Frank Lampard has called for calm after Coventry City extended their lead at the top of the Championship, breaking a long-standing club record in the process. The Sky Blues defeated Portsmouth 2-0 on Tuesday night, with goalkeeper Carl Rushworth surpassing Horace Pearson's 1934 record of 608 minutes without conceding a goal.
Coventry had not conceded since a draw with Norwich on September 13, keeping five consecutive clean sheets before Makenzie Kirk scored a stoppage-time consolation for Portsmouth. The win was Coventry's fifth in a row, moving them four points clear of second-placed Middlesbrough.
Lampard praised his side's performance but urged caution. 'People will get excited, and that ramps up when you win games, but our job is to stay on it and stay diligent,' he said. 'We are happy with the start to the season, but we know what this league does if you relax.'
Brandon Thomas-Asante scored both goals against Portsmouth, making him joint-top scorer in the Championship with eight goals, alongside teammate Haji Wright. Thomas-Asante has seven goal involvements in his last five matches and played a key role in Ghana's World Cup qualification.
Lampard heaped praise on the forward: 'From day one of pre-season, he has been amazing. He's been fit, hungry and fresh. He gives us everything, moving across positions, and his confidence is high. All he needs to do now is stay humble and keep doing it.'
Coventry have scored 31 goals in 11 league games, the most in the Football League. Last season, Lampard led them to a fifth-place finish after taking over in November, but they were beaten by Sunderland in the play-offs. The club has not been in the Premier League since 2001.
