Liam Kitching’s first of two own goals left Mark Robins perplexed, but in the end, he put the blame for Coventry City’s disappointing Bank Holiday loss at home to Cardiff on weariness, calling the game a “missed opportunity.”
Ellis Simms gave the Sky Blues the lead in the 22nd minute at the CBS Arena with his 13th goal in 10 games. However, six minutes later, center-half Kitching somehow managed to thump the ball into his own net from a corner, and he also stuck out a leg to divert a Josh Bowler cross over his own goalkeeper to give the visitors the lead in the 67th minute, from which City was unable to recover.
“I think yes, for me, it is a typical Championship period where there is an accumulation of games,” Robins responded when asked if the players’ 2-1 loss was the result of fatigue finally getting to them. “You have an international break when some are away on duty and they come back and we play Friday and Monday.” That’s what it is.
The manager obviously had doubts about his starting lineup, which remained the same after the 3-1 victory at Huddersfield on Good Friday.
“The questions come as to why didn’t I freshen it up but it was finger in the air time,” he said. “We got a brilliant result and decent performance at Huddersfield coming into a home game, and you want them to try to impose themselves on the game. The first really good move of the game ended in us scoring a goal; got the ball to Kasey (Palmer) and out wide to Milan (van Ewijk) who put it back inside with a brilliant pass. Ellis is finding brilliant spaces at the minute and puts us one nil up.
“And then you just want us to settle but we made some strange decisions on the ball at times. Cardiff decided pretty much to give up possession similar to what happened at their place, and we stayed in contact with the ball too often and maybe played it square too much which allowed them to come and press as they needed to get back in the game.
“We gave them the advantage with an own goal that was really undeserved, and then we put some pressure on ourselves.” However, we didn’t consistently execute the proper actions; we didn’t get near the ball enough or stop the crosses when it mattered most.
“And then there was the incident with Bowler going outside for their second goal. After blocking the inside, we gave him the outside and, in a move reminiscent of Gary Mabbutt’s own goal in 1987, we flicked a leg out and it looped up over Brad Collins.
It was a game in which you needed to have the stamina to finish it at a point when gathering that stamina is extremely challenging. It’s aggravating when you can’t always achieve the performance level you require for the outcomes to go your way.
“I’ve told them that opportunities present themselves to you occasionally, and you must make every effort to seize them. It seems like one of those possibilities has passed you by today.
When asked to explain the first own goal, Robins said, “I honestly don’t know because I have only seen it live.” The second own goal, however, was one that anyone could do. It defies explanation. Rather than moving it to the side of the goal, it appears that he attempted to clear the crossbar with it. That’s how it appeared to me. Occasionally, when you’re under pressure or feel compelled to take action, you end up choosing the incorrect choice. Although there are repercussions, I don’t believe they are the main reason we lost the game.
“You still have to have that spell where you have to try to break them down, you have to show some bravery and go and beat the man and put the ball in the box and have a little bit about you,” the coach said. “We had 20 minutes at the end where we had sustained pressure and had one chalked off for off-side.”
“That gets annoying, and that’s when it started.” It’s a difficult one because we had a few good little openings where it appeared like we might tie the score in the final five minutes. However, I see it as a result of the previous months’ worth of games and the difficult Friday and Monday we are currently facing.
