FOOTBALL: MARK Robins will be hoping to pick up his first win as returning Sky Blues boss and complete a rare league double in the process when Port Vale visit the Ricoh Arena this evening.
The Sky Blues have won just one match away from home in the league this season, and that came at Vale Park at the beginning of October when Marvin Sordell and Chris McCann got the goals in a 2-0 win.
Coventry find themselves 17 points from safety with just eight games of the season remaining.
Robins has lost all three of his matches in charge so far having replaced Russell Slade at the beginning of the month and he sees tonight as the perfect chance to lift the mood around the City camp.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Robins said: “I want to see us free ourselves up.
“The supporters are desperate to get behind us, but they expect us to let them down.
“We’ve got a real chance tomorrow night and I want to get things right sooner rather than later. There’s a lot of work to be done but I’m relishing it.”
Robins expects attacking options Stuart Beavon and Kwame Thomas to be fit after missing out at MK Dons on Saturday.
Jordan Willis and Chris Stokes both started after periods of injury on Saturday and came through without any repercussions.
“I’m hopeful of having a more or less fully fit squad Aside from the longer term ones, Beavon and Kwame Thomas are both training again,” added Robins.
Forward Marcus Tudgay is out with an ankle injury, while Charles Vernam could be in line for a return to the starting line-up having replaced Tudgay on Saturday.
The last time Port Vale visited the Ricoh Arena it was a late James Maddison goal that decided the contest in a 1-0 win to Tony Mowbray’s side.