Sky Blues boss Mark Robins was “really pleased” to have maintained the club’s unbeaten start to the season after their 1-0 win against Gillingham.
Dominic Hyam scored the only goal of the game, mind-way through the first half, as City continued their excellent start to the 2019/20 campaign.
Robins said: “It’s really pleasing that we’ve got the win. I think last season we probably lose that game. The second half won’t live long in the memory, but ultimately the three points were hard fought in the end.
“I felt we needed to freshen it up a little bit, with one or two injuries, and we started off pretty well. We got a goal from a set play and kept a clean sheet.”
Robins was also his side defended set-plays particularly well, surviving a late Gillingham bombardment to keep yet another clean sheet.
“When you’ve got a team that are trying to bombard you and turning you in and run after you with athletic players up the top end, I thought we defended really, really, well. We defended set-plays well.
“I’d like to have seen us control the game a little bit more with possession, but if we have to go the other way, it proves to ourselves that we can deal without having the ball and to win the game with a set-play is really, really, pleasing.”
Speaking of the match-winner, Robins says Hyam was chomping at the bit to start in the wake of a slight injury to Kyle McFadzean.
“It gives him a game and a chance to play, we’ll see how he is on Monday and make a decision on what I’m going to do on Tuesday.
“Kyle’s got some pain in his hamstring and I just didn’t want to take a risk. We’ve got a good player like Dominic, who’s chomping at the bit to play, and he’s come in and to keep a clean sheet gets him up to speed and a little bit closer.”
The boss also admitted that the Sky Blues trip to Portsmouth in mid-week took its toll on the side’s energy levels towards the end of the second period.
“We’ve got to learn that a 46-game season is tough, and you get games like that, people are learning to travel a fair distance.
“The amount of games we have is something that took its toll in the second half and energy levels dipped a little bit.”
The gaffer then looked ahead to the Carabao Cup clash with Premier League side Watford next Tuesday.
“I’m glad Gillingham’s out the way. We can move on and look forward to Tuesday night because there’s another game coming against really good opposition so it’s one to look forward to.”