Wycombe Wanderers lost 1-0 to Coventry City after a late Conor Chaplin goal denied the Blues a point at a windswept Ricoh Arena.

Chaplin headed home on 81 minutes after a superb cross from Luke Thomas on the right-hand side.

Overall, it was a fairly scrappy game with few chances but Wanderers keeper Ryan Allsop produced two superb saves in the first half.

Incredibly, Allsop came closest to scoring in injury time, blazing over from six yards when unmarked from Joe Jacobson's corner.

Wycombe had the first half-chance at a blustery Ricoh Arena through Curtis Thompson, who fired well over on four minutes from 20 yards after Coventry failed to clear.

Coventry had an opportunity of their own on eight minutes when Luke Thomas wriggled into the area and squared it to Conor Chaplin, who saw his shot superbly blocked by Jason McCarthy.

The chances were starting to build and Michael Harriman saw his volley on 10 minutes drift well wide after a measured pass from Thompson.

It was a fairly even game in very tough conditions and the Sky Blues had the next chance when Jordy Hiwula’s cross on 17 minutes found Jonson Clarke-Harris but his header was well held by Allsop.

Allsop then produced a magnificent save to deny Hiwula’s fizzing effort on 22 minutes, tipping the ball over from 12 yards.

The game hadn’t set alight yet but Wycombe kept persevering and Adebayo Akinfenwa had a sniff on the half-hour, heading Michael Harriman’s deep cross wide with two men on him.

Allsop once again made another wonderful save two minutes later, parrying Chaplin’s firm strike round the post.

Coventry were starting to up the tempo and some desperate defending on 36 minutes saw Wanderers just about cling on.

The Blues hit back and Jason McCarthy was denied by an excellent save from his diving header by Lee Burge on 39 minutes, after a lovely cross by Randell Williams.

The game was now to-ing and fro-ing and Coventry skipper Michael Doyle was next to have a crack on 41 minutes, his thunderbolt flying just over.

Wycombe had one final opportunity before the break when Akinfenwa chested down Joe Jacobson’s cross to Craig Mackail-Smith but his drilled 20-yarder was confidently held by Burge.

It was a fairly tepid start to the second half but Wycombe had the first chance through Mackail-Smith, who saw his header on 52 minutes easily held by Burge after another excellent Williams cross.

Coventry almost got clear on 54 minutes when Thomas burst through but Harriman came back and produced a fantastic piece of defending to deny him.

The Sky Blues were just beginning to open up down the wings but a combination of Harriman and McCarthy pressured Hiwula into shooting well wide on 57 minutes.

Chances for both sides were becoming rarer but Akinfenwa had a sighter of goal on 65 minutes, heading wide from another dangerous Williams delivery.

Mark Robins’ men came close on 71 minutes when Clarke-Harris let fly from 25 yards but his shot whistled past the upright.

A scuffle ensued after an altercation between Thompson and Coventry defender Tom Davies which raised the atmosphere a notch.

The lively Hiwula forced Allsop into a decent save on 76 minutes as the home side pressed for a winner.

Chaplin then got the Ricoh rocking with his expert header beating Allsop from 10 yards.

Akinfenwa came close to an equaliser on 85 minutes but his header was cleared off the line from Jacobson's corner.

The excellent Allsop nearly salvaged a point for the Blues but it wasn't to be.

The result sees Wanderers slip to 18th in League One.

WYCOMBE WANDERERS: Allsop, Harriman, McCarthy, El-Abd, Jacobson, Gape, Thompson, Bloomfield (sub: Morris, 23), Williams (sub: Cowan-Hall, 77), Akinfenwa, Mackail-Smith (sub: Onyedinma, 77). Subs: Ma-Kalambay, Jombati, Kashket, Samuel.

COVENTRY CITY: Burge, Sterling, Willis, Davies, Brown, Thomas, Doyle, Bayliss (sub: Kelly, 89), Hiwula (sub: Bakayogo, 89), Clarke-Harris, Chaplin. Subs: O’Brien, Hyam, Ogogo, Andreu, Thompson.

REFEREE: Nicholas Kinseley

ATTENDANCE: 10,480