Championship roundup: Coventry hit five past Wednesday on bleak day for Sheffield

Brandon Thomas-Asante scored a first-half double as Coventry eased to a 5-0 at struggling Sheffield Wednesday that sent them top of the table for a couple of hours at least. The home supporters once again protested against the ownership of Dejphon Chansiri.

The visitors got off to a great start when Thomas-Asante produced a close-range finish in the third minute after the Owls defence failed to deal with a corner.

There was a break in play after 10 minutes when a group of home supporters entered the pitch to protest against Chansiri, after the news that wage payments to players had been delayed for the fifth time in seven months.

Coventry kept up the pressure and it paid off when Dominic Iorfa was caught in possession and Thomas-Asante took advantage with a fine low finish into the far corner from inside the area.

Ethan Horvath made a good save towards the end of the half to deny Coventry a third goal, getting down smartly to save a close-range effort from Ephron Mason-Clark, who had got on the end of a low cross from Thomas-Asante. It proved to be a temporary respite, however, as the visitors scored a third goal in first-half stoppage-time.

Matt Grimes swung the ball into the area, it was headed on by Thomas-Asante and Bobby Thomas’s far-post header was moving towards the net, but Haji Wright got the final touch from close range. It looked to be offside and there were strong protests from the Wednesday players but the referee, Adam Herczeg, dismissed the appeals. He and his fellow match officials faced a barrage of boos as they left the pitch at the end of the half.

Brandon Thomas-Asante salutes the travelling support after putting Coventry 2-0 ahead against Sheffield Wednesday. Photograph: Ryan Browne/Shutterstock

The substitute Ellis Simms added a fourth after 68 minutes when he fired Kaine Kesler-Hayden’s low cross into the net after arriving unmarked at the far post, then Tatsuhiro Sakamoto made it 5-0, hammering home after the defence failed to deal with a free-kick, as Coventry extended their unbeaten start to the season to nine matches.

Harrison Burrows missed a late penalty for struggling Sheffield United as Hull secured their third win of the season, winning 1-0 at the MKM Stadium. David Akintola gave Hull a first-half lead after 30 minutes before the Blades’ Gustavo Hamer shot against the post.

Hull sat on their lead for large periods of the second half and Hamer was denied a leveller on more than one occasion before Ivor Pandur came to his side’s rescue when he saved Burrows’s weak spot-kick.

Augustus Kargbo scored his first goal for Blackburn to rescue a 1-1 draw against Stoke. Valérien Ismaël’s struggling side looked set for a defeat after Million Manhoef grabbed the opener for Stoke in the second half. But Blackburn rallied and Kargbo, who faced heavy criticism for his role in Swansea’s winner in midweek, lashed in a late leveller from close range.

Kargbo struck the woodwork before the end as Rovers almost forced an improbable winner, but they will be relieved to have gained a deserved point. By contrast, Mark Robins will wonder how his Stoke side squandered their control of the game and they are now winless in four Championship matches.

On Friday night, Wrexham earned a third successive 1-1 draw, against Birmingham, leading Phil Parkinson to say his side are growing into the Championship. George Dobson nodded the home side ahead inside 13 minutes, but Patrick Roberts equalised for Birmingham within 25 seconds of the restart.

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