Sky Blues pass tough test – but City boss needs Kelly and lots of reinforcements
BURTON CLASH SHOWS BACK-UP REQUIRED FOR CHAMPIONSHIP CAMPAIGN, WHILE SKIPPER IS A BIG MISS AND JONES PROVES HE SHOULD NOT BE WRITTEN OFF
COVENTRY City will have gleaned a lot from this week’s pre-season clash with Burton Albion – but so too have the supporters.
The Sky Blues came from behind twice to beat the Brewers 3-2 at the Pirelli Stadium thanks to goals from Jamie Allen, Amadou Bakayoko and Jodi Jones.
But Burton’s two strikes were both sloppy goals to concede – one of which was handed to them on a plate by a poor Gustavo Hamer back-pass.
Here is what we learned from last night’s clash...
Liam Kelly is a vital part of City’s side
Liam Kelly has been a regular for the Sky Blues since their League Two days and, as a player who joined the club in the fourth tier, some will doubt his abilities to step up into the Championship.
But City missed their captain in midfield at Burton as Jamie Allen, Callum O’hare and Gustavo Hamer struggled to keep possession without their skipper there to marshall the play.
That could have been partly down to the blustery conditions at the Pirelli Stadium, but Kelly was missed, for sure.
Never write off Jodi Jones
It was an interesting few days for Jodi Jones, wasn’t it? One fan on social media called him out on Sunday, predicting that Jones would be “rotting away in non-league” by the age of 25 adding that he was “finished.”
That tweet had more than 100 replies, including from Jones who vowed to prove his doubter wrong. Against Burton he was a lively and impressive introduction from the bench for Sky Blues. And his last-gasp stunner should not be downplayed by those saying that “it was only pre-season”, as that strike would have beaten any keeper.
Burton was a unique test
Coventry City’s trip to Burton was a unique test and not your average preseason friendly, Mark Robins revealed at full-time.
The Sky Blues players were pushed hard in training during the build-up to the game and took on the Brewers fatigued – and that showed late on.
Speaking about the game, Robins said: “The idea behind tonight was to try and get a Saturday and Tuesday into them.
“We got to 60 minutes and we were tired after a few days of hard training – and then the lads that came on had trained this morning.
“It was a really good work out, it has been worthwhile,” he added.
The idea behind tonight was to try and get a Saturday and Tuesday into them. It was a really good work out.
Mark Robins
Coventry need reinforcements
The Sky Blues still need to make signings in the coming days and week if they are to compete in the Championship.
Declan Drysdale, who still needs
time to develop himself, went down injured at one stage during the opening 45 that left Robins looking at his bench for a replacement.
That would have seen him opt for Morgan Williams, who did feature during the second half, but City will need more experience in the second division during Michael Rose’s absence.
Robins also tried both Jack Burroughs and Blaine Rowe at right-back as he continues his search for a shortterm Fankaty Dabo replacement, a search that could see him dip into the loan market.
And new faces could also come into City’s attack and central midfield, depending on Liam Kelly’s injury situation.
Good and bad injury news
Marko Marosi looks to have overcome a shoulder injury – even if he didn’t feature against Coventry.
His shoulder looked to be moving fine during the pre-match warm-up and he will likely feature against Peterborough on Saturday afternoon.
But new signing Marcel Hilssner hobbled away injured during the warm-up, holding his hamstring and complaining to the club’s medical staff about a tightness, before playing no further part in the evening’s entertainment.
Early indications suggest his injury is not a concern and that he was only pulled from the fixture late as a precaution.