MARK Robins said everything came together for his Coventry City side after confirming their place in the third round of the FA Cup with a 2-1 victory over Ipswich Town at Portman Road on Tuesday night.
First-half goals from Jordan Shipley and Maxime Biamou, who incidentally netted against the Tractor Boys in Saturday’s 1-1 draw in League One, set the Sky Blues on the road to victory in the second round replay, regardless of Luke Garbutt’s late consolation.
A visit against either Plymouth Argyle or Bristol Rovers will await Coventry on the first weekend in January, with the two sides set to meet next Tuesday.
The Sky Blues manager was particularly impressed with the defensive solidity of his team and the link-up between his midfielders further up the pitch, and said: “I thought we played some really good stuff and looked assured through the game, we created good opportunities and put them on the back foot.
“We scored two brilliant goals which were well worked and we could have had more.
“I was pleased with the way we played and the way we dealt with things, we defended really well and the two centre-halves headed everything they needed to.
“There was some good interplay between all of the midfield players, Max [Biamou] finished one off, Shippers [Jordan Shipley] got to the first one and made some great runs all night.”
The visitors’ first sight of goal came when Shipley played a one-two with Callum O’Hare and let fly from the edge of the area, seeing his strike inch past the post.
Coventry took the lead with their next effort on goal when Biamou shook off a defender and laid the ball on for Shipley, who made no mistake in guiding the ball past Ipswich stopper Tomas Holy.
O’Hare was denied by a header moments later, before Biamou made it two when sliding home Shipley’s low cross across goal.
A quieter second half followed, but again it was the Sky Blues enjoying the better chances.
Biamou almost had a second of the night when volleying Jamie Allen’s cross over the bar, despite being left unmarked.
Fortunately the miss did not prove crucial, despite the hosts pulling a goal back through Garbutt six minutes from time, to confirm Coventry’s place in the next round.
Robins’ men visit Shrewsbury Town in the league on Saturday (3pm).
