City boss Mark Robins was pleased with what he saw, as the Sky Blues Under-23s secured back-to-back wins this week against Charlton and Wigan.
Robins was in attendance for both fixtures as he saw the young crop of City players, featuring alongside some of the first team players getting some minutes under their belts.
With the first team players being spread out over both fixtures, Robins told how he was pleased with the attitude he saw from the two games, ahead of the return to Championship football next week.
“It was really important that the attitude was right otherwise they wouldn’t get the right response.” Robins said.
“I think playing at Leamington has been good because you have stands around the pitch and they’ve been brilliant letting us use their facility, so we thank them.
“I think we’ve got some minutes into players that haven’t played for a while but also there were some really good performances, and the attitudes were spot on.
“They all worked really hard, and they got their just rewards and we can get on with preparation for next week now.”
The two fixtures gave Robins a chance to see his strikers in action, with Amadou Bakayoko and Viktor Gyokeres playing on Monday and Tyler Walker and Matty Godden playing yesterday.
All four secured 90 minutes in the tank, with Bakayoko, Gyokeres and Godden all on the scoresheet during the outings.
For Godden in particular, it was his first 90 minutes in over three months and Robins was delighted to see him come through unscathed.
“He got through it fine. He was starved of service for a little while, the surface was a little bit bobbly, and it was certainly a challenge for some of them, but we tried to move that ball well and when we got opportunities, he took his well when it came along.
“Him and Tyler were up against a physical Wigan team as you’d expect, I think they had a man sent off early which spoiled things really, the game as a spectacle, but they worked hard really, and they carved out some decent opportunities.”
In Monday’s victory over Charlton, Robins was able to cast his eye over Josh Pask, Ben Sheaf, Jordan Shipley and Jamie Allen.
However, it could be argued that it was Gyokeres who stole the headlines, scoring twice in the game.
“I feel for him (Viktor Gyokeres).” Robins said.
“He spent the first half of the season at Swansea and didn’t play too many games and that catches up to you.
“He’s looked like he’s ready to take part but again he’s got to bide his time and he’s done that and showed the other day that he’s ready.
“Amadou worked his socks off as well. He played with Viktor and his work enabled Viktor to get a bit of space as well and Amadou scored his goal as well.
“You look at the games and their playing against youngsters from Charlton and Wigan, but it doesn’t matter because they’re physical players that gave us good games, both of them, but Viktor’s performance the other day along with Ben Sheaf, Jamie Allen, Jordan Shipley, Josh Eccles, Jack Burroughs played, and Josh Pask played, and they all performed really well.
“Marko Marosi played and didn’t put a foot wrong, and he was striking the ball really well, assured, confident and communicating really well.
“So, all of these things are positive things for the players, and these are the things you look at when you’re going into the next phase.”
However, it wasn’t just the first team players who impressed Robins, as youngsters Jack Burroughs and Josh Eccles also caught the eye.
The Gaffer told how the duo will both join the first team now for the remainder of the season at the Sky Blue Lodge.
“Jack Burroughs particularly from right back the other day performed really well and his loan out to Gloucester has been a really positive one for him and he’s come back different as you’d expect playing men’s football, it makes you grow up a little bit and he’s grown up a little bit.
“With Fanky’s injury I’m going to draft him into our training group to be around us for the rest of the season.
“That’s what we do and what we are as a club and I think the times right, right now to bring him in. Josh Eccles will also be with us moving into this final phase of the season, it’s important that we have a group of players that are focussed on what were trying to achieve and make sure we get over the line.”