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Frank Lampard’s hopes of steering Coventry City toward the Championship play-offs took a hit on Saturday as the Sky Blues suffered a 2-1 defeat to league leaders Burnley — and ended the afternoon with their manager sent off.
In a high-stakes fixture at the CBS Arena, Lampard was left furious following a frustrating second half that saw his side struggle to break down a resilient Burnley defense. The former Chelsea and England midfielder was shown a red card after the final whistle by referee James Bell, following a heated exchange as he confronted the officials on the pitch.
Coventry had made a dream start to the clash, with Haji Wright opening the scoring just five minutes in. But Burnley struck back through Jaidon Anthony in the 16th minute, before a costly mix-up early in the second half between defender Liam Kitching and goalkeeper Brad Collins gifted Anthony a second goal — ultimately sealing the win for the Clarets.
That goal proved decisive, and as the game wore on, tensions rose. The match was punctuated by a series of fouls, clashes, and stoppages, with six yellow cards dished out — two to Coventry players and four to their opponents. Fans voiced their frustration with chants aimed at the referee, including "You don't know what you're doing" and "You're not fit to referee."
With Lampard barred from speaking to the media due to his red card, assistant manager Joe Edwards faced the press post-match. Speaking to talkSPORT, Edwards said the Coventry boss had quickly composed himself after the incident.
“He’s calmed down. He came in, addressed the players and, while it’s a very disappointed dressing room, he was already looking at the positives,” Edwards said. “It’s clear that the top three sides have been a cut above this season, but we felt today was a chance to show how far we’ve come.”
Although the result saw Coventry drop to seventh in the table, just outside the play-off places, Edwards praised his players for their performance.
“We didn’t get the result we wanted, but Burnley know they were in a real battle,” he added. “The lads gave everything.”
Lampard now faces a one-match touchline ban, a blow as the Sky Blues look to reignite their push for promotion in the crucial weeks ahead.
Featured Image Credit: Instagram / @coventrycityfcofficial
