ROBINS CHIRPS AT HECTIC SCHEDULE
COVENTRY boss Mark Robins blasted the congested festive schedule after losing three players to injury during his side’s win at Carlisle.
Jordan Willis was subbed off after just 18 minutes before Stuart Beavon and Duckens Nazon also went off with niggles.
Nazon came on for striker Beavon at half-time and was comically only on the field for 11 minutes before picking up an injury of his own.
Scottish striker Marc McNulty hit his seventh goal in eight before having a penalty saved by Jack Bonham at a blustery Brunton Park.
Monday’s game against Chesterfield will be the Sky Blues’ fourth game in 11 days.
And Robins, whose side are now just two points off the automatic League Two promotion places, fumed: “Stupidly, there’s a game on Monday [against Chesterfield].
“Everything that people talk about the science that goes into the game, people talking about recovery is 48 hours; that just flies in the face of it.
“They say you need 48 hours’ rest and then you can go again.
“But it’s the same for everybody. We need to pick a side that is going to beat Chesterfield.
“With injuries, it gives opportunities for others and that’s how you have to look at it.”
A lacklustre first half saw both sides restricted to efforts from range.
Jordan Shipley fired wide for the Sky Blues before shot-stopper Lee Burge kept out Tom Parkes' strike down the other end.
Bonham made a string of fine saves after the break to keep the Cumbrians in the game - and the deficit to just the one.
Cumbrians’ defender Gary Liddle was caught out by the wind with a long ball, with McNulty racing into the box to slot home his 11th of the season.
Bonham then tipped Tom Bayliss’ ferocious strike against the post, with the rebound being ruled out for offside.
Bayliss was superbly denied by Bonham once again before Mike Jones handed the visitors a soft penalty.
But Bonham guessed correctly, keeping out McNulty’s low strike.
Robins added: “We could have been out of sight. It could have been at least three.
“They didn't create much. We limited them to very little and I think that was plain to see.
“What we didn't do was kill them off and that can come back to haunt you.”
Keith Curle saw his side’s three-game winning streak ended and thought that Carlisle’s luck abandoned them on the day.
“I think we just lacked a bit of quality. I think we just needed the rub of the ball in and around the final third a little bit,” he said.
“I think a draw would have been a fair result. We needed to show the horrible side of the game and I think they did that better than us.”