We did a really professional job – Mark Robins on Coventry’s win over Oxford

Posted Sunday, January 07, 2024 by PA

Mark Robins praised the quality of his Coventry side after they blew away League One Oxford 6-2 in the FA Cup third round.

Joel Latibeaudiere, Ben Sheaf and Kasey Palmer’s goals were followed by a brace from Matty Godden as Coventry made it through to the fourth round for just the second time in six seasons.

Mark Harris had earlier equalised to make the score 1-1 before Tyler Goodrham’s consolation late in the piece.

“I thought we were really good, we did a really professional job,” said Robins. “There was some unbelievable quality there.

“The goals came at a good time and we sort of blew them away in the first bit. What we didn’t do well enough at times was that you’ve got to make them feel the speed and the quality.

“You’ve got to try and make them feel that all of the time. On the back of the games we’ve played, it is understandable that there is a little bit of fatigue left over but that’s not an excuse.

“You’ve got to give everything you’ve got until you can’t anymore and then I can make the changes.

“But other than that, I thought there were some good rotations, some good movement in all areas of the pitch.

“The quality of Kasey (Palmer) showed for the third goal, both in terms of picking the ball up and driving with it, and then picking that shot out, was Kas-esque, exactly what he can do.

“3-1 makes it a little bit more comfortable but we’ve got to keep going for the jugular and that was the only frustrating bit because we seemed a little bit content to ‘tick’ the ball over, which is fine, but we’ve got to make sure we keep going for the jugular, keep going for the goals.”

Oxford head coach Des Buckingham admitted his team had been beaten by the better side as they were knocked out at the third-round stage for the second season in succession.

Buckingham also provided an update on winger Stanley Mills, who was taken off on a stretcher following a serious-looking injury.

He said: “I think we’ve come to a very good Coventry City side, they’re top of the form table in the Championship and they’re a strong team.

“They ran away with it in the second half. That’s the quality they have. We’ve got to be better, of course, but we’ve got to recognise where they are and where we are and what we’ve got available at the moment.

“Not the result we wanted. It’s never a scoreline you want to see. But we’ve got to refocus quickly now for AFC Wimbledon on Tuesday and we will do.

“There’s no surprise that since the draw’s been made they’ve gone from 15th to eighth. They will certainly be in and around it.

“It gives us a taste of what Championship football is. We’re not a million miles away, I know the scoreline makes it look silly to say that.

“Our focus and our priority is the league and we need to make sure we’re as good as we can be heading into the second half of the season.

“Stan is in the best hands he can be, the medical staff have been wonderful and really looked after him. He’s been taken off to hospital and he’s got his dad with him, we hope he’s OK but it’s too soon to say.”