MARC’S MAGIC LIFTS SKY BLUES
COVENTRY manager Mark Robins wants to see Marc McNulty kick on after his strike earned all three points against Cheltenham.
An entertaining game was settled by Sky Blues striker McNulty on 75 minutes after his team had been pegged back by the Robins.
Mohamed Eisa levelled the scores before half-time after Tom Bayliss’s deflected opener in the second minute.
Robins said: “I think we deserved it overall. We started really brightly and created a lot of chances but it was too open for my liking – we could have killed them off before then.
“They were bright and I thought their striker Eisa caused us one or two problems but the pass for our second goal was outstanding and it’s all about confidence. I think Marc will thrive off the positivity as he’s a special talent and we need to keep giving them chances.”
In a frantic opening period, the Sky Blues were in front inside two minutes as Bayliss was first to react after the visitors had cut out the opening attack.
The youngster’s shot from the edge of the area was deflected past Robins goalkeeper Scott Flinders.
Minutes later, Cheltenham’s Eisa rattled the crossbar from a free-kick that left Coventry goalkeeper Lee Burge rooted to the spot as chances came from both sides, with the Sky Blues’ Max Biamou firing narrowly wide of the post.
With an opening period that saw more chances for both sides, home goalkeeper Burge had to be quick to thwart Eisa twice in quick succession after the Coventry defence failed to clear.
The visitors finally got a deserved equaliser on 34 minutes when a neat interchange allowed Eisa to turn unchallenged in the box and slot the ball home, with both sides going into the break level.
Coventry began to take control of the game, inspired by the impressive Michael Doyle, and Biamou should have done better with his header from Peter Vincenti’s pinpoint cross.
The winner came with a quarter of an hour remaining as substitute Duckens Nazon’s ball over the top saw McNulty race clear.
The front man lifted the ball over the on-rushing Flinders to secure victory and leave Robins manager Gary Johnson frustrated.
“We’ve had a poor second half and our away second-half performances seem to be like that,” said the disappointed Cheltenham boss. “We lose a little bit of mental toughness and we don’t pass the ball properly.
“We’ve shown in the first half we have it but away from home, it seems we don’t have it in both halves. He added: “Other teams have got results here and it was a good opportunity but we’ve let ourselves down, if I’m honest.”