Mark is left to rue first-half shocker

COVENTRY City boss Mark Robins was scathing about his side’s first-half showing, but was equally impressed with their character after salvaging a draw against Crawley Town.

Jordan Roberts’ late first-half strike for the Reds was cancelled out by Sky Blues striker Mark McNulty midway through the second period, but neither team could muster the winning goal.

Robins said: “I think in the first-half we didn’t do enough and we didn’t play well, and they should have put us to the sword.

“But they didn’t and in the second-half it was a totally different game.

“The firsthalf we were too disjointed and ended getting overrun in the middle of the pitch, but we changed it and it was a lot better.

“We started to create things then and they got a little more confident after we had moved to a back four, but still we took too many touches and went too direct.”

A cagey first-half from both teams saw few chances with the Sky Blues’ Duckens Nazon’s deflected shot striking the post, the closest the home side got to a breakthrough.

The visitors took the lead just before the break as Lewis Young’s good work down the right saw the ball pulled back to Roberts, who fired home from 12yards.

The second-half was livelier affair as both teams went in search of that crucial second goal, with Crawley’s Enzio Boldewijn striking the crossbar and Roberts’ free-kick forcing a good save out of goalkeeper Lee Burge.

Coventry’s Jack Grimmer wasted a good chance when his shot flew over the bar, but with the home side pressing for the equaliser, they were rewarded when Ryan Haynes’ cross was nodded down by Nazon to McNulty, who fired the ball home from around the penalty spot.

Both sides had half chances to secure all three points, with Coventry going close when Grimmer’s cross across the sixyard box eluded everyone. Josh Payne also fired over with a 20-yard freekick, with both teams having to settle for a point.

Kewell said: “I felt it was two points dropped out there, we dominated the first-half. We know Coventry are a great team, with a beautiful stadium, but we came here and we did a job.

“Our goal was wonderfully worked and then you just have to dig it out and I think we did that at times, but I thought a few decisions went against us. I was proud of them; we’ve had two big games and got four points.”