DAVID Opoku scored a record-breaking five tries as Coventry Rugby returned to winning ways with an emphatic 67-5 victory against Nottingham.
Coventry secured a bonus point before the break as Opoku dotted down twice after Matt Kvesic opened the scoring and a penalty try closed out the first half at Butts Park Arena.
And Opoku crossed three more times after the interval while Tom Hitchcock touched down twice and Aaron Hinkley and Will Lane also dotted down.
Opoku is the first Coventry player to score five tries in a single game in the club’s history.
The result means Coventry sit sixth in the Championship table after ending a run of four straight defeats.
Nottingham had Ryan Olowefela sent to the sin-bin for a deliberate knock-on after just eight minutes.
And Coventry took full advantage to score the game’s first try two minutes later as Kvesic touched down and Tommy Mathews kicked the extras.
Opoku quickly extended the home side’s lead when he ran onto Sam Maunder’s kick ahead.
And Opoku touched down again three minutes later as the dotted down another kick in-behind by Mathews.
The referee awarded Coventry a penalty try on the stroke of half time after Nottingham dragged a maul to the ground just short of the try line.
And Nottingham also lost Jack Dickinson to the sin-bin following the incident which led to the penalty try.
However, the visitors scored their only try six minutes after the break as Will Yarnell broke through a tackle and passed to James Cherry who touched down in the corner.
Coventry regained control four minutes later as Opoku completed his hat-trick after Logan Trotter broke the line.
And replacement Hinkley dotted down the home side’s sixth try just before the hour mark.
Trotter then set-up Opoku again for his fourth try before Hitchcock combined well with Jake Henry to extend Coventry’s lead.
The tries continued to flow when Lane touched down before Opoku scored a record-breaking fifth try and Hitchcock completed the scoring in an 11-try rout.
