Coventry’s resilience delights Robins after victory at Crewe

Posted Sunday, March 18, 2018 by PA

Mark Robins praised his players resilience as Coventry’s game management counted in a hard-fought victory at Crewe.

The Sky Blues were in no mood to have their promotion push blown away by the snowstorm that left half of the Gresty Road surface covered in snow.

They had moved into the play-off zone after their midweek draw with Luton and they showed resolve in difficult conditions to quell Crewe’s first-half fightback and ensure the strugglers never threatened their narrow lead after the break.

“They were really difficult conditions it was slippery under foot but the players responded really well. We took the lead deservedly and we defended well when we needed to,” said Robins.

“We were on the front foot and we created opportunities we should have taken. We have to try to keep it tight and we dealt with their threats really well. We showed good character to see the game out.

“We defended well and while the elusive third goal never came which was disappointing it was a great three points.”

After Jonson Clarke-Harris gave Coventry a fifth-minute lead with the fourth goal of his loan stint from Rotherham, Crewe hit back impressively. Coventry were indebted to stand-in keeper O’Brien who tipped around Shaun Miller’s flicked header.

The Cheshire side were level when Jordan Bowery headed in after Paul Green’s shot was pushed put by O’Brien.

But Clarke-Harris was a powerful presence up top and with skipper Michael Doyle pulling the strings in the middle of the park, the Sky Blues restored their lead when Tom Bayliss found the far corner of the net after Clark-Harris offered him space on the edge of the home box.

Crewe were nothing if persistent after the break, but while they had plenty of possession they lacked quality to penetrate the final third. All their front men, Bowery and Miller, and later off the bench Harry McKirdy and Chris Dagnall, didn’t get a sniff at goal up against the division’s tightest defence.

Crewe boss Dave Artell said he was disappointed with his side’s failure to press the promotion chasers.

“Coventry didn’t have to work too hard for that and we didn’t half help them,” said Artell. “We had a decent spell in the first half, but in the second we tried to play through their press and we were too far away from goal.

“We weren’t going to score by being 90 yards away from goal. I don’t want us to shell it, but we have got to be more streetwise and our decision making was poor. It looked like we were trying to score the perfect goal, but we needed to get up their first.

“You can see why a team of older pros like Coventry, who know their jobs, do so well.”