Jamie Allen on target as Coventry see off high-flying Blackburn

Posted Wednesday, November 02, 2022 by PA

Jamie Allen’s goal lifted Coventry out of the bottom three with a 1-0 win over 10-man Blackburn at the CBS Arena.

The Sky Blues had been in the Championship relegation zone since August after their first three home games of the campaign were postponed, but Allen’s first home league goal of the season took them up to 19th place.

The match was played at the CBS Arena, despite uncertainty around where it would be held up until Monday afternoon due to financial problems at CBS Arena Limited, who manage the Sky Blues’ lease at the stadium.

On top of their off-field issues, Coventry were also battling a virus in the squad, forcing manager Mark Robins to leave out Kyle McFadzean for the first time this season as Allen took the captain’s armband.

Rovers, who could have gone top with victory, suffered their first defeat in five games as 19-year-old Jake Garrett was sent off just six minutes after being introduced as a substitute.

Jon Dahl Tomasson’s visitors looked sloppy from the off as first goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski and then Tyler Morton lost the ball, Ben Sheaf nicking possession and feeding Viktor Gyokeres, whose shot was blocked.

Gustavo Hamer had scored in Coventry’s 2-2 draw with Rotherham a week earlier and drove forward from the halfway line before his powerful drive was beaten away by Kaminski.

Blackburn’s Ben Brereton Diaz already has eight goals to his name this season and went in search of another when he cut inside following Jack Vale’s pass and curled an effort past the diving Ben Wilson and his far post.

Rovers’ sloppiness at the back continued as Allen was allowed to slide in Callum O’Hare, but Kaminski was out quickly to smother at the feet of the midfielder.

Callum Brittain had the Lancashire side’s best chance of the half when a defensive mistake allowed the defender in on goal, but he could only fire into the side netting.

Coventry’s deserved goal came after 41 minutes after some patient build-up play in the centre.

O’Hare shifted the ball out to Josh Eccles and his deflected cross found Allen, who tapped in his first goal at the CBS Arena since August 2021 from inside the six yard box.

Tomasson’s men were much tighter at the back after the break as they went in search of a leveller, Wilson parrying away Brereton Diaz’s free-kick just before the hour mark.

Allen could have doubled his and Coventry’s tally when Gyokeres won possession high up the pitch and squared for the stand-in skipper, but his effort was straight at Kaminski.

Rovers’ miserable evening was complete when Garrett saw red on just his third Championship appearance for a challenge on Callum Doyle.

Bradley Dack glanced Brereton Diaz’s cross wide of Wilson’s goal, but the Sky Blues held on for a valuable victory.