Coventry's non-league gems now fire Premier League-bound Sky Blues

Two players who scored goals in non-league football in 2019 helped Coventry win the Championship and reach the Premier League in 2026.

Goals that started from humble beginnings Ephron Mason-Clark controlled a sharp pass before slotting home from close range. Just 16 minutes afterward, Brandon Thomas-Asante nodded in a header from six yards and celebrated with a joyful sprint. However, this was not a Championship matchday in 2025-26 but two goals in non-league football on the same March day in 2019. Back then, Thomas-Asante, 20, netted for Oxford City in a 5-3 loss to Hampton & Richmond Borough in National League South in front of 500 fans. Mason-Clark, aged 19, scored for Barnet in a 2-1 defeat to Gateshead in the National League with just over 650 spectators watching. ## A seven-year climb to the top flight Seven years later, the pair combined for 36 goals in the Championship to guide Coventry back to the top tier for the first time in 25 years. Thomas-Asante’s tally also earned him a place in Ghana’s World Cup squad. After Coventry lifted the Championship trophy following a 3-1 win over Wrexham in the penultimate game of the season, Thomas-Asante called it an unforgettable moment. He said the achievement was not sudden but built over years and decades, describing it as a long journey. The 27-year-old reflected on a decade of hard work that took him from the MK Dons academy in 2011 to League One first-team football in 2016, then through National League clubs Sutton United, Ebbsfleet United, Salford City, Oxford City, and League Two side West Bromwich Albion before joining Coventry in 2024. ## Mason-Clark’s steady rise through lower leagues Mason-Clark’s pathway began in the seventh tier with a brief loan spell at Metropolitan Police in the Isthmian League Premier Division just one month after his Barnet debut in League Two in 2016. He spent six years at Barnet mainly in the National League before moving to Peterborough United in League One in 2022 and then joining Coventry in 2024. Thomas-Asante joked about a shared memory with Mason-Clark, saying they both kept the same pre-match jackets worn by National League players and agreed the competition’s standard is far higher than sometimes assumed. ## A fitting finale to a remarkable season The season concluded with both players finding the net in Coventry’s final home game, a moment both described as poetic. Mason-Clark set up the opener for Thomas-Asante in that game, and the Ghana international praised his teammate afterward. Thomas-Asante called Mason-Clark’s performances “unreal,” saying he had to remind himself to focus on his own role. He added that Mason-Clark’s game keeps improving and that no one seems able to stop him now as he becomes an unstoppable force. ## Recognition for Mason-Clark’s contributions An expert highlighted Mason-Clark’s impact, calling him one of the Championship’s unsung heroes this season. The analyst noted his high-quality deliveries from the left side and praised Coventry for retaining faith in him after he joined two years ago. The expert expressed excitement to see Mason-Clark in the Premier League next season. Mason-Clark finished with 10 goals and nine assists, placing him among the club’s top contributors. Only teammate Haji Wright contributed to more goals with 18, while Mason-Clark led the team in assists with 19. ## Thomas-Asante’s long journey rewarded Thomas-Asante concluded the campaign with 13 goals and four assists, totaling 17 goal involvements. He recalled recognizing Mason-Clark’s talent when facing him in youth football, saying he always wanted to play alongside him. He called it amazing to see no one in England can handle Mason-Clark now. Mason-Clark received his own reward with an international debut for Jamaica in March 2026. Meanwhile, Thomas-Asante could still add a World Cup campaign with Ghana after being named in the preliminary squad, showing the dream season might not yet be over. ## From tiny crowds to global stages Thomas-Asante, who once played in front of fewer than 300 people, could soon feature in front of 70,000 fans at the World Cup. He expressed eagerness to stay focused and ready for the tournament, driven by his passion for representing Ghana. The article paints a picture of two players whose careers began in obscurity and are now on the verge of Premier League and World Cup glory.