Coughlan – More to come from Clarke-Harris

Posted Sunday, March 03, 2019 by PA

Bristol Rovers boss Graham Coughlan believes the best is yet to come from Jonson Clarke-Harris after his hat-trick in the 4-0 home win over Blackpool.

Coughlan 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 at the age of 16 years and 21 days.

But, having represented several clubs, he hopes to settle at Rovers, having signed in January, and is fast becoming a favourite with Memorial Stadium fans.

Coughlan said: “Jonson is still a young player. I knew when signing him that he is a great character and the other lads in our dressing room have really taken to him.

“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.

“I am smiling because 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 it is only one result and we still have to find that consistency to get ourselves out of trouble.

“Now we go toe-to-toe with Sunderland in the Checkatrade Trophy semi-final on Tuesday night. Can we beat such a big club and get to Wembley? I believe so, but do my players?”

Clarke-Harris produced lethal close-range finishes on six, 37 and 68 minutes to set Rovers on course for their biggest win of the season.

Liam Sercombe added the fourth goal with a low shot in stoppage time, but the victory was not enough to lift Rovers out of the League One relegation zone.

Blackpool boss Terry McPhillips said. “It hasn’t really happened to us this season, but 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.

“Clarke-Harris was strong and took his goals well, while Nichols was lively alongside him. They were hard for our lads to handle.

“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.

“We were just way below par for some reason and they were the better side by some distance.

“If there is a positive, we created some good chances but we could have been out there until tomorrow night and still wouldn’t have scored. It wasn’t our day.”