Josh Eccles had a birthday to remember, as he helped City beat Leeds United 2-1 at the Coventry Building Society Arena.
The midfielder put in a stellar performance, coinciding with a superb assist for Haji Wright’s goal in the second half.
Speaking after the final whistle, Eccles gave his immediate reaction to the win and why it was a special occasion for him.
A special birthday…
“I will remember this one for a long time. I could not have spent it in any better way. I am still not settled now, I am still full of adrenaline, full of energy. I do not know what to say right now!
I woke up this morning, I just could not wait to start playing. As the game went on, I thought we had a hold on it, I feel like we did our jobs very well.
We have been working on a lot of tactics this week with Adi (Viveash), working on our defensive shape and I thought today was excellent. They got quite lucky with the goal, I tackled the geezer like four times, and he still managed to get a shot off, and that is a credit to him.”
A special occasion…
“I think it is the occasion, obviously it is my birthday. Us beating Leeds on my birthday, and where we are in the season, being four points off the play-offs. We watched the Norwich game, so I think that gave us more ‘umph’ to get the three points today.
We said the Norwich is not going to make us change the way we play, and it did not. And I am glad, because there is no better way we could have played that game. It was a top performance from the team, and I am happy with the three points.
On Ellis Simms’ goal:
“I do not know what he is eating, but he has been eating good! I do not know what it is, it took him awhile to get started in the season, but everyone was saying give him time.
And now he has settled, and you cannot stop him! He is just finding those right spaces now and he has got that little bit of aggression. When he goes up (for a duel) we know there is going to be a fifty-fifty challenge.
Look, he had a geezer in a headlock for like five minutes! That is the new Ellis, he is top class.”
His involvement in the second goal…
“I am going to credit Milan, he ran half the pitch with his pace and did the right thing, checked out and waited for the team to get up the pitch.
He saw me, and I just took a touch and saw Haji (Wright), I thought I would float it to the back post and see what he can do. It was a great finish!
On Simms’ and Wright’s composure…
“He has wrong-footed the goalkeeper. Acrobatics, if you want to say that. It was a great team goal and that was the winning goal, so we will take it!
He did very well with the goal, him and Ellis this season took a while to get here but now, is it sixteen and seventeen goals this season?
We cannot ask for much more and I am sure next season, they will be doubling that!”
Jake Bidwell’s headed clearance over his crossbar…
“Only Bidders can do that! He has got his neck in an awkward position, diving back towards the goal and he has managed to put it out for a corner.
Bidders is Bidders! He is a brick wall, and he loves defending with a passion. He lives for moments like that, and I could not believe it honestly.
I went up to him afterwards and went ‘what the hell?’, it was crazy.”
The play-off race…
“There are six games and still plenty of points to play for. Anything can happen.
Look at us last season, it looked like we were not going to get it and then look what happened, we went sixteen games unbeaten and managed to comfortably sneak in.
We have looked at our fixture list and we know we have tough fixtures coming, but you cannot not back these boys. Look at the performance today, they will probably do that for the next six games.
We have every right to give it a go. It is not in our hands but as long as we keep getting those three points anything can happen.
If you look at Cardiff, we should have won. That is the Championship for you, and now we have back-to-back tough games.”
His season so far…
“I am happy. I just love playing, especially for Coventry City, my boyhood club obviously.
I want to rock up as many appearances as possible, keep grabbing assists and maybe getting a few more goals. I love playing here!”
Record crowd at the CBS Arena…
“I actually took a look up at the sign, the thirty thousand.
You could hear it today; I think that was the loudest it has been this season. It gave us that extra five or ten percent.
When you hear them singing the songs for the players, even mine, it makes you want to hit someone! Not physically but get up into someone or make a tackle or produce a good pass.
It changes your whole personality and the way you play; it helps us every little bit and you could see what it did today.”
Celebrating the game today…
“The missus is taking me out tonight, might have a little round of golf tomorrow morning and then watch the Man Utd-Liverpool game.
That is as exciting as it gets!”
