Sky Blues ‘keeper Liam O’Brien was back between the sticks yesterday afternoon, as he helped City to a 2-1 win away from home against Crewe Alexandra.
With Lee Burge picking up an illness, Liam was called into action and he made a string of superb stops during the game and helped play his part in ensuring the three points would be going back to Coventry.
Despite conceding the one goal, moments before O’Brien made, what Mark Robins said was a ‘world class save’ and the ‘keeper was happy with his performance and on ‘that’ save.
He said: “I found out earlier in the morning that I would be starting.
“Burgey was struggling the day before so I didn’t really know the situation until the morning, but I was just grateful to get the chance.
“We work quite a lot on reaction saves and things like that, and you don’t get many opportunities to have them sort of saves so when they come you want to be making them and thankfully for today they stayed out.
“I tried my best to just keep it out and it ended up hitting me in the face, so I didn’t know to much about it, but it’s disappointing to concede, but at the end of the day we have come out with the win which is the main goal.”
The former Portsmouth ‘keeper joined City in the summer and has been fighting it out for the number one spot alongside Sky Blues Academy graduate, Lee Burge.
O’Brien was full of praise for his team mate and insists the two work hard alongside each other to compete to be in the starting eleven.
“Burge has done well this season and I haven’t really had much chance to get into the team so when I get my chance I need to take it.
“I need to give the Gaffer a headache, so it was good that I got a few saves under my belt and I’ve done what I can do.
“We have goalkeeper’s union, so I want to see Lee do well and not just because he’s a nice guy but because it helps the team but at the same time we’re trying to beat each other in whatever it may be because ultimately, we are fighting for the same spot.”
The win yesterday afternoon leaves Coventry in sixth position, back in the play-offs and just five points off the top three in League Two.
Liam insists him and his team mates are just taking each game as it comes and it’s picking up three points in the next game against Grimsby Town which is the important thing.
“We’re just taking each game as it comes now and we’re just looking to the next game and not any further and aim to get three points.
“You look at the league table but at the end of the day it’s how we play on a Saturday and as long as we keep picking up three points it will show come the end of the season.
“These are the runs and every year you see teams go on these runs and that’s what we want to do.”