MOWBRAY’S LOAN STARS SHOW CLASS
COVENTRY City’s loan rangers secured a valuable win for the Sky Blues at the Ricoh Arena, but pushed Tony Mowbray’s heart rate far too high.
The home side carved out enough changes to win a handful of games but had Adam Armstrong to thank for the three points as he notched his sixth of the season.
But the young on-loan trio of Armstrong, Jacob Murphy and Ryan Kent kept driving forward looking to add to their lead in style – which meant an anxious half an hour for Mowbray and the Ricoh Arena faithful.
“We have to be pleased but we made it more nervy that it needed to be,” said Mowbray. “We were exciting in the first half and got into some very good positions on the break but made some wrong decisions at the vital times.
“The speed and the very dynamic movement of the forward line was very good and we were solid behind the ball.
“Ultimately we deserved to win the game but we should have scored more. We have some very young players and I hope that our supporters will be patient with them because of their age.”
Coventry were truly dominant in the first half but all too often their finishing or decision making let them down.
Armstrong got away in the 21st minute but his ball into the box went behind two team-mates and Chesterfield were able to clear the danger.
The on-loan youngster then turned Ian Evatt inside the box just two minutes later but, with the ball on his left foot, he wastefully blasted the ball over the bar.
Jim O’Brien then followed his lead just a minute later when John Fleck put him through with a piercing pass from midfield.
Evatt did well twice to block attacks, and his 38th-minute header away from Chris Stokes could well have kept his team on level terms. Fleck tried his luck from 25 yards, six minutes from the interval, and Tommy Lee did well to parry and got a lucky break when the loose ball fell to a defender.
Chesterfield must have fancied their chances in the second half having survived the first, but four minutes after the restart they were behind when Armstrong spun onto a pass, worked some room on the edge of the area and slotted the ball past Tommy Lee.
But although they carved out several more opportunities, Lee Burge had to make two fine saves in the second half to maintain their advantage.
Chesterfield sub Mani Dieseruvwe was sent off three minutes from time for a second yellow card, ending any realistic hopes they harboured.
Saunders was not downhearted by the defeat and felt they were in the game until the red card.
He said: “I would not say we were outplayed but the first goal was always going to be crucial.
“They are a good team and actual- ly I thought there were two good sides out there today.
“We got through the first half but their chances were down to us making too many errors in possession.
“Their keeper made a great save from Mani who then got himself sent off and he has to learn from that.
“I didn’t think his first was a yellow card, but his second one was. He couldn’t get his head on it so used his hand and had to go and that finished out chances.
“We were giving the ball away and trying to get it back and giving away fouls and you cannot afford to do that.”