Twelve games in, patterns start to emerge, conclusions easier to draw.

For Rovers, it would appear they lack both the consistency and killer instinct to really progress beyond the mid-table position in which they have largely been since their return to the Championship. With the personnel at their disposal, it feels about right for this season, possibly even above where many thought they would find themselves, but still a source of real frustration.

This was the fourth time at Ewood this season in which they have ran into a 2-0 lead, and while they kicked on against Cardiff City (5-1) and held out against Swansea City (2-1) this was the second time, after Luton Town, in which they were pegged back to draw 2-2.

There has to be a mental aspect to it, and while a youthful exuberance can count for a lot as we have seen, there remains a level of naivety to this side. A level of fragility too, particularly from winning positions. Learning how to win is a big stage in their development.

Letting another two-goal lead slip means it’s now six dropped from winning positions, and only one (the 1-1 draw at Millwall) gained when falling behind.

A game of two halves is the oldest cliché in the book, but for Rovers remains the most prevalent. The Cardiff win remains the only time this season in which they have ‘won’ both halves, but highlighting their competitiveness they are yet to lose both. Indeed, defeats to West Brom and Blackpool they have responded to going in behind by winning the second half.

Yet that only adds to the argument that they have been unable to string together, consistently, two halves of football. There is never a level of comfort, the Cardiff game apart, the opportunity presented itself here courtesy of a positive pattern: scoring in quick succession.

Twice in 12 minutes against Swansea, twice in four minutes against Luton and Hull City, twice in eight minutes on two occasions against Cardiff, twice in eight minutes against Huddersfield and now twice in six minutes against Coventry, they have been kings of the quickfire double.

However, that mattered little as the Sky Blues hit back in a similar timeframe just after the hour.

Rovers were rocking in the moments before Tyler Walker made it 2-1, but they had the opportunity to load a punch of their own on the break, but one loose Sam Gallagher pass left them out of position, Walker adding the finish to a Todd Kane cross.

The near 4,000 travelling supporters were sucking the ball towards them, and while their energy was giving the visitors belief, the Rovers legs were being sapped and began to tire.

No-one closed down Liam Kelly enough, his shot cannoning off the post, but trickled over the line as it hit the back of the despairing Thomas Kaminski.

Tony Mowbray had made a double-change between the goals in a bid to halt that momentum, but unfortunately for the manager, there were several others he could have replaced as heavy legs took hold.

Jan Paul van Hecke was a real positive of the first half, but looked a player who hadn’t made an appearance all season as Viktor Gyokeres began to bully him, while Tayo Edun on his first start couldn’t provide the same defensive stability as Harry Pickering.

When the pendulum swings against them, Rovers have at times struggled to land a counter-punch in a bid to change the momentum.

In a bid to do just that, as well as lift the crowd and as the team, Mowbray turned to Ben Brereton, only just a few hours off a flight from Santiago, via Madrid, and it almost paid off in injury time as his header was kept out by a flying Simon Moore save in injury time.

That was created by the boot of Joe Rothwell and he was a stand-alone for Rovers when it came to creating anything.

The midfielder had been on the fringes of the game before twice turning on the after-burners in the lead-up to half time to give Rovers their two-goal advantage. He remains a player where there can feel there is more to come, whether that be playing within himself at times, or the game passing him by at others, but at his electrifying best there are few in the division that can do what he does.

While the question mark of goal contributions, in terms of both finding the net and assisting, hanging over him, he could do no more here to give his side the best possible chance of a positive result.

Rovers had changed to a back three as part of their four changes, matching up Coventry’s system, and as a result the two sides were rather cancelling each other out in an uneventful opening 39 minutes.

Kaminski had twice saved well from Gyokeres and Walker, while the unlikely source of Nyambe went close to netting a first senior goal, only for the fingertips of Moore to keep him out.

Those were the only efforts at goal to that point, but the dancing feet of Rothwell exchanged passes with Gallagher before collecting the return, and after lifting it over the ‘keeper, tapped home his first of the season.

He then pounced on a loose ball to drive into the box, and squared for Gallagher, whose side-foot finish made for an emphatic half-time scoreline.

The Luton game will have been in the memories of supporters, and bar an early shot from Tyrhys Dolan, there wasn’t much by way of attempts at killing off the game with a third.

A back three became a back five as Rovers were forced back, Coventry’s switch of wing-backs at the break helped pen back Nyambe who’d spent the first half on the front foot.

Rovers tried to get back in the ascendancy late on, but they need more players to come to the party and prove the doubts over their squad depth wrong.

This was the first real test, as ever-present Pickering and top scorer Brereton were unavailable, and on the bench, respectively and the lack of game-time started to show for some as Rovers faltered in the second half.  

Once again they showed that can be a match for most in the division, the Sky Blues coming into this one averaging two points a game, but not taking the most of opportunities to pick up points when they are within their grasp is a frustrating habit to get into, and one they must break.