FRANK Lampard admits ‘defensive errors’ are becoming a problem for his side after Coventry City slipped to defeat away at Norwich City.
The Sky Blues surrendered a half-time lead at Carrow Road after Romain Esse put Coventry ahead only for Anis Ben Slimane and Ali Ahmed to turn game in Norwich’s favour.
Despite the defeat, Coventry remain three points clear at the top of the Championship table.
However, Lampard expressed his concern regarding his side’s mistakes at the back after an uncharacteristic error from Liam Kitching led to Norwich’s winner.
Lampard said: “It’s disappointing to lose. We gifted them their goals.
“If you do that in the Championship, or at any level of football, you can lose games.
“If you defend sloppy and make mistakes then teams can score against you and you lose games.
“We created enough chances to score more goals but we didn’t.
“The defensive errors are a problem. It’s something we’ve been very good at generally throughout the season.
“We’ve got to keep working. We’re three points clear at the top of the league.
“It’s a long season with lots of ups and downs. As much as we may feel it, we have to go again for the position we’re in.”
Coventry took the lead against the run of play on 38 minutes as Esse lashed a low effort past Vladan Kovacevic at the goalkeeper’s near post.
However, Norwich equalised less than a minute into the second period as Ben Slimane received Ahmed’s pass and coolly took the ball past Carl Rushworth and finished past two defenders on the line.
Norwich completed the turnaround on 67 minutes when the home side pounced on Kitching’s loose touch and Papa Amadou Diallo cut the ball back to Ahmed who found the net via the aid of a deflection.
The defeat means the Sky Blues remain winless on the road since victory at promotion rivals Middlesbrough in November.
And Lampard felt his side allowed Norwich to build momentum after the break after conceding so early in the second period.
Lampard added: “We came out [in the second half] and they gained some momentum through us. I think we gave them that.
“We had opportunities to score more goals in the game and we didn’t take them.
“Some games are not easy to control. Games are always won in both boxes whether you’re in control or not.
“It’s not easy to come to a team who are in pretty good form and try and control every aspect of the game.
“But you have to be clinical at both ends.”
Coventry are next in action against Queens Park Rangers on Saturday, January 31 with kick-off at 3pm at Loftus Road.
