- Coventry hosted Hull City in Frank Lampard’s fourth game in charge of the club
- The Chelsea icon got his first home victory, courtesy of a 2-1 comeback win
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Frank Lampard avoided a nightmare before Christmas after his side came from behind to beat rock-bottom Hull.
Victory over the Tigers was the Chelsea legend’s first at home since being appointed manager at the end of November.
His side were dominant from the off and created the game’s best chances, but it was Hull, with their first and only meaningful attack of the first half, who went ahead.
Joao Pedro showed striker’s instinct and was in the right place at the right time to prod the ball past Brad Collins after Ryan Longman struck the post with a header.
An equaliser, though, looked inevitable and the home side only had to wait for six second-half minutes for it as the impressive Ephron Mason-Clark nodded past Hull keeper Ivor Pandur.
Pandur kept his side in the game by denying Victor Torp from the penalty spot but Jack Rudoni got the winner in the 71st-minute, heading home Mason-Clark’s cross.
Frank Lampard picked up his first home win as Coventry City manager against Hull City
The Sky Blues won 2-1 thanks to goals from Ephron Mason-Clark and Jack Rudoni (above)
It means Lampard has now won two and drawn one of his four games in charge of the club
It would have been a travesty had Lampard’s side not taken all three points given the opportunities they wasted.
Norman Bassette was one of the guilty parties, the Belgian forward unable to keep his header down from a few yards out after Mason-Clark flashed a delivery into the box.
Mason-Clark gave Hull captain Lewie Coyle the run-around all afternoon and the winger saw a dangerous deliveries headed over again, this time by Rudoni.
Pandur was booked by referee Bobby Madley after only 31 minutes for time-wasting but was on hand to scramble across his line to tip over Ben Sheaf’s header from a Torp free-kick.
His opposite number Brad Collins was a bystander for the first 42 minutes of the half but was unable to stop Pedro from putting the Tigers ahead.
Ryan Longman headed Abu Kamara’s cross against the post from only a few yards out but Pedro was on hand to finish past Collins.
Pedro was inches away from doubling Hull’s lead shortly after the break but it was Coventry who hit back when Coyle failed to deal with Torp’s teasing ball from the right.
The full-back should have cleared his lines but instead allowed Mason-Clark to squeeze a brave header past Pandur at his near post.
Rudoni’s second half header secured the three points after Joao Pedro’s opener for Hull
Lampard’s side showed impressed resilience to fight back from a 1-0 deficit at half-time
Coventry’s win saw them rise up to 16th in the Championship, eight points off the play-offs
Ruben Selles’ side stay bottom of the league after a loss in his second game since taking over
A catalogue of errors from the visitors then gifted Coventry the chance to take the lead as Steven Alzate slipped over unchallenged in midfield. When the hosts broke forward, Hull defender Charlie Hughes brought down Bassette with a sliding challenge, leaving Madley with no choice but to point to the spot.
Torp stepped up but was denied his third league goal of the season with Pandur getting down well to his left to save his spot-kick.
But it was long before Mason-Clark brilliance produced another piece of brilliance to settle the game.
The 25 year old skinned Hull substitute Marvin Mehlem, Coyle and then Mehlem again for good measure before standing up a perfect cross for Rudoni in the middle.
Burstow should have snatched a late equaliser against the run of play for the visitors but was unable to keep his curling effort from the edge of the box down.
It was a let-off for Lampard but one that his side deserved. The Frank Lampard show is off and running in the West Midlands.
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