Coventry swagger to Championship title with rout of Portsmouth

Ephron Mason-Clark scored a brace as Coventry clinched the Sky Bet Championship title with a convincing 5-1 victory over Portsmouth.

Haji Wright opened the scoring before Mason-Clark pounced on an error from Nicolas Schmid just 90 seconds after the break, which was compounded by Regan Poole’s own goal three minutes later.

Adrian Segecic got one back for the visitors, but Mason-Clark fired in his second before Kaine Kesler-Hayden got in on the act in added time.

Frank Lampard’s side had been promoted following their 1-1 draw at Blackburn on Friday night and went a step further to clinch the title four days later.

The Sky Blues will return to the Premier League for the first time in 25 years after relegation at the end of the 2000-01 season.

The defeat ended Portsmouth’s run of three straight victories without conceding, including over promotion-chasing Ipswich and Middlesbrough, but Oxford’s loss to Wrexham means John Mousinho’s side have secured their place in the Championship for next season.

The newly-crowned champions were up and running inside 11 minutes when Jack Rudoni’s corner was nodded in by top scorer Wright.

Pompey goalkeeper Schmid should have done better as he flapped at the corner and allowed Wright to notch his 17th of the season.

It was the 27th goal the Sky Blues had scored from a set-piece this season, and they almost added another before half-time.

Bobby Thomas’ late goal at Ewood Park on Friday had secured Coventry’s promotion, and the defender headed another Rudoni corner onto the top of the crossbar.

Portsmouth had registered just one shot in the opening 45 minutes and found themselves two goals behind almost immediately after the break.

It was another moment to forget for Schmid, whose heavy touch from Poole’s backpass allowed Mason-Clark to steal in and tap into an empty net.

Things were starting to unravel for Portsmouth as Poole then diverted Milan van Ewijk’s cross into his own net just five minutes into the second half.

Wright should have made it four when he missed a glorious chance on the hour mark.

Rudoni took aim from distance and rifled his low effort off the post before American Wright lifted the follow-up over the bar with the goal gaping.

Pompey were next to take advantage of a lack of concentration as Segecic latched onto Rudoni’s loose pass and lashed beyond Carl Rushworth from the edge of the box.

But any hopes of an unlikely comeback were dashed almost immediately as Victor Torp’s defence-splitting pass played in Mason-Clark, who made space to fire in his second.

Substitute Kesler-Hayden put the icing on the cake when he slotted in Rudoni’s cross at the back post to notch Coventry’s 90th league goal of the season.