MARK Robins believes former club Coventry City made the most of set-pieces after the Sky Blues triumphed in a top-of-the-table clash against his Stoke City side.
Coventry’s winner came from Milan van Ewijk’s long throw which Ellis Simms nodded into the path of Ephron Mason-Clark who produced a spectacular acrobatic finish at the bet365 Stadium.
The defeat for Stoke means Robins has now lost both of the two encounters he has had with the Sky Blues since the club sacked him last November.
And Robins admits Coventry’s threat at set-pieces proved the difference between the two teams in a tight game.
Robins said: “We’ve just come up short. We were in the game all the time.
“They played for corners and long throws. They play a different way.
“They’ve seen that they can get results from playing that way with the players that they have.
“From my perspective, we were not under too much pressure from them without creating too many opportunities.
“It was nip and tuck but the way we conceded the goal was pretty disappointing.”
Coventry went into the game four points clear of Stoke with the Sky Blues now five points ahead of Middlesbrough at the top of the Championship table.
And while Robins praised the quality of Mason-Clark’s winner, he felt Stoke had the game’s best chance in the first half.
Robins added: “They put you under pressure because they go long and try and run in behind.
“They’ve got some good players in their team and they ended up with a half chance which we gave them which was converted really well.
“The acrobatic nature of the goal will be played all over the TV. We’re disappointed with it because we didn’t mark properly.
“We had the best chance of the game when Sorba Thomas put a brilliant cross in for Million Manhoef.
“We’ve come a long way but when you’re in a game like that – first versus second – you don’t want to lose.”
