BOSS: KELS HAD BEEN HURTING BUT I KNEW HE WAS READY
ROBINS HIGHLIGHTS THE TURNING POINT IN INFLUENTIAL
MARK Robins has revealed the turning point in Liam Kelly’s Coventry City season.
The Sky Blues skipper had barely kicked a Championship ball this term, playing just 56 minutes across six second half appearances from the bench in the first eight and a half months of the campaign.
The writing appeared to be on the wall for the 33-year-old who is out of contract in the summer. That is until mid April when his manager pulled him to one side for a chat.
Niggling hamstring injuries had played a part but Robins admitted he overlooked his previous trusty captain who is the only surviving squad member from City’s incredible rise up the football league, from the depths of the fourth tier to the Championship.
Since being asked to deputise for Ben Sheaf when he got injured against
Blackburn at Ewood Park, Kelly has rolled back the years with a string of vintage displays to remind everyone of his quality, calmness and experience that’s played a pivotal role in the club driving into the top six and earning a place in the playoff final at Wembley, just 90 minutes away from a third promotion in six seasons and return to the Premier League.
Asked if he shared a moment with Kelly amid the post-match celebrations on Wednesday night after the semi-final second leg given the journey they’ve been on together, Robins opened up on the situation, saying: “Liam has had a really tough time. He’s had injuries and he’s fought his way back.”
The manager then conceded: “I sort of overlooked him for a period during the season because there were other players coming to the fore.
“Josh Eccles was starting to come through. But in fairness, Liam’s a top, top professional and he understands all that. He understood all of that but you could tell he was hurting. I could tell it was hurting him.
“I had a conversation with him just before the Blackburn game, just to see how he was, mentally, and he just gave me the answer that I was expecting, that he was just getting on with things and that he was ready. I told him things can turn round really quickly and it’s done that.
“But he was ready to step in and he should be an example to everybody, and he is an example to everybody because of the way that he works and the way he operates. So for any young player they could do a lot worse that look at him.”
The holding midfielder has started all five games since making his comeback against Rovers, playing the whole 90 minutes in all. What a story it would be if he lifts the play-off final trophy at Wembley next week!
Along with Robins and assistant Adi Viveash, Kelly is a survivor of Coventry’s most recent play-off success - the 2018 League Two final against Exeter.
Kelly had only featured in ten regular-season league games but has come back into the first-team plans at a crucial stage of the campaign.
City’s excellent defensive record in this play-off effort to date needs to be pointed out.
They’ve not just kept two consecutive clean sheets, home and away, against semi-final opponents Mid
He is an example to everybody because of the way that he works and the way he operates.
Mark Robins
dlesbrough, but in doing so they’ve blunted one of the fiercest attacks in the entire division.
Three of the Sky Blues’ back five are young players on loan, players who are making their way in the game but who have, for the most part, thrived under Robins this season.
Brooke Norton-cuffy is on loan from Arsenal, Luke Mcnally from promoted Burnley and Callum Doyle from Manchester City. Led by the experienced Kyle Mcfadzean, they proved to be immovable for a talented Middlesbrough forward line.
Only champions Burnley managed to collate a higher total of goals over the course of the season than Boro, who netted 84 times and, in Cameron Archer, Chuba Akpom, Marcus Forss and Riley Mcgree, boasted one of the most feared attacks in the Championship.
Yet City’s back-line made light work of them over the course of two legs as City booked their place at the Wembley showpiece on May 27.