SKY BLUES OUT OF DROP ZONE AFTER ROVERS VICTORY
A first half Jamie Allen strike got Coventry City back to winning ways at the CBS Arena against second from top Blackburn Rovers – lifting the side out of the bottom three.
The Sky Blues had several chances to extend their lead in an exciting match in which Mark Robins’ men were well worth the three points in a game that ended with a late red card for visiting substitute Jake Garrett who was sent off for a foul on Callum Doyle five minutes from time.
City started brightly with Josh Eccles and Gus Hamer both sending in powerful shots on goal, albeit straight to the keeper while Viktor Gyokeres pressed high up the pitch to force errors and win back possession.
Rovers, meanwhile, went close themselves in the ninth minute when a long diagonal pass was played to Ben Brereton Diaz who cut in and hit and angled shot across the face of goal and wide of the target.
Ben Sheaf intercepted a Blackburn pass and immediately played the ball to Gyokeres who took and touch and hit a terrific shot that was denied by Thomas Kaminski, who dived to his left to make a good save. Sheaf then had a powerful effort blocked at the last second from a cleared corner that Eccles attempted to turn over the line from close range after a lovely delivery from Hamer into the six yard box.
Sheaf and Hamer dominated the midfield as Coventry enjoyed a really positive first 35 minutes before the visitors had two chances in quick succession when Callum Brittain raced through on the right and hit the side netting before Brereton Diaz got the better of Eccles and hit a shot that was covered by goalkeeper Ben Wilson at his near post.
But City got their deserved lead in the 41st minute when a lovely move resulted in Eccles sending the ball into the near post via a deflection off Brittain, and Allen raced in to finish at the near post.
Coventry started the second half as they had spent much of the first, largely in control and looking to get forward in the search of goals. But a
foul by Eccles on Brereton Diaz gave the visitors a free-kick from the edge of the box, which Rovers’ leading scorer curled into the box where his effort was denied by a good save from Ben Wilson.
The visitors, as expected, started to have more of an influence on the game as they kept the ball well and set about a fight-back as Coventry started playing on the counter attack. Gyokeres sparked one exciting move when he intercepted the ball in the middle of the park and raced forward and squared the ball to Allen who hit a powerful shot that was parried away by the keeper.
City were dealt an injury blow on 70 minutes when Hamer limped off, having taken a whack earlier on, and was replaced by Kasey Palmer.mtyler Walker then went on for the tiring O’hare before the visitors made three changes themselves for the last ten minutes when City attempted to hold on to the fragile lead.
Sub Bradley Dack sent a glancing header just over the bar as the home side hung on. But there was a huge cheer from the home faithful in the 85th minute when another sub, Jake Garrett, was shown a straight red card for a foul on Callum Doyle.