Sky Blues Under-23s Head Coach, Luke Tisdale was pleased with his sides performance, as they came away from Ipswich Town with a point yesterday afternoon.
City controlled the game for large parts and took the lead through Wesley Jobello midway through the first half.
However, a slice of fortune for the hosts saw a cross end up in the back of the net, and ultimately snatch away all three points from Tisdale’s side.
Reflecting on the performance, Luke was pleased with what he saw, but was left to rue the 23s not being able to grab a second in the game.
“It was good to get a point away from home, in what is a real long journey, which was always the difficult aspect of the day we wanted to get through.
“To get a point was a good result, but I think the three points were there to be taken, but we just couldn’t get the luck that they did maybe.
“We were disappointed to concede and I’ve watched the goal back and the lads crosses the ball and it goes into the top corner, he doesn’t mean it, but fair play to Ipswich because they had a disjointed team.
“As I said, credit to them because they stuck in the game and they got a bit of luck and really we needed that second goal to kill the game off, but it was a good away performance on reflection and beside a little bit of bad luck, it would’ve been a perfect away performance.”
Despite not being able to secure the win, there were positives to take away, including Wesley Jobello getting on the scoresheet.
“Wes got his goal and almost 90 minutes in the tank, so I’m sure he was happy and to get on the scoresheet, being in the right place at the right time.
“It was a nice counter-attack from the front three. Marcel hit the post and then Wes was there on the rebound to tap it in.”
At the other end of the pitch, there was a first start for the 23s for young defender, Malakai Reeve, who made the step up from the Under-18s.
Reeve has been producing some impressive performances with the 18s this season and Luke was pleased with the way he handled himself in his first appearance.
“It’s brilliant for Malakai and it’s really good for the Under-18s as well, it shows all the good work that John Dempster and Chay Thompson are doing with the players.
“We are a little bit short in the defensive department at the moment, and with Jay McGrath being suspended, Malakai got an opportunity to come in and start and I thought he handle the game really well.
“He coped with the big centre-forward they had up top and it was really good for his development to get that game under his belt.
“He’s a centre-back or right-back and in the 18s at the moment he’s been playing the right-hand-side of a three at the back. He’s physically strong, quick and he’s just getting to grips with the football side of his game, trying to pass the ball around like they do in the 18s.”