Coventry boss Mark Robins: Ellis Simms’ double will ‘do him the world of good’
Posted Sunday, October 01, 2023 by PA
Coventry boss Mark Robins believes Ellis Simms’ two goals for the club in a 3-1 win at QPR can be a turning point for the striker.
Simms, signed from Everton during the summer, had failed to score for the Sky Blues but got off the mark in a resounding victory at Loftus Road, where Josh Eccles also netted for the visitors.
Robins said: “The two goals scored by Ellis were brilliant. He got the first one – and he needed that chance – and connected with it brilliantly.
“His other goal was fantastic. Jamie Allen has guided it in and you can’t underestimate the finish.
“The first goal has given him the confidence to finish the second one. If it happens the other way around I don’t know if he does it – he’s capable, but a bit of doubt creeps in.
“He’s been desperate to score and it’s taken nine for him to get on the scoresheet, but that will do him the world of good.
“All it is is a bit of confidence and that should give him a load of it. He’s going to be a really good player.”
City took control by scoring three times in the space of 12 minutes in the second half.
It meant a superb save by keeper Ben Wilson in the first half proved to be crucial, having pushed away a header from QPR striker Lyndon Dykes during the hosts’ best spell of the game.
“He’s done what he’s paid for – he’s made a really good save. It was a good header, in fairness,” Robins said.
“QPR threw everything at us. It was a good win and a welcome win. If you can get that win it can start to build momentum and confidence and that’s important.”
QPR boss Gareth Ainsworth was furious that two crucial refereeing decisions went against his team.
Ainsworth felt Simms’ opening goal should have been disallowed for offside and, shortly after the second goal, Rangers were incensed when they were not awarded a penalty despite Sinclair Armstrong being upended by Wilson.
Ainsworth said: “The officiating today, in my opinion, wasn’t good enough for the Championship. There was an offside goal and an absolute stonewall penalty.
“I’ve been in to see the officials and they know (the decisions were wrong). They’ve almost apologised and that’s great, but that doesn’t change the result.
“I’m gutted at my lads seeming to collapse. Maybe the offside goal really dented them, but we were then wide open on two counter-attacks for the other two goals.
“But at 2-0, Sinclair’s penalty is a stonewaller and if that gets us back in the game then I think we go on and get something.”
Rangers, who were among the pre-season favourites for relegation, have won just once at home in almost a year.
“I’m not stupid – a 3-1 defeat at home is not good enough. I’m sure the haters will be out there loving this one, but there’s a bit more of a story to it,” Ainsworth said.
“But we’ve got to be better at home. We’ve got to put away the chances that we had in the first half.
“We were the better team in the first half and for all the world I didn’t see that coming in the second half. But we have to test their keeper more.
“We haven’t looked threatening enough. After all the territory and all the possession we must be better than that going forward.
“We didn’t take our chances and that was the story of the game, although the officials played a big part too.”
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