It may only have been three points like any other, but in the context of this season it was a massive win for Coventry City and Frank Lampard.
A dip in results, dropping off the top of the table from what once seemed a near-unassailable position, and up against the in-form team in the Championship in Middlesbrough – the ones on a six-game winning run who sat above them in the league.
“Any question marks over Coventry’s character have been answered emphatically tonight,” said Sky Sports’ Andy Hinchcliffe.
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It did feel that big. In terms of the performance as well as the result. Diligence in defence, and a clinical edge in attack. A 3-1 win after a ruthless hat-trick from Haji Wright.
Lampard is always keen to stay grounded. Even when Coventry were running away clear at the top of the league he would never get carried away.
But you could see in his eyes after the game he knew how big this one was.
“It’s a massive performance from the lads,” he told Sky Sports. “Middlesbrough are a good team which is why they’ve done what they’ve done recently.
“It was a real team performance. The effort, the tactical discipline, the way we played off the ball, that was something we worked on all week. I felt it was important to get that back into our game.
“In the first half, we wanted to press very high and be aggressive, and the lads followed that plan brilliantly. In the second half, I felt our energy would remain strong, so we went into more of a compact shape and caused them problems from there. I’m really delighted with it.
“There’s been a bit of nervous energy around the club lately because we haven’t been in this position for a long time. Maybe that’s normal. Maybe we needed a little check. When we play here at the CBS, the fans are a massive weapon for us. They were so loud tonight, amazing
“But as long as we react like that, with that energy and output, that’s what matters. I’m delighted for the lads.”
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Lampard acknowledged, however that it was just one win. There are 14 games still to play and two away trips coming up next – where Coventry have been poor. The performance against Middlesbrough could well provide the new blueprint to take on the road.
“We can’t over-celebrate,” he added. “It’s the Championship. If we blow it next game, this one won’t matter as much. That was the message afterwards.
“The defensive structure tonight is a template for what’s needed to win games in this league. Every team gives you different problems. When we go away from home now, we have to get it right.
“It was important, and now we have to build on it. I felt something different in training this week, a bit more edge, more tension. I like that. The players were putting their foot in, training had intensity. Through a heavy run of games, maybe that edge dropped slightly, but we found it again this week.
“The key now is carrying that into the league consistently. We respect the opposition, but we must use this performance as a platform.
“Our away form and adapting to different styles has been challenging. Some teams are physical and direct, you have to deal with second balls and crosses into the box.
“We’ve looked at ourselves recently and said we haven’t been good enough in certain games, and I hadn’t said that for a long time about this group. So when the next game comes quickly, like West Brom, we can’t ride this wave for too long.
“We take confidence from tonight, the energy, the output, the diligence. That’s what allows attacking players to shine. The hard work underpins everything.”
Boyd: A mature Coventry performance
Sky Sports’ Kris Boyd:
“Frank [Lampard] mentioned it, they changed training this week because they knew that [Middlesbrough’s attack] were coming.
“There’s no doubt Middlesbrough’s attack has caused a lot of problems to a lot of teams in this division. They’ve had to change and it’s worked.
“Wright getting the three goals as well, he [Lampard] can now say, ‘if we do that properly, we’re still creating chances and scoring goals’.
“It was a really mature performance from Coventry.”
‘It was like watching Coventry from earlier in the season’
Sky Sports’ Jobi McAnuff:
“There was so much at stake for Coventry. You felt before the game it was bigger for them than for Boro, just in terms of getting some positivity back.
“We can feel it here in the stadium. The crowd went with their team and played a big part. The team were brave, their press was so important and it carried on for 90 minutes.
“That’s a Coventry side like we saw earlier in the season tonight.”
