Mustapha Bundu scored twice and set up a third as Plymouth Argyle kept alive their Championship survival hopes with victory over Coventry City.

The win keeps the Pilgrims three points from safety and was vital after relegation rivals Luton Town and Derby County won and Cardiff City drew.

Argyle sent their supporters into raptures after two goals in three minutes towards the end of the first half as Bundu put them in front before the Sierra Leone forward set up top scorer Ryan Hardie.

The Home Park crowd had still not calmed down when Coventry pulled a goal back as Haji Wright reacted quickest after Ellis Simms' header had been saved, meaning Frank Lampard's side went into the break a goal behind.

But Bundu allayed any worries as he headed in Argyle's third from close range after his initial effort had been saved.

Coventry occupy the final play-off spot in sixth place, despite the loss, three points clear of seventh-placed Middlesbrough who lost at Sheffield Wednesday.

Coventry dominated the early stages – they had more than 85% of the ball in the opening 10 minutes – with Matt Grimes and the returning Jamie Allen prominent.

Joel Latibeaudiere struck the side netting from a 12th-minute corner for the Sky Blues but Argyle responded when Bundu cut in and curled a right-footed effort just wide of the post.

Argyle were happy to surrender possession and play on the break, especially through Bundu and Bali Mumba down the left – the latter scooping an effort just over the bar after half an hour.

The game turned in five minutes at the end of the half as Bundu squeezed in a shot at the near post after Adam Randell had pulled the ball back from the byline following a recycled corner.

Three minutes later Bundu dispossessed Latibeaudiere inside the Argyle half and raced into the penalty area, where he squared the ball to Hardie and the Scot fired in his 12th goal of the season.

But moments later Coventry hit back as Wright was free at the back post to net and reduce the deficit at the interval.

The second half was a more even affair until Bundu got his second – a long throw was only half-cleared before Victor Palsson's header back in found Bundu, whose reacted quickest after his initial effort had been stopped by Bradley Collins.

The Sky Blues almost pulled as goal back immediately when Wright headed Liam Kitching's cross into the hands of Conor Hazard from close range, while at the other end Collins did well to twice thwart Hardie as he looked for his second goal.

The visitors pressed forward late on, but Argyle, spurred on by a passionate home crowd, defended superbly to ensure a three-game unbeaten run for Frank Lampard's side came to an end.

Plymouth Argyle head coach Miron Muslic told BBC Sport:

"I'm very proud to deliver this kind of performance, just two days after Middlesbrough.

"To step on the field today and perform like the lads performed I'm very proud – we knew the calibre of the opponent they're flying with 15 wins from 20 games

"We had a fantastic match plan, great discipline and the heart and desire to execute it.

"We did our job today and I think we did it in an excellent way.

"We want to win the next one because the last home game against Leeds, we have a final, and that's what we're aiming for."

Coventry City head coach Frank Lampard told BBC Sport:

"This was a game that was completely dominated by the types of goals that they score against you.

"We were going to have a lot of the ball and it was mistakes that led to transitions and set pieces.

"If you are short on those on the day against a team that are a team of giants, big boys, you know what's coming. Every goal kick, every throw in, every set piece is coming in - and you have to deal with that and you have to be more dynamic to break the low block, and we were not at that level today.

"The third goal comes along and makes it even more difficult; they have something more to protect."