FOOTBALL: THOUSANDS of travelling Coventry City fans were praised by Mark Robins after the Sky Blues edged past League One side Milton Keynes to book their spot in the fifth round of the FA Cup.
It’s the first time the Sky Blues have reached the competition’s fifth stage in nine years, and the club has cashed in on a cool £205,500 in prize money as a result of winning their opening four games.
Maxime Biamou’s strike on 64 minutes was all Coventry needed to dodge Milton Keynes’ challenge, and Robins was delighted with the shift his men put in.
He said: “The supporters deserved that as much as the players. They were right behind the team, it was magnificant.
“Milton Keynes changed their manager in the week and were full of life. They moved the ball really well and made us work.
“We looked really dangerous on the counter and Lee Burge made a few good saves. We got bodies in front and blocked anything we needed to.”
Biamou’s goal proved the difference between the two sides and was th Frenchman’s second in as many weeks.
Though Saturday’s goal was no match for his thunderous strike against Swindon Town, Robins said it was just as important and added the 27-year-old ‘deserved it’.
“I think everybody is claiming that goal because it could have been anybody,” said Robins.
“But he (Biamou) got himself in and got his toe on it.
“It is brilliant. He deserves it and he was in the right place at the right time.
“He had some decent opportunities but however you win a football match it doesn’t matter, especially when you have got the backing that we have got.”
Liam Kelly made his return from injury, pushing Tom Bayliss out wide. But the duo proved a strong match in midfield and vital in the win.
“Kelly got 75 minutes out their today which is great after eight weeks out injured,” said Robins.
“Bayliss was brilliant again. We played some really good stuff with him. Barrett got involved again.
“It was tough for everybody because they were stretching us all over the place.
“Michael Doyle got an early yellow card but I was not really concerned because he is quite a placid character who would never pick up a second one.”