Coventry City player ratings from CoventryLive as Sky Blues reporter Andy Turner hands out the scores against Blackburn Rovers
22:05, 17 Apr 2026Updated 22:11, 17 Apr 2026
Bobby Thomas of Coventry City heads the ball to score the vital equaliser at Ewood Park to confirm promotion
Bobby Thomas of Coventry City heads the ball to score the vital equaliser at Ewood Park to confirm promotion
Coventry City snatched a dramatic late equaliser to get them over the automatic promotion line and spark the celebrations at Blackburn Rovers.
More than 7,000 Sky Blues fans partied at Ewood Park after Bobby Thomas glanced home a brilliant header from a Victor Torp free-kick in the 84th minute to officially confirm the club’s return to the Premier League after 25 long years.
Frank Lampard’s men made heavy going of the game against a determined home side who had the better of the first hour. The lively Yuki Ohashi went close to scoring for the home side twice in the first 30 minutes, first when he managed to get in behind and head straight at the keeper and again when he got on the end of a deep cross and headed onto the crossbar.
City, in contrast, had two or three blocked shots to show for their early attacking endeavour.
Rovers continued to look the more threatening in the final third in the second half when they got their breakthrough when the ball was played into the box and took a deflection off Frank Onyeka to send it to Ryoya Morishita who hit a smart finish past goalkeeper Carl Rushworth from close range to give the host the 54th minute lead.
Lampard made a triple substitution shortly after, throwing on Haji Wright, Victor Torp and Romain Esse and reverting to a back four as the visitors battled on in search of an equaliser against a resolute home side fighting for the Championship lives.
But a late free-kick was whipped into the box and Thomas timed his run to perfection, getting up and beating his marker to glance home a header past the keeper to pull City level six minutes from time. The away end erupted with the delirious travelling supporters singing Thomas’s song on repeat for the remainder of the game.
Matt Grimes of Coventry City
Matt Grimes of Coventry City
STARTING FORMATION: 3-4-3
CARL RUSHWORTH: 6
Was in the right place at the right time to take a threatening header from Ohashi into his grasp as Rovers very nearly broke the early deadlock. Beaten from close range early in the second half. Really calm under pressure.
JOEL LATIBEAUDIERE: 6
Deployed on the right of a back three, the centre-half was composed and moved up the pitch to support Milan van Ewijk on attacks. Got in the way of an Ohashi shot to deny the striker’s third attempt on goal just before the break. Made way for Torp just after the hour as City reverted to a back four.
BOBBY THOMAS: 9
Deployed at the heart of the back three on his return to the starting line-up, Thomas organised the back three but needed to get tighter on Ohashi and City’s defence found themselves stretched at times. Popped up with a brilliant headed equaliser six minutes from time to send City to the Premier League.
LIAM KITCHING: 5.5
Allowed Ohashi to give him the slip for an early chance in behind but otherwise worked well in the back three but looked arguably more comfortable when City reverted to a back four.
MILAN VAN EWIJK: 7
A really effective outlet down the right as he operated as a wing-back. Read the game really well, nipping in to intercept passes and get City on the counter attack. Made a crucial tackle in the box to deny a clear goal scoring opportunity.
Coventry City fan prior to kick off
Coventry City fan prior to kick off
FRANK ONYEKA: 5
Won an early tackle to feed Mason-Clark for a chance on goal as he put himself about from the first whistle but was also muscled off the ball a couple of times as Rovers tried to assert themselves on the game. Inadvertently sent the ball into Morishita’s path for their early second half goal as he attempted to cut out the pass.
MATT GRIMES: 7
Took a whack on the shin/ankle early on from a nasty looking tackle but managed to run it off and continue to exert his authority in the middle of the park.
JAY DASILVA: 5
Worked the left flank well as a wing-back but had his work cut out trying to contain the quick and skilful Morishita who was Rovers biggest threat in the first half. Got done a few times down his side on a difficult night.
JACK RUDONI: 5.5/6
Operated to the right of a front three on the attack while also dropping inside to a more central position at times. Not as influential as usual but went close with a second half effort before making way for Thomas-Asante.
EPHRON MASON-CLARK: 7
Had an early chance blocked in a confident start to the game when he worked the left flank where he got the better of his marker, Tom Atcheson, on a number of occasions
ELLIS SIMMS: 5
Put in lots of hard and strong running up top and looked after the ball well when he had it but needed to impose himself more in a first half that fell a bit flat. Replaced by Haji just after the hour.
SUBSTITUTES:
HAJI WRIGHT (61 mins, for Simms):
ROMAIN ESSE (61 mins, for Latibeaudiuere):
VICTOR TORP (61 mins, for Onyeka): 7
Sent in a superb cross for Thomas’s to glance home with his head.
BRANDON THOMAS-ASANTE (71 mins, for Rudoni)
JOSH ECCLES (89 mins, for Mason-Clark):
Subs (not used): Ben Wilson (GK), Luke Woolfenden, Jake Bidwell, Kaine Kesler-Hayden.
BLACKBURN ROVERS (3-4-2-1): Balazs Toth; Tom Acheson, Sean McLoughlin, Eiran Cashin; Ryan Alebiousu, Taylor Gardner-Hickman, Kristi Montgomery, Yuri Ribeiro; Ryoya Morishita, Moussa Baradji; Yuki Ohashi.
Subs (not used): Aynsley Pears (GK), Harry Pickering, Dion De Neve, Ryan Hedges, Dapo Afolayan, Connor O’Riordan, Nathan Redmond, Adam Forshaw, Mathias Jorgensen.
GOALS:
ROVERS: Morishita (54)
SKY BLUES: Thomas (84)
REFEREE: Lewis Smith
ATTENDANCE:
NEXT UP: Portsmouth (h) Tuesday, April 21 (7.45pm).
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