Coventry 3 – 1 Watford

League leaders Coventry recorded their sixth win in a row with a 3-1 victory over 10-man Watford.

Frank Lampard’s side got off to a flying start when Brandon Thomas-Asante and Jamie Allen scored within the first seven minutes.

Tatsuhiro Sakamoto made it 3-0 on 42 minutes before James Abankwah was sent off for the visitors.

Imran Louza’s second half penalty proved nothing more than a consolation for Javi Gracia’s side.

Championship top scorer Thomas-Asante set Coventry on their way when he nodded Sakamoto’s cross into the far corner in the third minute.

It could have been a very different start to the afternoon but for Sky Blues stopper Carl Rushworth, who stood tall to deny Rocco Vata as the Watford winger was put through one-on-one a minute before Thomas-Asante’s opener.

Coventry doubled their lead inside 10 minutes when Milan van Ewijk’s long throw broke for Allen, who fired into the far corner.

Allen was one of two changes to the side that beat Portsmouth 2-1 in midweek, the midfielder replacing Luke Woolfenden, while there was also a recall for Haji Wright in place of the injured Victor Torp.

Coventry had kept a clean sheet in five consecutive games before conceding at Fratton Park on Tuesday, and Rushworth pulled off a string of first half saves to keep the score at 2-0.

Louza had scored in the Hornets’ 2-1 win over West Brom in the week, and saw his effort from range turned round the post by the on-loan Brighton keeper.

The 24-year-old then pulled off a miraculous save to deny Edo Kayembe, whose left-footed shot was bound for the top corner before the intervention of sprawling Rushworth.

Vata was then denied again when he found himself one-on-one with Rushworth for a second time.

The visitors were made to rue their missed chances three minutes before the break when Sakamoto latched onto a loose ball in the Watford half and picked out the bottom corner with his left-footed effort from the edge of the D.

Things went from bad to worse for Watford before half time when young centre back Abankwah was shown his marching orders for hacking down Wright as the American bared down on goal.

Coventry went in search of a fourth after the break with their man advantage and Thomas-Asante forced Egil Selvik into a smart save to push his effort around the post.

Allen also went close to a second with his volley that landed on the roof of the net.

Watford pulled a goal back with 20 minutes to go when Rushworth brought down the newly introduced Vivaldo Semedo and Dean Whitestone duly pointed to the spot.

Louza stepped up to tuck away his second goal in as many games, but it proved to be nothing more than a consolation for the visitors as Coventry moved four points clear at the top of the Championship.

The managers

Coventry’s Frank Lampard:

“At the minute we’re clinical and we’re dangerous, and we’ve been more dangerous than today.

“Sakamoto’s cross is great for Brandon’s goal and Brandon’s positioning is something we work on a lot, and it’s great to see that recreated in a game.

“Then Jamie (Allen) to get his goal after coming into the team and the nature of Tatsu’s goal, a turnover that we go quickly and score, things we talk about a lot, so I’m really pleased with all that part of it. We’re working well as a team.

“It was a challenging game today because Watford are a good team, and pound for pound that squad’s a strong team in this league.

“There’s no doubt they’ve got a really good coach there and I think they’ll move up the league. It was a tricky game for us and I thought we did the job and we did it well.”

Watford’s Javi Gracia:

“If we analyse the game after the final result, I have to tell you we are really disappointed, because today we knew it will be a demanding game against the league leaders and it will be tough for us.

“After playing the second half with one player less, after managing the way we played in the second half, the way we competed in the second half, after knowing in the first half their goals are coming from soft mistakes – if we analyse all these things, I think I have to be happy with the spirit my team showed.

“They are a very good team, they create some chances, but to be honest I think we had the first clear chance but if you don’t take them you pay for that, and more so playing against a team like Coventry.

“If you see the stats, that tells you more about the game. 2.7 xG, Coventry 1.3. Second half, we conceded four shots, none on target, defending with 10 players, while scoring one goal and creating some chances.

“I think it’s something we have to be proud of but it’s not enough only to do this in some minutes of the game. You have to be able to do it during all the games, 100% concentrating.”