Future is bright for doomed Sky Blues

COVENTRY City’s recent upturn in form may have come too late to keep them in League One, but boss Mark Robins is adamant that the Sky Blues are heading in the right direction after their latest victory.

Ruben Lameiras’ precision strike five minutes into the second half gave the Checkatrade Trophy winners their third win in four league outings at the expense of Peterborough United after the visitors failed to convert a first-half penalty.

And while Robins concedes that relegation is all but guaranteed, he insists that his side have improved markedly since he took charge early last month.

“The players have given me everything,” Robins said. “The first three games weren’t good enough by any stretch. Some of the games still aren’t good enough, but we’re getting there, and they’re giving me everything that they’ve got.”

Sky Blues striker Stuart Beavon is without a goal in seven matches, but was just inches away from giving the hosts the lead with a spectacular bicycle kick which rattled the post on 27 minutes.

Visitors Peterborough looked set to capitalise five minutes before the break when referee Gavin Ward penalised Gael Bigirimana after a coming together with Martin Samuelsen in the box, but Craig MackailSmith saw his penalty saved by the outstretched leg of Lee Burge.

And their wastefulness was punished in the early stages of the second half, when Beavon unselfishly teed up Lameiras, who guided a crisp leftfooted finish into the bottom corner from just inside the box.

Junior Morais rattled the woodwork from distance shortly after the hour, and saw a closerange header saved nine minutes from time, but the hosts defended solidly to keep their faint mathematical hopes of survival alive.

“For us it’s about building on performances,” Robins added. “We know what’s likely to come. We’ve just got to keep trying to improve all the time.”

By contrast Peterborough boss Grant McCann pulled no punches in assessing his side’s performance.

“I don’t think we deserved to win,” McCann said. “I thought we lacked tempo and energy in our performance .

“That’s four points Coventry have taken off us this season. Those four points could have put us within touching distance of the top six, but it’s not to be. The table doesn’t lie. We haven’t been consistent enough.”