Coughlan excited by plundering big Pirate
GRAHAM Coughlan believes the best is yet to come from hat-trick hero Jonson Clarke-Harris.
The Rovers boss was full of praise for the 24-year-old striker after his three goals had punished a poor Blackpool performance.
Clarke-Harris has had his ups and downs, including a serious knee injury, since becoming the youngest player to make a first team debut for Coventry City at the age of 16 years and 21 days.
But, having represented several clubs, he hopes to settle at Rovers, having signed in January.
“Jonson is still a young player,” said Coughlan.
“He has loads of ability and is keen to learn and improve. Hopefully we can help him fulfil that potential he showed at the start of his career.
“Every member of the team has done well. After last weekend’s defeat by Sunderland, we had a really good week on the training ground.
“The lads have worked so hard for this win. But we still have to find that consistency to get out of trouble.”
Blackpool boss Terry McPhillips said. “It hasn’t really happened to us this season, but here we were battered.
“Bristol Rovers deserve great credit for starting the game well. Their strikers, Clarke-Harris and Tom Nichols, combined effectively to cause us problems.
“The goals we conceded were not like us and there are no excuses. When we lost 3-0 at home to Rovers this season we had nothing left in the tank after a local derby against Fleetwood and a game against Arsenal the following midweek.
“Here we were just way below par and they were the better side by some distance.”
The hosts took a sixth-minute lead when Liam Sercombe’s cross took a deflection into the path of Clarke-Harris, who fired home from close range. It was 2-0 after 37 minutes. Ollie Clarke’s pass put Clarke-Harris in on the left and the striker thumped an unstoppable shot into the far corner.
The big striker completed his treble in the 68th minute, lashing in the rebound after Ollie Clarke’s volley was brilliantly saved.
Sercombe completed an emphatic home win in stoppage time, shooting low past the keeper from substitute Alex Jakubiak’s pass.