Mark Robins was jubilant with the Sky Blues’ performance in Greater Manchester as his side won in the league for the first time since New Year’s Day.
Jordy Hiwula’s solitary goal was enough to earn that win, but Robins highlights that it was a team performance that earned the three points: “It was a really good performance - I thought it was a really good away performance.
“We have spoken for a long time about playing and the way we look on the ball and I thought that we got both today - I thought that we mixed it up really well.
“We got blocks in when we needed to get blocks in, we created chances, we moved the ball really well on a difficult pitch against a difficult team to play against – it is notoriously difficult to come here.”
Making his first Sky Blue appearance following his emergency loan on Friday, David Stockdale was one of the standout performers for City amongst a number of strong performances as Robins highlights: “I was pleased with a lot of performances.
“The centre-halves were magnificent as was Stockdale who was outstanding – He does everything that it says on the tin, he relieved pressure when he needed to and the defenders defended when they needed to defend.”
City traveled to Rochdale of the back of a sour tasting draw last weekend following a last-minute equaliser from the visiting Gillingham, and this performance was full of positives on the back of difficult patch for City: “Our use of the ball was good, most of the game we created a good number of chances again, and I was pleased with the one that Jordy [Hiwula] took because it is a tough chance to take.
“The whole thing – [Amadou] Bakayoko wins the flick on and he has anticipated that, he is in behind the defenders, the ball is bobbling a bit and sometimes he slows himself down with his touch but his touches were really good – he had three touches before lifting it over the goalkeeper.
“I am really pleased and that gets him going again.”
Amadou Bakayoko came back into the starting 11 following his return from an injury he picked up dating back to the beginning of December 2018, and Robins was delighted by his performance: “Bakayoko played really well. [Liam] Kelly was immense in the middle of the park and Luke [Thomas] worked really hard and looked a threat again.
“I thought that the team was strong. We looked solid and deserved the three points.”