Simms Hat-Trick Sinks Watford as Coventry End Championship Season in Style

Key facts

• Ellis Simms scored a hat-trick for Coventry City in their 4-0 win at Watford.
• Coventry City secured the Championship title with 92 points from 45 matches, 11 ahead of second-placed Ipswich.
• Watford have lost their last five games and are winless in seven, dropping to 16th place.
• Ed Still has won just three of his 14 matches in charge since taking over in February.
• Coventry's victory extended their season-ending unbeaten run to eight games.
• Watford have conceded at least two goals in five of their last six matches.

Simms Seals Treble as Coventry Dominate

Ellis Simms scored a hat-trick as Championship champions Coventry City ended their season with a commanding 4-0 victory over Watford at Vicarage Road. The striker headed in the opener from a Jake Bidwell cross, doubled the lead with a 20-yard strike into the top corner, and completed his treble after the break by sweeping home a recycled ball. Vitor Torp added a fourth goal late on, sealing the home side's fifth successive defeat. Coventry's win extended their unbeaten run to eight games, capping a remarkable campaign that saw them secure promotion to the Premier League for the first time since 2001. The Sky Blues have amassed 92 points from 45 matches, 11 more than second-placed Ipswich Town, and are the division's highest scorers with 93 goals. Watford, meanwhile, have now lost seven consecutive matches without a win, and their form has left them in 16th place in the Championship table. The Hornets have conceded eight goals in their last two games, including a 5-1 defeat at Middlesbrough.

Still's Position Under Threat After 15 Games

Ed Still, who took over as Watford head coach in February on a two-and-a-half-year deal, has won just three of his 14 matches in charge, with four draws and seven losses. The team were in 12th place when he arrived, just three points off the playoffs, but have since slipped to 16th, 13 points adrift of the top six. Reports suggest the club is preparing to part ways with Still this summer, despite the length of his contract. Still acknowledged on Friday that he knows what needs to be done to enable Watford to 'be in Coventry's position' next season, but the heavy defeat is unlikely to bolster his chances of being given time to implement his plans. The Hornets have had three head coaches over the course of the campaign, and another change appears imminent. Watford have not beaten Coventry since a 3-2 home win in November 2020, and their current run of form is their worst since the 2004-05 season, when they finished lower than 16th.

Lampard Rings Changes as Coventry Cruise

Coventry boss Frank Lampard made sweeping changes for the final game of the season, retaining only goalkeeper Carl Rushworth, Matt Grimes, Josh Eccles and Brandon Thomas-Asante from the starting line-up that beat Wrexham 3-1 last weekend. The visitors created the first chance when Thomas-Asante shot into the side-netting after a cross from Simms, and Eccles forced a flying save from Watford keeper Egil Selvik with a powerful header. Watford had a penalty appeal waved away when Giorgi Chakvetadze went down in the box, with the referee ruling contact was shoulder on shoulder. Nestory Irankunda then came close twice in a minute, first seeing his effort hacked off the line after rounding the keeper, then hitting the post. But Coventry's pressure told as Simms headed in from a Bidwell cross, and he added a second after Eccles laid the ball off for him to fire home. After the break, Simms completed his hat-trick, the third of his career, by thumping home a rebound after Selvik had saved from Eccles. Lampard then substituted Simms for top scorer Haji Wright as the Sky Blues cruised to the final whistle. Irankunda flashed a shot wide and received a harsh yellow card for sliding in on Rushworth.

Injury List Adds to Watford's Woes

Watford will finish the season without Hector Kyprianou (ankle) and Rocco Vata (hamstring), both long-term absentees. Still could shake up his starting line-up after the 5-1 loss at Middlesbrough, with Giorgi Chakvetadze, Kwadwo Baah, Nestory Irankunda, Othmane Maama and Mamadou Doumbia among the attacking players hoping for a return. Coventry were without influential midfielder Jack Rudoni (shoulder), who missed a second successive game. Oliver Dovin (knee), Miguel Brau (muscle strain) and Tatsuhiro Sakamoto (rib injury) are also in the Sky Blues' treatment room. Despite these absences, Coventry's depth proved decisive as they controlled the match from start to finish.

Coventry's Rise from League Two to Premier League

Eight years after playing in League Two, Coventry City have completed their journey back to the Premier League. They secured promotion with a 1-1 draw against Blackburn Rovers on April 17, then clinched the title with a dominant 5-1 victory over Portsmouth. Despite achieving their objectives, Lampard's side refused to take their foot off the gas, winning their last two matches against Wrexham and Watford. The Sky Blues have won 17 home league games this season and are comfortably the division's highest scorers with 93 goals. Their 92-point tally is 11 more than second-placed Ipswich, underscoring their dominance. The victory at Vicarage Road was their 28th league win of the campaign, a fitting end to a memorable season.

Watford Face Uncertain Summer Rebuild

Watford's defeat leaves them in 16th place, and they could suffer their lowest finish since the 2004-05 campaign. The club has already cycled through three head coaches this season, and the expected departure of Still will mark another reset. With the team having lost confidence in his methods, the summer will likely bring significant changes to the squad and coaching staff. For Coventry, the focus now shifts to the Premier League, where they will aim to establish themselves after a 25-year absence. The club's rise from the fourth tier to the top flight in eight years is a testament to their progress, and they will look to build on this season's momentum. The final game at Vicarage Road served as a clear demonstration of the gap between the two sides, with Coventry's quality and depth proving too much for a struggling Watford outfit.

The bottom line

• Ellis Simms scored a hat-trick as Coventry City defeated Watford 4-0, ending their Championship season with an eighth unbeaten game.
• Watford have lost five consecutive matches and are winless in seven, leaving them 16th in the table.
• Ed Still is expected to be dismissed after winning only three of his 14 matches in charge since February.
• Coventry City secured the Championship title with 92 points, 11 ahead of Ipswich, and scored 93 goals, the most in the division.
• The Sky Blues will play Premier League football next season for the first time since 2001, eight years after being in League Two.
• Watford have conceded at least two goals in five of their last six games, highlighting defensive frailties.