Frank Lampard felt there was a “really good spirit” about his Coventry side as they won 2-0 at Blackburn to make it back-to-back Championship victories.
After Sky Blues goalkeeper Oliver Dovin had done well to deny Makhtar Gueye and Danny Batth, Ellis Simms and Brandon Thomas-Asante scored for the visitors either side of the break.
And amid Blackburn pushing to hit back, Coventry almost notched a third when Jack Rudoni’s effort hit the post.
Lampard, whose men had beaten Bristol City 1-0 three days earlier, said in his post-match press conference: “(Delighted with) the result for sure, the performance, particularly elements of it – seeing out a game, seeing out a game well, taking chances. There’s some improvement there.
“We weren’t at our best, especially the first 20 minutes or so of the game I didn’t like us, but that can happen. It’s important you stay in the game at those points, and get maybe something we deserve.
“I’m really pleased with the circumstances, really difficult place to come, Tuesday night game, away from home. I thought there was a really good spirit about the team, some good things, some things definitely to improve still, but happy.”
Coventry were 17th, two points above the relegation zone, when Lampard succeeded Mark Robins as boss in November.
They are now 13th, nine points clear – and seven behind sixth-placed Blackburn – having accrued 18 across the 11 games the former England midfielder has overseen.
Asked if he felt momentum was building under him, he said: “I don’t think we can get too carried (away).
“I’m pretty happy. I want a bit more, but this is football, sometimes you don’t get it. And I think you just have to keep going game-by-game to build that momentum.
“It’s too early to say that for me, but we’ve given a bit of a show of ourselves tonight. For the first time in my time here we’ve come away on a tough night and shown resilience and got a clean sheet. We just have to take that forward.”
Summer signing Thomas-Asante, who also scored the winner against Bristol City, has been linked with Blackburn this month, and when asked about that, Lampard said: “Brandon’s been with us for whatever many months into a four-year contract.
“For me as a manager I want those options in the squad, and I want players showing it on the pitch. He’s doing that at the minute for us.
“I don’t need to make any dramatic ‘hands off’ statements myself but we have a rest day tomorrow, and start training on Thursday, and Brandon’s a part of that.”
It was a second successive loss for John Eustace’s Blackburn, who have won only one of their last eight league matches and dropped a spot in the the play-off places.
Eustace said he was disappointed about the two goals from a defensive perspective and that there were “five big chances we didn’t put away” but stressed: “I thought the effort of the boys was excellent tonight, the attitude was very good.
“We have 11 senior boys out at the moment but the effort the boys put in on the pitch was there for everyone to see.”
