Coventry City 2-2 Blackburn Rovers: Sky Blues score in stoppage-time to rescue draw

Viktor Gyokeres celebratesImage source, PA Media
Image caption,

Viktor Gyokeres could not hide his joy at his late equaliser - his 15th goal of the season

Viktor Gyokeres' goal in the ninth minute of second-half stoppage time saw Coventry City seal a late point at home to Blackburn Rovers.

The Swede struck with a back-post header after an initial six minutes of stoppage-time was extended due to injuries.

Harry Pickering's ninth-minute own goal put the hosts ahead, but Rovers were level a minute after the restart as Bradley Dack headed in with his first touch after coming on at the break.

Rovers created several good chances as the second half wore on and were rewarded when Scott Wharton headed them in front with eight minutes to go with what they thought was the winner.

The draw sees Rovers remain sixth in the table, level on points with fifth-placed Middlesbrough and a point ahead of Nottingham Forest in seventh, having played three games more, while City are six points off the play-off places in 11th.

Coventry manager Mark Robins was unhappy when his side were not give a seventh-minute penalty after Jan-Paul van Hecke appeared to catch Matty Godden's heels after going through in the penalty area.

But City only had to wait two more minutes as Godden's excellent ball found Callum O'Hare who tried to round Pickering, but the defender's challenge sent the ball past goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski.

Rovers could have levelled nine minutes later when Sam Gallagher had an effort saved, while at the other end Godden headed a Fankaty Dabo ball inches over before Gustavo Hamer struck the outside of the post.

Lewis Travis' cross set up Dack's diving header from six yards out to restore parity while Sam Gallagher and Dack both went close in the following 15 minutes as Rovers began to assert themselves.

More Rovers chances followed as Ben Brereton-Diaz shot wide before Wharton rose highest to head in Joe Rothwell's 82nd-minute corner for what looked the game's decisive moment.

But injuries to three Rovers players and a pitch invader extended the six minutes of stoppage-time, allowing late substitute Fabio Tavares to cut the ball back to Dabo who picked out Gyokeres at the back post to head home.

Coventry City manager Mark Robins told BBC Coventry and Warwickshire:

"It's taken about two-and-a-half years off my life, no doubt, at a minimum.

"I think we deserved a point, I think we played brilliantly in the first half and in the second half their changes meant that the intensity just changed in that instant.

"That cost us the goals and any momentum that we'd built in the first half, but what we didn't lose was the bravery, the courage, and the determination to go and get a goal back.

Blackburn Rovers manager Tony Mowbray told BBC Radio Lancashire:

"We'll take the point, its obvious I'm bemused by the time that was added on - 10 minutes and 24 seconds my analyst said.

"It's sad that the officials don't have to come out and answer the questions that you ask me.

"I think they were let down by the officials today with the timekeeping, which is sad, but I don't want to ever blame just the officials.

"It's about us, we have to keep the ball out of the net. We had eight men in the box there and it needed to be defended better, but it just bemuses me why we don't get an answer why we played over 10 minutes."

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