COVENTRY UNITED'S NUMBER 2 GOALKEEPER DAVID ALLEN REPORTS ON THE NARROW VICTORY @ LICHFIELD...

DAVE ALLEN BITES THE BOTTLE AND WONDERS, AS THE SIGN SAYS, WHEN HIS NEXT GAME WILL BE...

"After the results over the last couple of weeks, there was a real buzz in the changing room, and you could feel the confidence exuding from the lads. 


Our recent performances have come off the backs of fast starts, with early goals that have really settled us into the game and put the opposition straight onto the back foot. 
With that being said, I felt we started really slowly on Saturday and other than a snap shot from O'Grady, that rattled the post, we struggled to create many clear cut opportunities. 

Their back line showed good discipline and were a class above the recent defences we have come up against. Going up hill and slightly into the wind however, I think we were relatively happy to go in at half time with a clean sheet. 


The second-half started with a similar tempo to the first and you got the sense that the volume of matches was perhaps showing its effect. We were slightly lethargic in attack, and I felt we dropped a little deep in the second-half, which invited a bit a pressure. Lichfield also seem to be struggle to create anything meaningful however and it was somewhat of a shock when they took the lead from a breakaway goal, which just seem to catch us out. 


What happened next, is something I have never witnessed. As Lichfield's jubilant celebration took them into their own half, in front of their dugout, Luke politely pointed out that all of Lichfield's players were in their own half and we were within our rights to kick off. 

The ref duly blew for the restart and Josh and Kai broke at pace towards the Lichfield goal. With just the goalkeeper in the way, Josh casually and unselfishly squared the ball to Kai Williams, who had been on the pitch no more than five minutes, to calmly roll the ball into an empty net. Cue the protests and wild accusations from the Lichfield fans and management team! I think it would be fair to say there was a hint of gamesmanship to the goal, however its legitimacy could not be questioned. 


The goal was a massive wake-up call and really seemed to galvanise the lads. The tempo was upped and we really took control of the game, as we poured forward in search of a winner. Matty Brown was clumsily upended on the corner of the 18 yard box and with Josh having been substituted, Pierre stepped forward to deliver a dangerous ball, that Lichfield just failed to deal with. Rob Prinzel nodded the ball back into the danger area and Kai took it down on his chest and slotted it into the bottom corner! 


The relief was palpable! It was now all about game management, running down the clock and conserving energy. We did this with a professional attitude and closed the game out. 


The games are coming thick and fast but we are taking them in our stride and just taking things one game at a time. The return back to the top of the table was just the lift we needed after such a hard fought victory..." 

Dave Allen, replacement goalkeeper, Coventry United FC...