19-10-2024, 19:45
Preston North End 1 Riis Coventry City 0
Attendance: 15,907 (2,595 Coventry City fans)
Referee: Mr J Smith.
It's now 22 games since the Sky Blues last beat North End, only surpassed by Lincoln City's inability to beat Birmingham which goes back to 1911.
Mark Robins must love this fixture if his players had had taken their chances they would have got something from this one as well, they actually played well
Two changes for us Big Thor in for Potts and Ledson for Whiteman, still no Keane and Fang stilk suspended. The bench looked a bit threadbare.
12.30 kick off plays havoc with the routine, look forward to teh next Saturday match at home which actually does kick off at three. Good support from the Midlands, loud as well.
FIRST HALF
Really entertaining after the initial sparing, only surprise there were no goals at half time. The visitors probably shaded the first half Sheaf missed a header which he should have converted and Bassette missed an equally scoreable chance, they played some good football as did we Frokjaer and Bready were causing Coventry all sorts of problems down our left side. Only issue Riis looked short of confidence missed a simple header from a inch perfect Ledson cross and when he did get one on target he was denied by a good Dovin save.
Rudoni caused us iissues especially with dead balls but scoreless at the break it was.
SECOND HALF
City started the better should really have scored very early on in the half after some pap defending by us, however the hapless Bassette failed to get his shot on target, he was too miss an easier chance later when about 10 yards out screwed his shot horribly wide.
Riis in a great position for us again lacked confidence for a shot instead passed to Frokjaer who couldn't get his shot away, then Frokjaer who was outstanding all game went down the left, got to the byline, peach of a cross Riis seemed to not overly exert himself to go for itand again cleared, Frokjaer slightly bemused by his countryman's retinence.
Greenwood came on as a Substitute, corner to the back stick, Brady six yards out solved the Riis conundrum by blasting the ball towards goal think it Riis's head rather than him heading and in it went.
Audible groan from the Coventry end but to be fair to them they didn't give up, Sheaf hit one into the ground and it bounced over from close range, Wright had one disallowed for hand ball, picture seems to suggest it was a the right decision and then deep into injury time a Thomas header was going in but a wonderful one handed save by Woodman meant we kept the points.
Coventry are decent and good news for them we only play them once more this season
Hecky
Paul Heckingbottom felt getting the opening goal in the victory against Coventry City was always going to be important.
North End and the Sky Blues went toe-to-toe in the first hour of the game as both sides created chances, before Emil Riis broke the deadlock in the 72nd minute.
PNE had to then defend well at the other end to hold on to their victory which saw the unbeaten league run against Coventry extend to 22 matches.
Hecky said: “There were lots of things in the performance which were good, even at the end when we stood strong. I think they only had one shot on target but Freddie pulled off a really good save, so everyone contributed to that which is really pleasing.
“I think the first goal in a game like that is really important, especially as it wears on and on.
“Luckily, we had our own attacking players on the bench so if we needed to change we could have but luckily we didn’t.
“We were the ones who got the goal and got in front. It was a case of them just continuing to do the things we did well to see the game out.”
Not only did PNE extend their extraordinary run against the Sky Blues, striker Riis also has an impressive record against Mark Robins’ side.
The Dane has now scored four goals in his last five against Coventry, having headed home on the end of a vicious ball across goal from Robbie Brady.
Hecky said: “He got one last time out didn’t he and that got chalked off through no one’s fault. He should have two in two now and two really good performances.
“That’s why I’m glad he’s scored because it changes the narrative because people say he’s not scored. Well, he did because he scored in the last game as well and put in a good performance.
“Today, he probably got more chances and the pleasing thing was how we played to get him them chances, but where he was on the pitch, in the six-yard box and in the middle of the goal, is where we want him and where he’ll get most chances.”
ROBINS
Coventry City manager Mark Robins says that results will turn around if his players continue to work as hard as they have been, despite today's defeat on the road against Preston North End.
Emil Riis's late goal was the difference between the two sides in a game that saw Norman Bassette, Bobby Thomas and Ben Sheaf all have chances to score for the Sky Blues.
Speaking after the game, the manager discussed the defeat and the comes still to come in October for City.
On the defeat against Preston:
I think that if you take the game in isolation we'd done very little wrong. We spoke at half time about how we have got to win challenges and win tackles a little bit more, and be on the front foot.
There wasn't a great deal in it but we probably cancelled each other a little bit. But we had opportunities to score. It was just one of those games where we ended up losing with a goal at the one time that we didn't do our jobs properly.
I'm also disappointed with our goal that was dissallowed. I am going to see the referee in a minute. I don't know why that goal was disallowed.
I'm disappointed, really disappointed. I am disappointed for the players because they've given everything.
They've played some good football. We've been in decent positions to take the game to them. And a place obviously where we, we struggle to win them. And today was just one of those games where we, you know, in the moment you just scratch your head because there are fine margins and we're losing out on those fine margins.
So, as you say, on to the next. We had some nearly moments and some decent moments but we have to take our changes as we shoot ourselves in the foot too often.
Sometimes you can put your finger on things and we know what we've done right and wrong but it wasn't a bad performance, we've just come out on the wrong side of the result.
We have to keep going and plugging away. Things will turn around.
On the upcoming games:
The players have to deal with this. It's my responsibility.
I think that they've been doing a lot of good things and they're still showing that commitment but at the moment it's just failing us a little bit.
We can look forward to the next game now. There is no hiding. We will face this head on and keep playing football.
On Ben Wilson's absence:
He's injured. He's picked up an injury in the last game and will be out for a few weeks.
