In a game that could end up costing Coventry City dearly, Mark Robins acknowledges that his team did not show up until the second half.
With five games remaining in the Championship season, City is five points behind sixth-place Canaries, who drew 2-2 at Sheffield Wednesday, then lost 2-1 at St. Mary’s Stadium to their closest play-off rivals, Norwich City.
“Obviously, the scenario would have been different if Haji hadn’t slipped for the penalty, but we just didn’t play competitively in the first half. They had to make up their minds about whether or not to be challengers because we didn’t get there till halftime.
“And I believe they determined in the first half that we wouldn’t be there and gave them too easy goals. It’s terrible if the first goal is indeed a hand ball, as I’ve been informed by Che Adams, but there’s nothing I can do about it.
“The penalty miss undoubtedly had an effect because, had we scored, we would have gained some momentum—we knew the crowd was nervous. However, we lost the game because we didn’t give them a single touch for the first forty-five minutes. It’s not much comfort, though, that we won the second half.
“But let’s be honest, they are a strong squad with players who can move the ball swiftly. If you don’t restrict their rotations, they will constantly cause you trouble, which is exactly what happened in the first half. Even if we improved greatly after the break, this is a setback for us.
