It may have only been three points, as in previous years, but from a season perspective it was a huge win for Coventry City and Frank Lampard.
Their results have been poor and they have fallen from the top of the table, a position that had once seemed almost unassailable, and in the Championship at Middlesbrough they will face an in-form team who are above the league and on a six-game winning streak.
Sky Sports’ Andy Hinchcliffe said: “The question marks about Coventry’s character were answered loud and clear tonight.”
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Highlights of Coventry’s Sky Bet Championship win over Middlesbrough
It felt so big. Both in terms of performance and results. Diligence in defense and clinical superiority in attack. Haji Wright’s relentless hat trick led to a 3-1 victory.
Lampard is always keen to keep his feet on the ground. Even when Coventry were top of the league, he never really hit his stride.
But you could see in his eyes after the game that he knew how big this game was.
“It was a great performance from the players,” he told Sky Sports. “Middlesbrough are a good team and we have been able to get the results we have had recently.
“It was really a team performance. The effort, the tactical discipline, the way we played off the ball, that’s what we’ve been working on all week. We felt it was important to bring that back into our game.”
“In the first half we wanted to press really high and be aggressive and the players executed that plan really well. In the second half I felt our energy remained strong so we were more compact and caused them problems from there. I’m really happy with that.”
“There’s been a bit of a nervous energy around the club lately because I haven’t been in this position for a long time. Maybe that’s normal. Maybe we needed a little check. The fans are a big asset for us when we play here at CBS. Tonight they were very loud and they were great.”
“But as long as we’re reacting like that with that energy and output, that’s what’s important. I’m happy for the players.”
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Haji Wright scores a hat-trick for Coventry City from the penalty spot
But Lampard admitted it was just one win. There are still 14 games remaining, with two away trips next, but Coventry are in a slump. Their performance against Middlesbrough could provide a new blueprint for the trip.
“You can’t celebrate too much,” he added. “This is a championship. If we win the next game, this one won’t be as important. That was the message after the game.
“The defensive structure we had tonight is a template for what it takes to win games in this league. Every team has different problems. Now when we leave home, we have to get it right.
“That was important, and we’ve got to build on that now. I felt something different in training this week. A little more edge, a little more intensity. I like that. The guys were pushing, there was intensity in training. We had a lot of hard-fought games, so maybe that edge was down a little bit, but I felt it again this week.”
“The important thing now is to continue to carry that into the league. We have respect for our opponents, but we have to use this performance as a platform.”
“It was difficult to adapt to our away form and a different style. Some teams are physical and direct and have to deal with second balls and crosses into the box.”
“We recently looked back at ourselves and said we didn’t perform well enough in certain games, but I haven’t said that about this group for a long time. So when the next game comes so quickly, like at West Brom, you can’t ride this wave for too long.”
“We’re confident in the energy, output and work ethic tonight. That’s what makes our offensive players shine. Hard work underpins everything.”
Boyd: A mature Coventry performance
Chris Boyd of Sky Sports:
“As Frank[Lampard]mentioned, they changed their training this week because they knew[Middlesbrough’s attack]was coming.
“There’s no doubt that Middlesbrough’s attack causes a lot of problems for a lot of teams in this division. They had to change and it worked.”
“Wright also scored three goals, so he (Lampard) can now say, ‘If we do it right, we can still create chances and score goals.’
“It was a really mature performance from Coventry.”
“It was like watching Coventry from the start of the season.”
Jobi McAnuff of Sky Sports:
“There was so much at stake for Coventry, I think you felt before the game it was more for Coventry than Boro, just in terms of getting the positivity back.
“You can feel it here at the stadium. The crowd cooperated with the team and played a big role. The team were brave, the press was very important and it lasted for 90 minutes.”
“Tonight was the same Coventry team we saw at the start of the season.”
