Coventry City player ratings v Blackburn Rovers as quick-fire double sends Sky Blues back to top of the league

Two virtually identical goals in the space of two second half minutes from Victor Torp and Brandon Thomas-Asante sent Coventry Cityback to the top of the Championship with another three points. 

Free-scoring Sky Blues found openings hard to come by in a sloppy and frustrating first half against a determined Blackburn Rovers at the CBS Arena, but Frank Lampard’s men turned the screw after the break to assert their authority with a quick-fire double.

It was a far cry from the opening half when the home side’s best chances saw Ephron Mason-Clark test the goalkeeper for the first time as early as the fifth minute when he cut inside and hit a hard and low effort that Balazs Toth dropped down low to save, while Thomas-Asante glanced a near post header wide from a free-kick minutes later as the home side looked for an early goal in a frantic start to the game. 

Matt Grimes had a powerful half volley blocked but Rovers went close themselves eight minutes from the break when Japanese striker Yuki Ohashi had a directed header cleared from close range by Milan van Ewijk. Carl Rushworth then made an impressive save at his near post to deny Axel Hendriksson as the visitors looked the stronger of the two sides going into half-time.

But Coventry upped their game after the break when Mason-Clark caused problems down the left flank, sending a threatening ball into the area which was headed clear, only for Torp to thump it first time into the ground and past the stranded Toth to give City a 57th minute lead. 

Mason-Clark was then fed again two minutes later, the winger sending in another dangerous centre which was again headed clear but only as far as the D where Thomas-Asante hit another first time shot hard and low into the bottom corner to secure the full three points.