Mark Robins praised the quality of his Coventry side after they blew away League One Oxford 6-2 in the FA Cup third round.
Joel Latibeaudiere, Ben Sheaf and Kasey Palmer’s goals were followed by a brace from Matty Godden as Coventry made it through to the fourth round for just the second time in six seasons.
Mark Harris had earlier equalised to make the score 1-1 before Tyler Goodrham’s consolation late in the piece.
“I thought we were really good, we did a really professional job,” said Robins. “There was some unbelievable quality there.
“The goals came at a good time and we sort of blew them away in the first bit. What we didn’t do well enough at times was that you’ve got to make them feel the speed and the quality.
“You’ve got to try and make them feel that all of the time. On the back of the games we’ve played, it is understandable that there is a little bit of fatigue left over but that’s not an excuse.
“You’ve got to give everything you’ve got until you can’t anymore and then I can make the changes.
“But other than that, I thought there were some good rotations, some good movement in all areas of the pitch.
“The quality of Kasey (Palmer) showed for the third goal, both in terms of picking the ball up and driving with it, and then picking that shot out, was Kas-esque, exactly what he can do.
“3-1 makes it a little bit more comfortable but we’ve got to keep going for the jugular and that was the only frustrating bit because we seemed a little bit content to ‘tick’ the ball over, which is fine, but we’ve got to make sure we keep going for the jugular, keep going for the goals.”
Oxford head coach Des Buckingham admitted his team had been beaten by the better side as they were knocked out at the third-round stage for the second season in succession.
Buckingham also provided an update on winger Stanley Mills, who was taken off on a stretcher following a serious-looking injury.
He said: “I think we’ve come to a very good Coventry City side, they’re top of the form table in the Championship and they’re a strong team.
“They ran away with it in the second half. That’s the quality they have. We’ve got to be better, of course, but we’ve got to recognise where they are and where we are and what we’ve got available at the moment.
“Not the result we wanted. It’s never a scoreline you want to see. But we’ve got to refocus quickly now for AFC Wimbledon on Tuesday and we will do.
“There’s no surprise that since the draw’s been made they’ve gone from 15th to eighth. They will certainly be in and around it.
“It gives us a taste of what Championship football is. We’re not a million miles away, I know the scoreline makes it look silly to say that.
“Our focus and our priority is the league and we need to make sure we’re as good as we can be heading into the second half of the season.
“Stan is in the best hands he can be, the medical staff have been wonderful and really looked after him. He’s been taken off to hospital and he’s got his dad with him, we hope he’s OK but it’s too soon to say.”
Al Ahli 1-2 Al Hilal: Malcom saves league leaders' winning streak
Malcom’s stunning solo goal finished Al Hilal’s second-half comeback to earn a 2-1 win over Al Ahli in the Saudi Pro League on Monday.
The forward started his run from inside his own half before slotting in the winner, after teeing up Aleksandr Mitrovic for the equaliser just after the interval.
Feras Al Brikan had given Al Ahli the lead in the 30th minute, but the hosts could not hold onto it against the league leaders.
Al Hilal continue their unbeaten league campaign to a 30th match, moving 12 points clear at the top of the table, while Al Ahli remain in third, now 22 points off the AFC Champions League spot.
Data Debrief
Malcom was one of Al Hilal's most influential players; as well as playing a hand in both goals, he had the joint-most shots (five), and the joint-most shots on target (two), and created two chances for his team.
Al Ahli also struggled to cope with Mitrovic's threat, as the Serbian created an xG of 0.61 from his five shots, having 11 touches in the opposition box.
Terzic: Dortmund must improve on last week's performance to win at PSG
Borussia Dortmund have a 1-0 lead going into the second leg of their Champions League semi-final at Paris Saint-Germain, but to win the tie they would need an improvement in their performance, coach Edin Terzic said on Monday.
Dortmund have never won at PSG in their previous three visits, and their last match at the Parc des Princes ended in a 2-0 loss during the group stage in September.
"We showed a good game last week, which gave us that little lead. But that performance probably won't be enough to get us into the final," Terzic told reporters ahead of Tuesday's match.
"We have to do everything together tomorrow, with a good plan, with a good idea. Paris will certainly do better than last week. We want to earn this ticket to the final. We'll tackle that together tomorrow."
Terzic also noted the improvement in his side since September's loss, saying: "We hadn't really found ourselves yet. We lacked courage in many areas. In the two games in Dortmund, we then showed that we can play very differently against PSG.
Dortmund held PSG in December in their second group-stage match before beating them on May 1.
"They have a mission, we have a huge dream... there are enough things we have to do better because they will do better," Terzic said.
"Part of the success was bringing that intensity onto the pitch. If we need to, we'll run another 20 kilometres."
Carragher: Moyes leaving West Ham 'a great decision for everybody'
West Ham's call to part ways with David Moyes at the end of the campaign is "a great decision for everybody", so says Jamie Carragher.
The Hammers confirmed on Monday that Moyes, who took over for a second stint in charge in late 2019, would not be extending his contract with the club.
That news came amid reports that West Ham, who have also been in talks with Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim, had agreed terms with former Wolves manager Julen Lopetegui.
West Ham lost 5-0 to Chelsea on Sunday, and with just two Premier League matches left of 2023-24, their hopes of European qualification are all but over.
Moyes led West Ham to the Europa Conference League title last season, and the quarter-finals of this term's Europa League, but they came up against Xabi Alonso's impeccable Bayer Leverkusen side.
And with some sections of the club's fanbase having grown tired of Moyes' tactical approach, Carragher feels it is the right time for the 61-year-old to move on.
"I think it's a great decision for everybody," Carragher said during Sky Sports' Monday Night Football.
"I think what it does now is it gives the West Ham fans a chance in the next home game to really send him off with the salute that he thoroughly deserves.
'You've got to go back to 1980 under John Lyall, when they won the FA Cup. You think about how long ago that is, Moyes has been West Ham's best manager.
"To win a European trophy is pretty special and he deserved that for his managerial career, not just what he has done at West Ham. He's been a top Premier League manager.
"I think it's right all round. I can understand some of the frustration with the style of football, I get that, but results-wise he's done a brilliant job for West Ham."
West Ham face Luton Town in what will be Moyes' final home match in charge, before they round off their season against Manchester City on May 19.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
