SKY BLUES boss Mark Robins was left delighted by his team’s showing on Saturday as they recorded a first win since New Year’s Day in their 1-0 win over Rochdale.
Victory was sealed courtesy of Jordy Hiwula’s strike, which ended an indifferent run of form for Coventry and moves them into the top-half of the table.
Robins felt that the result matched the positive performances of his side in recent weeks for a change, and felt everyone played their part in the win.
“It was a really good performance – I thought it was a really good away performance.
“We have spoken for a long time about playing and the way we look on the ball and I thought that we got both today – I thought that we mixed it up really well.
“Our use of the ball was good, most of the game we created a good number of chances again, and I was pleased with the one that Jordy [Hiwula] took because it is a tough chance to take.”
He was left equally impressed by the impact of emergency loan keeper David Stockdale from Birmingham City, who made his debut in Greater Manchester.
“The centre-halves were magnificent as was Stockdale who was outstanding, he relieved pressure when he needed to and the defenders defended when they needed to defend,” he said.
It would take until the half-hour mark for any real chance of note, loanee Luke Thomas cutting inside and flashing a shot goalwards that looked destined for the net, until a Rochdale defender managed to block the effort.
They went closer still when Amadou Bakayoko met Thomas’ delivery at the far-post and nodded downwards, but sent his header bouncing off-target.
Hiwula was played through and looked in a promising position to score, but could only fire into Rochdale keeper Andy Longergan’s gloves.
He would make no mistake on 68 minutes though, when latching onto Bakayoko’s flick-on and seeing his lob over the onrushing keeper cross the line.
Rochdale almost escaped with a point when Ian Henderson cracked a shot at the bottom-corner, but Stockdale had other ideas, keeping the ball from nestling into the net.
Thomas could have made it two, beating a handful of defenders and slipping a shot looking for the inside post, but Lonergan ensured the scores stayed at 1-0 – earning Coventry a crucial victory.
Sky Blues next host a local derby against struggling Walsall, with the Saddlers heading to the Ricoh Arena on Saturday (3pm) in 17th after a fourth straight defeat against Wimbledon in mid-week.