Sky Blues boss Mark Robins thought this afternoon’s result with Bournemouth was a ‘brilliant point’ after his side had to come from two goals down in the game to draw.
With just five minutes of normal time remaining City looked like going home empty handed but goals from Matty Godden and Todd Kane earned the Sky Blues a point and Robins was pleased with the display against a AFC Bournemouth side that are second in the division.
“In the end it is a brilliant point, after going down by two goals, and the goals we conceded weren’t great, but we were playing against a top team with outstanding individuals, and we had to work really hard in the first half to keep them at bay.” Said Robins.
“We had scant reward in terms of our attacking play, we created a couple of good opportunities and didn’t manage to take one, but we were getting in.
“However, when we give the ball away cheaply, a team with that quality is liable to punish you or have an opportunity to punish you and they invariably take them.
“To go a goal down right on half time was disappointing but again they have outstanding players, but it was not a good goal to concede, and we just got things wrong a little bit and it cost us a goal but in terms of the effort and their work rate and the tactical nouse, it was all there.”
The home side took the lead a minute before the break, but Robins always believed his side could get themselves back into the game.
“We were coming out into the second half still well in the game, knowing it might be a two-part game, they changed the shape from what they had been doing with the personal changing a little bit and there is no doubt about it the sending off has aided us in terms of getting on the front foot.
“Obviously they make a mistake and Matty Godden gets on to it and Lerma is not a centre half hes a midfield player and he has brought Matty down and he’s ended up paying the price for it as he’s through and you know with 16 yards after its come down with his touch Matty doesn’t miss.
“The fact we were calm when chasing the game, we weren’t launching it, we were still playing our way in and we were showing bravery and good nouse and calmness.
“Liam Kelly lost it then got it back and put a ball that has come out to Matty Godden who adjusted his feet brilliantly and their centre half has tried to keep it out with his hands which if he had it would have been another sending off.
“We got ourselves back into the game with that bit of play and a great finish and we kept building the pressure and I was trying to make sense of what we could do on the side, obviously with Jodi coming on I thought he showed a real calm head and had some really good touches.
“We ended up moving the ball into the wide areas. Matty Godden came out and laid it off to Todd who has seen the goalkeeper off his line and chipped him delicately into the far corner for 2-2.”
Despite there being little time on the clock, the Sky Blues kept pushing for that equaliser, with Kane’s goal being the fifth time City have struck in injury time this season, and extends their unbeaten run on the road to three games.
“They deserve an awful lot of credit for that, from where we were with that time left it looked like it would be a tall order because they are a really top team and knowing we were going to commit a little bit by making a change and brining Vik on and taking Jamie off knowing it’s a risk anyway because you’ve got to change the shape and how Callum O’Hare is playing to try and stem them as well.
“We talk about moving with the game so Callum has to move from the left of a three to a ten and then you’ve got your two strikers up front attacking and obviously the speed that they move makes it very difficult for them to get across so you have to fill gaps really quickly and as you’re getting tired it becomes harder and harder and they can exploit that.
“It’s a brilliant point, nothing less than they deserved and gives something for the supporters to talk about on their long trip back.”