Rivals’ results leave Sky Blues all smiles
COVENTRY City’s League One promotion rivals experienced mixed fortunes as they caught up on their games in hand with results that fell kindly for the Sky Blues .
Mark Robins’ men remain in fifth place, level on points with fourth-placed Rotherham who lost 3-2 at Portsmouth on Tuesday night, while leaders Wycombe Wanderers had to settle for a point at Ipswich Town after missing a late penalty in a fiery top-of-the-table clash.
The result means City remain five points off the Tractor Boys, whom they entertain at St Andrew’s in back-to-back FA Cup and league games over the next two weekends, and left manager Paul Lambert fuming at the standard of refereeing for such a “big football club.”
The pressure on Sunderland, meanwhile, ramped up on Tuesday night when Burton Albion went one better than the Sky Blues by inflicting the first Black Cats’ defeat at the Stadium of Light this season, resulting in chants of ‘You’re getting sacked in the morning’ at manager Phil Parkinson, and ‘You’re not fit to wear the shirt’ at the players following the 2-1 win by the Brewers.
Furious supporters vented their fury at the full-time whistle at both the manager, who has now lost seven games in 11 since replacing Jack Ross, and the players, who included former Sky Blues Lee Burge and Jordan Willis.
When quizzed on the chants, Parkinson said: “It’s understandable. You need conviction and belief and we didn’t show that. In a stadium with expectation you need to give yourself a chance by believing you can keep clean sheets. The fans are entitled to an expectation.”
Ipswich manager Paul Lambert, meanwhile, slammed referee Alan Young following their goalless draw at Portman Road.
Young failed to award the Blues a penalty for a clear handball by Joe Jacobson early on and then disallowed a Luke Chambers headed finish just before the break following a long delay and conversation with his linesman Aaron Farmer.
In a game in which he dished out 11 yellow cards, Young awarded Wycombe an 87thminute spot-kick from which goalkeeper Tomas Holy produced a wonderful save to deny Jacobson.
“(Luke) Garbutt has put the ball in, Luke (Chambers) has got across the front post, got a header, it hits the Wycombe guy and goes in. How is (Kayden) Jackson offside?” fumed Lambert.
“And the tug for their penalty is outside the box. Listen, everybody can have a bad game, I get that, but dear oh dear. This is a big football club to referee. If you want to referee this big football then you’ve got to have a bit of pedigree behind you.”
With Town having claimed two points from two home games in four days, this match coming off the back of Saturday’s 2-2 home draw with Blackpool, Lambert said: “We’ve only been beaten twice in the league. We’re still where we are and we’re only halfway. Nothing gets handed out in November. We’re a hell of a good side.”