”Disappointment” – Coventry City: Mark Robins reveals referee action after Preston loss

Mark Robins was not happy with the referee as Coventry City’s poor form continued with a 1-0 defeat at Preston on Saturday afternoon.

Many expected the Sky Blues to be in the mix for promotion this season, but they have endured a slow start, with the loss at Deepdale meaning they are only outside the relegation zone on goal difference.

An Emil Riis effort was enough to condemn Coventry to their latest defeat, although it didn’t tell the whole story of the game, as the visitors were unhappy that a late Haji Wright goal was ruled out.

Mark Robins expresses anger at referee following Preston game

And, speaking to the Coventry Telegraph, Robins insists his players did ‘very little wrong’, as he also questioned referee Josh Smith on some of his decisions.

“I think if you take the game in isolation we have done very little wrong. It was just one of those games that we ended up losing on the one time that we ended up not doing our jobs properly. They had a chance at the far post, and it was played back in, and it came off his face (Emil Riis) and went into the back of the net.

“The goal that was disallowed, I am going to see the referee in a minute. Their manager is with him at the minute and once he is finished I will go in and see him because I want to know why that goal was disallowed. There’s talk of it being ruled out for handball, but there was no handball, I am being told. So that’s a disappointment.

“We were through, two v two (in a different instance) and the referee blew his whistle, and it pulled us back, and you don’t get the momentum that way. And the fouls are what you have to contend with because they disrupt the play. So that adds to it.”

Coventry City’s form is a real concern

On the goal, it does look as though Coventry have valid complaints, as it’s not clear that Wright handles, and for the referee to make such a big call, he should be certain.

So, they will feel hard done by, but the reality is that it continues what has been a worrying campaign so far for the Midlands outfit.

Despite Robins’ claim here, the side were struggling at times, and the fact they only managed one shot on target is a concern, as there is a lot of attacking talent at Coventry, and they should be doing more.

Of course, Robins has a lot of credit in the bank with the club, and it should be remembered just how far they’ve come under his guidance, but, right now, they are underperforming.

Coventry City have the quality to turn things around

It’s also important not to overreact, because even if Coventry were toothless at times, they were still competitive today, and if Wright’s goal does count, they may have had momentum and gone on to win.

There is still a lot of ability in the team, and many of the group have been through highs with the manager and the club over the years.

All the players and staff can do is keep working hard every day, and they will quickly turn their attention to the midweek trip to Queens Park Rangers, which is a huge clash for both clubs, as the Londoners are bottom of the table after their disastrous form continued with a defeat to Portsmouth at home.