Coventry 1 Doncaster 3: Dickov delighted as Rovers get back in hunt

Rovers’ manager Paul Dickov said: “I think the second-half performance was the best since I’ve been here.”

The Sky Blues took the lead early on when Jim O’Brien set up Dominic Samuel, who fired into the bottom corner.

Rovers were level five minutes after the break when Richie Wellens fought his way into the area before firing past Lee Burge.

Jonson Clarke-Harris scored at the second attempt to make it 2-1 and Harry Forrester slid in the third after a mistake by Aaron Martin.

“You talk about giving yourself a chance and in the first half our centre-backs went AWOL after four minutes, but when we came in at half-time I was always confident we would score,” said Dickov. “I got into them a bit at half-time because I knew we had a great chance and told them not to throw it away.

“I was delighted for the substitutes who came on. They were disappointed to be left out, but I spoke to them about it and they took it fantastically well.

“We’ve got good players in the team and a good squad.

“Everybody’s disappointed when you lose a couple of games, but you want a reaction from that.

“We were in a good position with nine games to go and we are in an even better position with eight games left,” added Dickov, whose side are now ninth.

Coventry are just a point above the relegation places in 18th.

Coventry City: Burge, Willis, Pennington, Martin, Stokes, Barton (Odelusi 46), Ward, Samuel, O’Brien (Jackson 79), Fleck, Nouble (Phillips 69). Unused substitutes: Webster, Turgott, Finch, Charles-Cook.

Doncaster Rovers: Bywater, Stevens, Butler, McCullough, Wabara, Razak (Forrester 23), Bennett, Wellens, Furman, Main (Robinson 90), Tyson (Clarke-Harris 61). Unused substitutes: Evina, McCombe, Marosi, Middleton.

Referee: C Boyeson (E Yorkshire).

Man of the match: Harry Forrester.