FOOTBALL: A RED card for Jordan Willis was the pivotal moment during Saturday’s 3-0 defeat at Northampton according to manager Russell Slade as the miserable league run continued for his Sky Blues side.
On an afternoon full of controversial moments both on and off the pitch at Sixfields Stadium, Willis was shown a red card for a lunge on David Buchanan leaving the visitors to battle out the remainder of the match with ten men.
A small group of Sky Blues fans took to the field and flares were flown onto the pitch by disgruntled away fans whose anger only worsened when Keshi Anderson scored a second half hat-trick to consign Slade’s team to a 15th league defeat of the season.
“I thought we were the better side in the first 15-minutes and the sending off was pivotal,” said Slade. “It gave them a huge lift and puts us down to ten.
“It is a bit harsh, having looked at it. He’s won the ball, but it has been construed as dangerous.
“We got through to half-time and the first goal was key, it went to the side with eleven men.
“For all the preparation in the world, when a sending off happens it throws it in to turmoil. The first goal was key and it went their way.”
It was the Sky Blues who made a bright start on Saturday in their desperate search for a first league win under Slade.
Jordan Willis was denied from close range after a smart stop by Northampton keeper Adam Smith but with 16 minutes on the clock Willis was given his marching orders for what looked like a dangerous tackle on Buchanan.
After a series of crowd disturbances, neither side could really get going with the best chance of the half falling to Marc Richards deep into stoppage time but his looping effort by the penalty spot was comfortable for Lee Burge.
The Cobblers made the mosts of their one-man advantage after the break with Anderson proving to be constant threat to the City defence.
Burge saved comfortably from Anderson one minute into the second half and Burge had to be alert again to keep out Neal Eardey’s 30-yard strike.
On 55 minutes the breakthrough was made when Anderson found space on the left-hand side of the penalty area and rolled the ball past Burge’s near post.
Shortly after the hour mark the home side made it 2-0 thanks to Anderson again who bagged his brace from close range after Zander Diamond did well to get in a cross.
With 14 minutes remaining the result was put beyond any doubt when Anderson beat Burge again for a third time with a low finish.
“You want to be in there battling and scrapping, we’ve got to stay in games when things are against us,” Slade added. “We had a soft underbelly when we went 1-0 down, it zapped us.
“We tried to regroup, we can only control what we can as football managers and coaches. Try to keep the team focussed. I’m trying to get the team right for the club, the fans, and we need to win football matches.
“Disappointed with the goals we conceded, no excuses. They were poor. We had no real response, so a difficult afternoon.
“We gave the ball away in the middle of the park, we don’t adjust well enough at the back. Conceding from a set-play, and the last goal everyone stopped. You play to the whistle and we were punished.”
