Mark Robins hails crucial victory as Coventry boost play-off bid at Bristol City
Posted Wednesday, February 23, 2022 by PA
Mark Robins described Coventry’s last-gasp victory at Ashton Gate as one of their best results of the season after his side maintained their push for the Sky Bet Championship play-offs with a 2-1 win.
The manager was elated after seeing Viktor Gyokeres fire coolly past Dan Bentley on 89 minutes to settle a thrilling game.
Coventry took a 25th-minute lead through Ian Maatsen’s volley, but the hosts improved after the break and deservedly levelled through Chris Martin’s header.
Both sides hit the woodwork and Robins admitted it was a match that could have gone either way.
He said: “That was one of our toughest games of the season, so it was a fantastic result.
“Nigel Pearson has done a brilliant job with Bristol City and his team are a totally different proposition to last season.
“Their front three cause problems and they have some exciting young players, with a desire to do well.
“We had to play well. We were a bit fortunate at times, but we kept going and always looked like creating chances.
“Gus Hamer has been involved in both goals and his return to the team was very important.
“He has set up the last one with the composure to pass to Viktor, who looks out on his feet at times, but produced a quality finish.
“We defended well, apart from the goal, which came from a move they had clearly worked on.
“It wasn’t our best performance, but it was one of our best results, considering how Bristol City played.”
Pearson was in no mood to celebrate his first anniversary since taking charge at Ashton Gate.
“We have been done yet again by a late goal, but this time it stemmed from an individual mistake, rather than collective anxiety,” he said.
“It was a good performance. But it’s a results business and we are not winning enough, despite the players trying very hard.
“It’s a big hit to take because we didn’t deserve to lose that game. But we are making progress and our fans can see that the lads are giving everything.
“Mark set his side up as I would have done playing us and looked to catch us on the break. He is among the most underrated managers in the game.
“All credit to Coventry for the way they played. I am happy with a lot of what I saw from my players and we will keep working to improve.
“A lot of young players are learning the hard way at times. But football is like life – you learn more from the bad stuff than the good.”
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