Coventry City’s Under-23s kept themselves in the hunt for the professional development league play-offs after beating league leaders Ipswich Town with an impressive 1-0 victory over the Tractor Boys at the Ricoh Arena.
The Sky Blues, however, remain in third place in their southern division, closing the gap to within two points of Town who dropped to second spot, overtaken by Crystal Palace after their victory over Colchester United.
“We have got seven games left to get to those play-offs,” said coach Jason Farndon, whose side will progress to the play-offs with the top two sides from the northern section, currently headed up by Leeds United and Burnley, if successful in securing a top two spot this season.
“We had a slow start to the season which probably killed us a little bit but we keep getting ourselves into good positions and I think it’s important for us to keep adding different dimensions to it.
“The gaffer said I hate losing in the press the other day, and I just think it’s important because I want us to win the right way.
“I think it’s important that we make them understand that sometimes you have to dig in. You see many teams coming to the Ricoh and stopping us playing football so there are different ways to win games of football.
“I like to win the beautiful way but it’s not always possible.”
He added: “We won the league with the 18s a couple of season’s ago with Jak Hickman’s age group and it helps you as a club because a lot of players got signed off the back of that because they became a really solid team with real togetherness.
“And I think it’s important that they have something to fight for.
“It’s easy for players to think it doesn’t really matter but, at the end of the day, if we don’t get into the play-offs it doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things in their careers, but I do think it’s important that they understand what it is to win because it’s a great habit to get into.
“It gives a feel good factor and that helps footballers.”
Reflecting on the 1-0 win over table topping Ipswich, courtesy of a single David Bremang goal, he said: “I thought we were excellent in the first half and very similar to when we played Cardiff last week.
“We are not overly pleased with our in possession work in the second half but I said at half time that you have to find a way to win.
"And it’s mine and Luke Tisdale’s job to prepare the boys to be not just pretty footballers but also to find different ways of winning and being a solid and dogged team, so that probably sums up the second half.
Powerful boy
“But we’re delighted with the first half when we created a lot a chances. We have spoken about being ruthless because we weren’t quite that today but it was a good goal by Dave Bremang.
“It was a new group of players at the start of the season that wasn’t quite clicking but now I think we are always going to get chances.
“David is a big, powerful boy who is learning the game and he gives you a chance.
“Jak Hickman sent the ball in for the goal and he’s excellent at crossing the ball in on the run, so he’s a really good attacking full-back.”
He added: “I have said it before, I think Ipswich are the best team in the league.
“When we played them earlier on in the season we barely had a kick of the ball and they were excellent. And you could see from their second half performance what they are like.
“I watched their Under-18s against ours the other week and they were exactly the same – the best academy that I have seen at this level this season, so it was always going to be a tough game.
“They have got a bit more experience than us so it’s a good victory.”
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