Attendance: 15,907 (2,595 Coventry City fans)
Referee: Mr J Smith.
It's now 22 games since the Sky Blues last beat North End, only surpassed by Lincoln City's inability to beat Birmingham which goes back to 1911.
Mark Robins must love this fixture if his players had had taken their chances they would have got something from this one as well, they actually played well
Two changes for us Big Thor in for Potts and Ledson for Whiteman, still no Keane and Fang stilk suspended. The bench looked a bit threadbare.
12.30 kick off plays havoc with the routine, look forward to teh next Saturday match at home which actually does kick off at three. Good support from the Midlands, loud as well.
FIRST HALF
Really entertaining after the initial sparing, only surprise there were no goals at half time. The visitors probably shaded the first half Sheaf missed a header which he should have converted and Bassette missed an equally scoreable chance, they played some good football as did we Frokjaer and Bready were causing Coventry all sorts of problems down our left side. Only issue Riis looked short of confidence missed a simple header from a inch perfect Ledson cross and when he did get one on target he was denied by a good Dovin save.
Rudoni caused us iissues especially with dead balls but scoreless at the break it was.
SECOND HALF
City started the better should really have scored very early on in the half after some pap defending by us, however the hapless Bassette failed to get his shot on target, he was too miss an easier chance later when about 10 yards out screwed his shot horribly wide.
Riis in a great position for us again lacked confidence for a shot instead passed to Frokjaer who couldn't get his shot away, then Frokjaer who was outstanding all game went down the left, got to the byline, peach of a cross Riis seemed to not overly exert himself to go for itand again cleared, Frokjaer slightly bemused by his countryman's retinence.
Greenwood came on as a Substitute, corner to the back stick, Brady six yards out solved the Riis conundrum by blasting the ball towards goal think it Riis's head rather than him heading and in it went.
Audible groan from the Coventry end but to be fair to them they didn't give up, Sheaf hit one into the ground and it bounced over from close range, Wright had one disallowed for hand ball, picture seems to suggest it was a the right decision and then deep into injury time a Thomas header was going in but a wonderful one handed save by Woodman meant we kept the points.
Coventry are decent and good news for them we only play them once more this season
Hecky
Paul Heckingbottom felt getting the opening goal in the victory against Coventry City was always going to be important.
North End and the Sky Blues went toe-to-toe in the first hour of the game as both sides created chances, before Emil Riis broke the deadlock in the 72nd minute.
PNE had to then defend well at the other end to hold on to their victory which saw the unbeaten league run against Coventry extend to 22 matches.
Hecky said: “There were lots of things in the performance which were good, even at the end when we stood strong. I think they only had one shot on target but Freddie pulled off a really good save, so everyone contributed to that which is really pleasing.
“I think the first goal in a game like that is really important, especially as it wears on and on.
“Luckily, we had our own attacking players on the bench so if we needed to change we could have but luckily we didn’t.
“We were the ones who got the goal and got in front. It was a case of them just continuing to do the things we did well to see the game out.”
Not only did PNE extend their extraordinary run against the Sky Blues, striker Riis also has an impressive record against Mark Robins’ side.
The Dane has now scored four goals in his last five against Coventry, having headed home on the end of a vicious ball across goal from Robbie Brady.
Hecky said: “He got one last time out didn’t he and that got chalked off through no one’s fault. He should have two in two now and two really good performances.
“That’s why I’m glad he’s scored because it changes the narrative because people say he’s not scored. Well, he did because he scored in the last game as well and put in a good performance.
“Today, he probably got more chances and the pleasing thing was how we played to get him them chances, but where he was on the pitch, in the six-yard box and in the middle of the goal, is where we want him and where he’ll get most chances.”
ROBINS
Coventry City manager Mark Robins says that results will turn around if his players continue to work as hard as they have been, despite today's defeat on the road against Preston North End.
Emil Riis's late goal was the difference between the two sides in a game that saw Norman Bassette, Bobby Thomas and Ben Sheaf all have chances to score for the Sky Blues.
Speaking after the game, the manager discussed the defeat and the comes still to come in October for City.
On the defeat against Preston:
I think that if you take the game in isolation we'd done very little wrong. We spoke at half time about how we have got to win challenges and win tackles a little bit more, and be on the front foot.
There wasn't a great deal in it but we probably cancelled each other a little bit. But we had opportunities to score. It was just one of those games where we ended up losing with a goal at the one time that we didn't do our jobs properly.
I'm also disappointed with our goal that was dissallowed. I am going to see the referee in a minute. I don't know why that goal was disallowed.
I'm disappointed, really disappointed. I am disappointed for the players because they've given everything.
They've played some good football. We've been in decent positions to take the game to them. And a place obviously where we, we struggle to win them. And today was just one of those games where we, you know, in the moment you just scratch your head because there are fine margins and we're losing out on those fine margins.
So, as you say, on to the next. We had some nearly moments and some decent moments but we have to take our changes as we shoot ourselves in the foot too often.
Sometimes you can put your finger on things and we know what we've done right and wrong but it wasn't a bad performance, we've just come out on the wrong side of the result.
We have to keep going and plugging away. Things will turn around.
On the upcoming games:
The players have to deal with this. It's my responsibility.
I think that they've been doing a lot of good things and they're still showing that commitment but at the moment it's just failing us a little bit.
We can look forward to the next game now. There is no hiding. We will face this head on and keep playing football.
On Ben Wilson's absence:
He's injured. He's picked up an injury in the last game and will be out for a few weeks.
Why should a man go to work, if he has the health and strength to stay in bed?