Sadly: Coventry City boss Mark Robins makes honest admission amid big Wembley gamble

Mark Robins admits he “ran out of squad” as Coventry City fell at the final play-off hurdle at Wembley Stadium.

The Sky Blues battled back from a goal down against Luton Town to take the contest to extra-time and penalties, only for the Hatters to come out 6-5 winners in a sudden death shootout to secure promotion to the Premier League.

City simply didn’t get going in the first half, which Robins described as being as bad as his side have been, but battled back with a brilliant Gustavo Hamer goal before the star midfielder had to go off injured ten minutes from time after rolling his ankle. The manager then gambled by throwing on Kasey Palmer, who had to go off again in extra-time, with City limited with alternative options after a season dogged by injuries, not least to Callum O’Hare.“I thought the first half was a write-off as far as we were concerned, which was a little bit of a surprise,” admitted the City boss, who started with a box midfield but then switched to two strikers at the break, sending on Matty Godden to Jamie Allen.

“But we gave the ball away too much and there was no point playing four midfield players because Vik couldn’t get a grip of the ball and was ploughing a lone furrow. It just didn’t work out and you have to credit Luton for that. And for us the change at half-time certainly made a difference and then we got the goal, we grew into it and got the goal and I thought we were the team that looked the more likely.

“And then the game changed again when Gus got injured and came off. I tried to bring Kasey on to get that bit of flair in the last ten to 15 minutes and try to get a chance to create something or score himself and it wasn’t to be. I knew I would have to take him off in extra-time if we got there but I took that gamble.

“Josh Eccles went on and we got a bit more energy into the middle of the park but we really had to make some enforced changes with Gus and then Callum Doyle coming off. I was desperately trying to get Josh Wilson-Esbrand on to try to give us a little bit of impetus down the left but it just didn’t work out that way in the game because of injuries.

“Callum just fatigued, cramping up everywhere, but the two changes was certainly a blow. Panz came on and he wasn’t up to the speed of the game. He had the ball taken off him and we were lucky, when the referee had seen an infringement which gave us the chance to go to penalties in the first place. That would have been difficult to come back from that.

“But the players have given themselves absolutely everything and they should be proud of themselves and each other.”

He added: “We ran out of squad really. That was a tough afternoon. When you look at what might have been there should never be any regrets. I don’t think we can other than we took it really, really close and just came up short from the penalty spot. And there’s certainly no disgrace in that and that should never be held against anyone because they have been magnificent this season.”