Rhys Carr reflects on 'fine margins' as Coventry City 'gutted' by first defeat under his charge
Rhys Carr felt his team fell the wrong side of two really “fine margins” as Coventry City suffered their first defeat on his watch as interim boss.
The Sky Blues caretaker felt his players were unlucky with Ephron Mason-Clark’s disallowed overhead kick goal that would have pulled City level, and then Burnley’s second goal that sealed the three points for the Clarets at Turf Moor.
“They keep the ball well and they did tonight, to be fair to them, and we felt like they had a bit of control in the first ten to 15 minutes,” said Carr, speaking after the 2-0 away defeat.
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“It was hard for Tatsu and Victor to get across the pitch so we made a little bit of a tactical tweak there that we felt benefited the team, and we were quite happy to come in with a clean sheet at half-time. I thought the players showed real commitment with their defending up to half-time.”
Scott Parker’s men, however, cut City apart for their first goal two minutes into the restart.
“Goals change games,” said Carr, “and it’s always disappointing to concede, particularly so early. But we came up against a good side tonight with a good amount of quality. We’ll look at it, analyse it and aim to do better next time.”
Coventry only managed three attempts on goal and one on target, with Ephron Mason-Clark having an spectacular overhead kick ruled out for off-side. Had it stood it would have pulled City level.
“I have seen it back and it’s off-side,” admitted Carr. “I’m not trying to say it isn’t but it’s a real fine margin. Similarly, their second goal I think he (CJ Egan-Riley) tries to stand it up and it comes off his standing foot and ends up spinning and going in the net, so two really fine margins that we have fallen on the wrong side of tonight.
“But I have just said to the players that I have seen a team that is really together. They’re gutted, and they’re gutted because they care so I am glad they are gutted because it shows they care. But the commitment that they have got to getting this team moving the right way up the division is here, and we can see it.
“And I am confident they will continue to go the right way, moving forward. They are going to need that togetherness that they have. They are a young group that are still learning, so we are still looking to improve the players we have got, both individually and collectively, and there are signs that they are getting better.
“They came up against a really good team tonight who are a credit to themselves who are good with the ball and had real intensity without it, and we have to learn from that because here are players in that team that we’re all striving towards.”
