aarons trying his luck late on, but they did not need a winner to secure their survival after Rotherham failed to defeat Blackburn.

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