Blackburn Rovers 1 - 1 Coventry City

[dutchman]

Goalkeeper Ben Wilson scores dramatic late equaliser



Goalkeeper Ben Wilson bundled in a last minute goal as Coventry City scored a dramatic stoppage time equaliser against play-off rivals Blackburn Rovers.

The Sky Blues trailed to a first half Sam Gallagher goal in a dreadful opening 45 minutes from the visitors who battled back after the break with a late string of corners finally bearing fruit when the City stopper went up for a last ditch attempt to pull level at Ewood Park

Mark Robins’ men made a positive start to the game but it was the home side who created the first chance when Ryan Hedges crossed to Gallagher in the box, where the striker had time and space to send a clean header at goal, only to direct it straight into goalkeeper Ben Wilson’s arms.

It was a cagey affair with City failing to produce a single effort on goal in the opening half when both sides guilty of making stray passes.

However, Rovers got themselves in front when they opened City up with a sweeping move from left to right that resulted in Joe Rankin-Costello sending in a cross to the near post which Gallagher threw himself at, getting in front of Kyle McFadzean to send a diving header into the bottom corner to give the home side a 39th minute lead.

Coventry suffered a personnel blow just before the break when Ben Sheaf was forced off injured, having suffered a head injury midway through the half and being patched up, but clearly unable to finish the game, replaced by Josh Wilson-Esbrand.

Gus Hamer tested the keeper for the first time in the 50th minute, forcing Aynsley Pears to drop low to his left as the visitors attempted to get back on level terms. But the visitors lacked quality on the night, struggling to create chances against a well-drilled Rovers’ defence that withstood a late set-piece rally from City. That was until Hamer sent in a curling 95th minute delivery which dropped in the six yard box where Wilson was on hand to bundle home to secure a valuable point, with the home side complaining of hand ball.

The draw leaves City a point off sixth place.

[dutchman]

Coventry keeper earns last-gasp draw at Blackburn



Coventry goalkeeper Ben Wilson scored a dramatic stoppage-time equaliser to earn a point at play-off rivals Blackburn at Ewood Park.

Sam Gallagher steered a superb diving header into the bottom corner from Joe Rankin-Costello's floated cross to give Rovers a deserved half-time lead.

The hosts looked to have withheld late pressure until Wilson bundled Gustavo Hamer's corner over the line in the sixth minute of stoppage-time.

The result did little to cement the play-off hopes of two sides stuttering for form, although a third straight draw in a winless five-match run did move Blackburn into sixth, a point above seventh-placed West Brom.

Coventry have now drawn five - and won one - of their last eight games which leaves them eighth, just a point outside the play-off places and firmly in the hunt, but lacking much momentum.

Yet it could have been worse for the Sky Blues who looked set for a first away defeat since 3 February as Blackburn stoutly repelled a string of late corners until Wilson struck.

Rovers did not create much before the break, but were good value for their interval lead against a disappointing Coventry who failed to muster a first-half attempt on goal.

The Sky Blues did react to Mark Robins' half-time team talk, with Hamer firing a long-range effort inches over and then forcing Ben Pears into a decent stop after a neat one-two with striker Viktor Gyokeres.

But the hosts could have doubled their lead moments later when Gallagher's shot was blocked out to Hedges, whose goal-bound follow-up was deflected wide.

The momentum swung after Gallagher's departure with injury and Robins' decision to bring on an extra striker in Tyler Walker.

Yet the visitors looked to be heading for frustration until the unlikeliest of saviours in the shape of Wilson.

Coventry next host relegation-threatened Reading on Saturday, while Blackburn head to fellow play-off chasers Preston.

Coventry City manager Mark Robins told BBC CWR:

"We started really poorly - the first half was as bad as I've seen. Whether that was [being] fearful, or the circumstances, we've got ourselves in a brilliant position that doesn't come around that often - go and enjoy it, you can't fear it.

"We have to be better, we have to learn from this, but certainly in the second half we were better, we grew into it.

"Aled [Williams, goalkeeping coach] got off the bench and said 'do you want him [Ben Wilson] up for the corner?' and I thought for a split second and just said 'yes' so Ben Wilson gets the credit, Aled gets the credit."

"This is a brilliant challenge now, we've got three games left, can we go and do something? Blackburn have got a game in hand on us so it's against the odds really, but we're in a really strong position."