FOOTBALL: Coventry City thrashes Rotherham as Simms scored his second hat-trick in three games.

ELLIS Simms gave Coventry City their second straight first-half hat-trick in three games as they easily defeated Rotherham United, the worst team, 5-0.

At the Coventry Building Society Arena, Joel Latibeaudiere and Fabio Tavares both found the back of the net, and Simms continued his excellent recent play in front of goal with a second career hat-trick.

As a result, Coventry is now three points outside of the play-off spots in the Championship table, sitting in ninth position.

After barely five minutes, Mark Robins’ team broke the tie when Millers goalie Viktor Johansson strangely misdirected Jake Bidwell’s cross, allowing Simms to head the ball into an empty net.

On minute 27, Latibeaudiere headed a right-wing corner from Jake Bidwell into the net from six yards away, giving City a two-goal lead.

Four minutes later, the ball broke beautifully to Simms in the area, and the striker sent a shot through Johansson from 15 yards out to give the Sky Blues an even bigger lead.

Simms then finished his hat-trick on 37 minutes after Haji Wright’s layoff, placing his first-time effort from 20 yards out into the right corner of the goal.

When Tavares, a substitute, coolly picked out the bottom right corner to score his first league goal of the season in injury time, City put some gloss to the score.

On Saturday, March 9, Coventry will play their next away game at Vicarage Road at 3 p.m. against Watford.