Coventry City player ratings as Sky Blues bounce back with a belter against third top Blackburn Rovers

Coventry City's Haji Wright celebrates scoring
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


Coventry City recorded their second Championship win of the season with a much-needed confidence-boosting victory over third from top Blackburn Rovers.

Jake Bidwell gave the Sky Blues an early lead before Haji Wright double the advantage at the start of the second half. Brandon Thomas-Asante then secured the three points seven minutes from time to top a terrific display from the striker.

City were dealt an early blow when Tatsuhiro Sakamoto was stretchered off injured in the 10th minute after getting a stud to his knee while making a tackle on Tyrhys Dolan. But the home side found the back of the net a minute later when Bidwell got his head to a Jack Rudoni free-kick and flicked the ball over the keeper to give the Sky Blues the early lead.

Wright then doubled the lead early in the second half when a poor backpass from Dolan was chased down by Brandon Thomas-Asante, forcing Dom Hyam into an error and the USA striker to intercept. The striker cut inside from the left, steadied himself in space and picked his spot with a thumping shot to beat the keeper.

And Thomas-Asante completed the 3-0 scoreline in the 83rd minute when he turned smartly in the box and drilled home past the keeper.

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STARTING FORMATION: 4-2-3-1

BEN WILSON: 7.5

Vocal and commanded his area well but not really tested in the first half. Raced out of his area to clear the ball and take out Ohashi in the process on the stroke of half-time, showing good aggression, bravery and determination. Made a decent reaction save to deny a Rovers player in the box in the second half. Huge boost with City's first clean sheet of the season.

Coventry City's Jake Bidwell celebrates scoring
Coventry City's Jake Bidwell celebrates scoring

MILAN VAN EWIJK: 7

Linked up nicely with Sakamoto down the right, albeit all too short lived due to the Japanese winger’s injury. Got forward well to support attacks and hit the side netting in the first half. Defended really well, with his pace and timing coming to the fore.

BOBBY THOMAS: 7

Skinned by Dolan in the opening minutes as Rovers caused an early scare but defended well overall, heading, blocking and tackling throughout to more than play his part in City’s first welcome clean sheet of the season.

LIAM KITCHING: 6.5/7

Cleared off the line from an early in-swinging free-kick to Dom Hyam to head but got his timings wrong just after the half hour when Dolan raced through. Fortunately Sheaf was there to mop up a good clearing tackle. Grew in confidence as the game went on, throwing himself at everything that came his way and, overall, aggressive and determined and played his part in the clean sheet.

JAKE BIDWELL: 7.5

Scored a delightful header in the 11th minute from a Rudoni cross to give City the early lead and got forward at will on the overlap to send in a string of decent crosses to the box. Defended solidly throughout.

JOSH ECCLES; 6.5/7

Played a delightful through ball for BTA to run in behind and get a shot off but guilty of over-hitting his crosses. But overall worked his socks off in another mature performance from the local lad.

BEN SHEAF: 8

Vastly improved from the weekend, showing plenty of composure and going close to scoring with a lobbed effort that went just wide of the apex of the goal. Got a crucial block in to deny Dolan finding the target and played clever passes. Oozed class at times in an excellent return to form.

TATSUHIRO SAKAMOTO:

Made a bright start and make a terrific recovering tackle on Dolan but got injured in the process as the Rovers player landed on his knee. Stretchered off and replaced by Mason-Clark.

Blackburn Rovers's Tyrhys Dolan is tackled by Coventry City's Tatsuhiro Sakamoto
Blackburn Rovers's Tyrhys Dolan is tackled by Coventry City's Tatsuhiro Sakamoto

JACK RUDONI: 7.5

Sent in a brilliant free-kick for Bidwell’s goal and put in really good dead balls all evening on top of a really hard working and determined shift. A constant thorn in Rovers' side.

HAJI WRIGHT: 7

Lively and threatening down the left where things just didn’t quite come off for him in a hard working and determined first half. Finally found the finishing touch when he cut inside the box and thumped home to double City’s lead. Full-back Hayden Carter couldn’t cope with him and the defender was eventually booked for stopping him with a professional foul, and hen subbed.

BRANDON THOMAS-ASANTE: 8.5

Showed bags of energy and ran in behind where he was a threat, getting a decent shot off from an Eccles’ through ball early on. A real live wire who made the second goal by bearing down on a backpass to the keeper. Outstanding closing and pressing from the front and rewarded with a goal, which he took superbly to kill the game with a third City goal in the 83rd minute. Man of the match display.

Coventry City's Haji Wright celebrates scoring their side's second goal
Coventry City's Haji Wright celebrates scoring their side's second goal

SUBSTITUTES:

EPHRON MASON-CLARK (10 mins, for the injured Sakamoto): 6.5/7

Wriggled his way into the box after just going on and hit a powerful shot that the keeper spilled but Wright couldn’t get there in time to beat the keeper. Gave it away too easily on one occasion late in the second half when trying to get City on the attack, resulting in Rovers countering.

JOEL LATIBEAUDIERE (77 mins, for Sheaf): 6

Helped see out the game.

VICTOR TORP (86 mins, for Eccles):

ELLIS SIMMS: (86 mins, for Thomas-Asante):

Subs (not used): Oliver Dovin (GK), Jay Dasilva, Luis Binks, Norman Bassette, Kai Andrews.

BLACKBURN ROVERS (4-2-3-1): Aynsley Pears; Hayden Carter, Dom Hyam, Danny Batth, Harry Pickering; Lewis Travis, Sondre Tronstad; Andreas Weimann, Tyrhys Dolan, Todd Cantwell; Yuki Ohashi.

Subs (not used): Balazs Toth (GK), Kyle McFadzean, Arnor Sigurdsson, Makhtar Gueye, Joe Rankin-Costello, Ryan Hedges, John Buckley, Amario Cozier-Duberry, Lewis Baker.

GOALS:

SKY BLUES: Bidwell (11), Wright (48), Thomas-Asante (83)

ROVERS:

REFEREE: John Busby

ATTENDANCE: 24,583 (918 away).

NEXT UP: Sheffield Wednesday (h) Saturday, October 5 (3pm).

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