Coventry City extend lead at the top thanks to Brandon Thomas-Asante brace against Portsmouth

Brandon Thomas-Asante’s double secured Coventry City a fifth straight victory as Frank Lampard’s side extended their lead at the top of the Championship table by beating Portsmouth 2-1.

Thomas-Asante converted his seventh and eighth goals of the season to move the unbeaten Sky Blues four points clear at the summit.

Sky Blues goalkeeper Carl Rushworth surpassed Horace Pearson’s club-record streak of 608 minutes without conceding – a mark that had stood since 1934.

However, his goal was finally breached by Makenzie Kirk’s delightful lob in stoppage time.

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Match action

Pompey felt they should have taken the lead in the 15th minute when Jay Dasilva appeared to block Yang Min-hyeok’s cross with his arm.

The protests were waved away by referee Gavin Ward, before fourth official Stephen Martin had to get in the middle of managers Lampard and John Mousinho after some unfriendly words and chest prods.

Regan Poole headed wide at one end and Ellis Simms had an inadvertent shot cleared off the line as the game burst into life.

The Sky Blues bagged their 30th league goal of the season on the half hour when Matt Grimes’ deep corner was nodded back across goal by Bobby Thomas for Simms to head goalwards.

The effort was on target but Thomas-Asante made sure by poking over the line from close range for his sixth goal involvement in his last five appearances.

Pompey attempted to hit back as John Swift forced Rushworth into a tricky tip over the crossbar, before the midfielder was thwarted at the near post.

The visitors could have doubled their lead on two occasions in the last five minutes of the half, as Simms’ powerful drive was pushed behind, and then Conor Chaplin flung himself on the line to keep out Dasilva’s strike.

Second half

Pompey had started the second half brightly – Andre Dozzell tamely struck at Rushworth and Chaplin hammered over – but their bubble was popped by Thomas-Asante’s second.

Simms had brushed off Josh Knight on the left touchline before sending the former West Brom forward clean through, and he made no mistake to draw level with team-mate Haji Wright as the Championship’s leading goalscorer.

Portsmouth had prided themselves on being a graveyard for top-spot teams, having knocked Middlesbrough and Preston off the summit already this season – but could not down Coventry.

Thomas-Asante thought had claimed his second career treble in the 76th minute but saw his volley rebound off the crossbar.

Chaplin grazed the post at the other end, before Kirk set up a nervy finale with a fantastic goal in the sixth minute of stoppage time.

But Coventry held on to please 2,186 travelling fans and end Pompey’s three-game unbeaten run.

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