Ellis Simms (left) had not scored in 13 games for Coventry City prior to his goal against Blackburn Rovers
Coventry City struck either side of half-time to register an impressive win at play-off-chasing Blackburn Rovers, whose poor Championship form continued.
Ellis Simms gave the Sky Blues the lead against the run of play just before the break as he headed in at the near post.
The visitors doubled their lead just three minutes into the second half when Brandon Thomas-Asante tapped in from close range.
Makhtar Gueye spurned a number of chances for the hosts and almost nodded in a late consolation, yet Blackburn could not respond to avoid a second successive defeat.
The result means Coventry City move up to 13th in the Championship table and are now seven points off the play-off positions.
Blackburn have picked up just one win in their past eight Championship games - a run stretching back to 21 December - but remain in the play-off positions following Middlesbrough's win over seventh-placed West Brom.
The hosts dominated much of the first half and were unfortunate not to take the lead early on when Gueye's headed effort from Tyrhys Dolan's ball was pushed over the bar superbly by Coventry keeper Oliver Dovin.
Blackburn kept pushing and nearly edged ahead when Danny Batth nodded goalbound to force Dovin into another save following good work from Todd Cantwell to keep the ball alive in the build up.
Yet it was Coventry that went in at the break on top, as the hosts failed to clear away Jack Rudoni's corner, with Victor Torp lofting a ball in towards the post for Simms to head in with ease.
After the break, Rudoni played a ball across the face of goal for his eighth Championship assist of the season as Thomas-Asante slotted home against the club he has been linked with during the January transfer window.
Gueye continued to be Blackburn's talisman as they chased a response but the Senegalese striker struck wide after Harry Leonard swung in a ball which bypassed the Sky Blues defence.
Coventry could have put themselves out of sight when Milan van Ewijk made a solo run into the box having picked up possession on halfway but having tamely gone to ground, Rudoni blasted wide after he lost the ball.
There was further misery for Blackburn whose injury list widened having lost goalkeeper Aynsley Pears to a virus pre-match - leading to Balazs Toth's debut - while Danny Batth later pulled up during the defeat.
Blackburn Rovers boss John Eustace told BBC Radio Lancashire:
"The effort of the boys was excellent tonight and the attitude was very good. We had five big chances which we didn't put away unfortunately.
"Coventry scored with the first effort on goal, I think it was, right before half-time so it was a tough one to take.
"You can see we've got 11 senior boys out but the effort the boys put in on the pitch tonight was there for everyone to see.
"We have to defend better from the corner and second phase.
"The goal after half-time was a disappointment because we spoke about things we had to do defensively which we didn't, then after that we were huffing and puffing but the attitude was very good."
Coventry City boss Frank Lampard told BBC CWR:
"They had a couple of moments and that's when we started to make changes. We made some changes for freshness and the players that came in gave us a good solidity.
"These things are important for building feeling, that we can come to places like this and win two games on the trot. Now we have to recover and go again.
"Winning games like this in midweek and coming away like this, is really important for feeling and the lads have to understand what it takes to win."
