For the first time since October 1981, Coventry City have beaten Swansea City at home.
Ephron Mason-Clark’s strike on the brink of half time proved to be the difference as Frank Lampard’s side collected their 15th league win of the season.
The 26-year-old fired into the roof of the net from close range after Swansea failed to clear their lines from a long throw into the box.
It was Mason-Clark’s third strike in as many games for the Sky Blues as talkSPORT’s chief live football anchor Adrian Durham waxed lyrical about the Coventry ace.
“He is some player,” Durham said on talkSPORT’s GameDay Live.
“As most listeners will know, I’ve seen a lot of Ephron Mason-Clark and he’s stepped up to Championship level, no problems whatsoever. And I have no doubt whatsoever that he could go even higher.
“Yes, he’s scoring goals this season, but he’s a creator. He’s created the most chances in the Championship from open play this season, 32 before today.
“He’s some footballer and he’s on the tips of the tongues of all the Coventry fans right now.”
Thanks to Mason-Clark’s goal, his sixth of the campaign, Coventry avoided a tenth match without a win against the Swans on home soil.
Following a 3-1 victory over Swansea in October 1981, the Sky Blues drew five and lost four of their next nine fixtures when they hosted the Welsh side.
But the run has been snapped, with the victory doubling as Coventry’s eighth successive home win.
The triumph also helped Lampard’s side go eight points clear at the top of the Championship, as nearest title rivals Middlesbrough managed a goalless draw at home to Blackburn.
Coventry are also 13 points clear of third-placed Ipswich Town, putting them in pole position for a return to the Premier League.
Reflecting on the game, Lampard told talkSPORT: “Very happy. We had a good team. Swansea are a good possession team, one of the biggest possession teams in the league.
“We felt that a little bit in the first half, a little bit passive off the ball, which we’re not usually here.
“That had to be said at half-time, and we had more energy in the second half. We’re really pleased. We keep a clean sheet, you give yourself a great chance to win football games.
“We know how hard it is at this part of the season. It’s game, game, game, but we’ve come through it. So, delighted with the boys.”
In a further positive sign for the Sky Blues’ Premier League hopes, they have more points at the halfway stage than promoted trio Leeds, Burnley or Sunderland mustered last season.
Lampard is on track to return Coventry to the top flight for the first time since the 2000/01 campaign.
In the years since, Coventry dropped as low as League Two but have since regained their footing and came agonisingly close to a Premier League return in the 2022/23 campaign when they lost the promotion play-off to Luton Town via a penalty shootout.
