Two fine tries from arch finisher Kurt Johnson at a critically important mid point in the second half set the seal on a  richly deserved first win of the season.

Coming after four disappointing defeats, this result & importantly the manner of it can only have done wonders for morale. No yellow card & only eight penalties awarded against them all afternoon spoke volumes for the improvement achieved in discipline & all that despite having to put in a pretty high tackle count in the period following half time.

It was a performance to gladden the hearts of all the Butts Park faithful & truly was a great team effort.

The side could not have got away to a more positive start & what a dream beginning for Ronnie McLean on his full debut. Within one minute thirty seconds, Darren Clayton had charged down an attempted Titans clearance as they rather riskily ran the ball clear, McLean pouncing to claim his maiden try which the same player converted. Two difficult penalty attempts from McLean were missed inside the first ten minutes, the second passing agonisingly close to the left hand post. Rotherham skipper Mike Whitehead might have opened his sides account on 12 minutes, his attempted penalty however from 34 metres drifting wide.

With Mike Walls replacing the injured Tom Slater who was clearly suffering after two very heavy tackles, Cov moved further in front after 27 minutes with another piece of opportunism. Again Titans tried to move the ball inside their half, only for prop forward Dai Maddocks to step in and accept the interception before storming 22 metres for his maiden club try, McLean again adding the extras for 14-0. Rotherham flanker Jacobzs was somewhat fortunate to escape with just a yellow card after a high tackle on Darren Clayton & as the Blue & Whites kept piling on the pressure, another fine move on 32 minutes all but saw them add to their lead, skipper Laurie McGlone knocking on with the line at his mercy.

In injury time at the break however, McLean & Whitehead exchanged penalties leaving Coventry clear 17-3, but perhaps feeling it could have been more. Before the interval, Cov had also been forced into another change, Ben Russell coming on to replace the injured George Dixon.

Rotherham came out for the second half as if determined to make up ground & with all the pressure on Cov, a forward drive was held on 48 minutes. Some six further minutes of Titans pressure followed before finally former Coventry forward Louis McGowan was driven over, Whitehead converting.

With Rotherham pressure continuing, it took some pretty stern home defence to repel them, Cochrane & Mc Gowan both being held up close to the line within the space of four minutes.

As Coventry finally broke out however, two tries within three minutes of each other were to settle home nerves & seal the first win of the season.

After 67 minutes, Kurt Johnson rounded off an excellent move for his first try of the season in his favourite corner, McLean’s attempted conversion just failing, before the Barbadian international wing was in the act again. This time moving swiftly in for the kill on the left after more good handling had set up the position, Ben Russell conversion from touch putting the seal on Kurt’s second effort which had also sealed the bonus point.

Rotherham continued in vain in an attempt to break Cov down, who by now were certainly in no mood to give anything away.

A splendid team effort to give the whole club a real lift. One or two injuries to unfortunately take away from the game, but overall a much happier situation than in the opening four matches.

Coventry. Ben Toft, George Dixon, Ronnie McLean, Donovan Sanders, Kurt Johnson, Myles Dorrian, Tom Slater, Dai Maddocks, Chris Whitehead, Carl Rimmer, Gregor Gillanders, Ollie Hodge, Henno Venter, Darren Clayton, Laurie McGlone (Capt)

Replacements; Stuart Friswell, Rob Dugard, Ian Nimmo, Jamie Miller, Mike Walls, Ben Russell, Lee Parry.

Coventry. Tries; Kurt Johnson 2 , Ronnie McLean, Dai Maddocks

         Conversions; Mc Lean 2, Ben Russell. Penalty; Mc Lean

Rotherham; Try; Louis McGowan. Conversion; Mike Whitehead. Penalty; Whitehead