Coventry City maintain unbeaten start to season with thrilling Pride Park comeback

Frank Lampard’s Coventry City continued their unbeaten start to the new campaign with an enthralling 5-3 win away at Derby County on Saturday afternoon.

Goals from Bobby Thomas, Haji Wright, Brandon Thomas-Asante, Ephron Mason-Clark, and Victor Torp ensured that the Sky Blues left Pride Park with all three points, building on an opening day stalemate with Hull City and a comfortable 1-0 midweek win over Luton Town to progress into the next round of the Carabao Cup.

Coventry began Saturday’s encounter in ideal fashion, Thomas benefitting from hesitant Derby defending to open the scoring on the end of Torp’s inviting free-kick.

Saturday’s statement performance was the perfect response to the Hull stalemate the week before

In what was an end-to-end opening to the game, Rams left-back Callum Elder equalised with a spectacular effort from the dead-ball situation just five minutes later.

Wright and then Carlton Morris traded goals from the penalty spot to keep the scores level at half-time, but it was Derby who came out of the blocks quickest to steal the lead at the start of the second period.

A long throw-in from Elder caused chaos in the Coventry box, with Gambian international Ebou Adams capitalising on a tame headed clearance from Thomas to trickle an effort beyond a sprawling Carl Rushworth.

Lampard’s side remained behind as the game entered its final 20 minutes, but three quick-fire Coventry strikes stole the points away from the bewildered hosts.

First, it was Milan van Ewijk’s turn to cause defensive uncertainty from a long throw, with Thomas-Asante finishing into an empty net after Thomas’ initial header had been clawed out by Derby goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterström.

Three minutes later, Mason-Clark nodded in from van Ewijk’s first-time cross to finally restore Coventry’s lead, after the Dutch right-back had been picked out on the wing by Liam Kitching.

Coventry are expected to mount another push for promotion to the promised land of the Premier League this term

Torp’s driven effort from just inside the Derby box another four minutes later put the result beyond any reasonable doubt with 10 minutes still on the clock.

Saturday’s statement performance was the perfect response to the Hull stalemate the week before, in which Coventry were only able to muster up three shots on target against a side heavily tipped to struggle this season under a transfer embargo.

Coventry, on the other hand, are expected to mount another push for promotion to the promised land of the Premier League this term, following their heartbreaking play-off semi-final defeat at the hands of Sunderland last time out.

Lampard’s squad has only been bolstered by a small number of arrivals this summer, but Brighton and Hove Albion loanee Rushworth is expected to be a major improvement between the sticks. Fellow arrivals Miguel Ángel Brau and Kaine Kesler-Hayden will provide crucial depth in the full-back positions.

The Sky Blues sit in fifth place in the Sky Bet Championship standings following Saturday’s result, with a home meeting with Queens Park Rangers awaiting this weekend.