We were our own worst enemy – Mark Robins rues end to Coventry winning run

Posted Wednesday, January 31, 2024 by PA

Mark Robins admitted Coventry dropped below the standards they have set as their three-match winning run in the Championship came to an end with a 2-2 draw against Bristol City.

Tatsuhiro Sakamoto gave the Sky Blues the lead against the run of play before goals from Rob Dickie and Nahki Wells put the visitors ahead with seven minutes remaining.

But just two minutes later Max O’Leary spilled Liam Kitching’s shot and Ellis Simms was on hand to tap in the equaliser.

Robins said: “Look, we dipped below the standards we have set. It looked like we had played two games on a real heavy pitch last week (at Hillsborough).

“They’ve got a lot of quality in the team. We didn’t show our quality enough.

“Our two goals were decent goals. Their two goals were really poor – a second phase of a set-play and a shot from Nahki Wells, who is a really good finisher but we gave him a little bit too much time and space.

“We were our own worst enemy. We gave away the ball too often and it was a bit negative.”

After a first half that saw Brad Collins forced into saves from Jason Knight and Taylor Gardner-Hickman, the Sky Blues stopper pulled off a miraculous reaction save to prevent Harry Cornick making it 3-2 to the visitors at the death.

Robins added: “I’ve got to be happy with a point. Brad’s save at the end was world-class. It keeps us in there at 2-2.

“If you can’t win, then don’t lose. That was the best I can say about things.

“I thought Tatsuhiro did really well, scored a really good goal and there were little glimpses at times when it looked like we might go and do something but there was no fluidity there.

“You’ve got to credit them in some respects with the way they went about their work. It has got to be a point gained.”

Bristol City head coach Liam Manning, on the other hand, said: “I think it’s two points lost with the time we go ahead.

“It was against the run of play because we had stopped controlling the game how we want, Nahki produced a real high moment of quality to go ahead and then obviously when you’ve got eight, nine, 10 minutes to see out the game.

“We’d done such a good job of that beforehand, restricting them to crosses and very few chances, you get that emotional rollercoaster of conceding so soon after.

“But you also have to step back and the bigger picture is we’ve come to a side who are in form, on a good run themselves, and I thought we created numerous opportunities to hurt them, cause problems and did some really good things.

“Their goal in the first half was against the run of play – I thought we conceded two really soft goals tonight, I thought first 15 minutes we could have been one or two ahead and got into some really good areas.

“I spoke to the lads about it, we’ve got to stop being ‘nearly’ and deliver and execute, for me that ruthless edge, (we’re) letting teams off the hook.”