Frank Lampard hailed a “complete performance” from Coventry City after they claimed their first home Premier League win since 2001 with a 4-1 victory over Newcastle United, whose boss Matthias Jaissle was left frustrated by their play in the final third.
Promoted Coventry got off the mark before the international break with a 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest, but they entered Monday’s clash still without a goal at the CBS Arena.
That changed in the sixth minute when Jack Rudoni opened the scoring from the penalty spot following an error from Newcastle goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek.
Newcastle dictated proceedings thereafter and saw several chances to equalise go begging, with the Magpies punished for their profligacy as Sidiki Cherif doubled Coventry’s lead three minutes into the second half.
Sven Botman gave Newcastle hope of a fightback with a stunning 70th-minute strike, and a fourth goal looked more likely to come from the visitors as they pushed for a leveller.
But a defensive error from Lewis Hall allowed Ellis Simms to restore a two-goal lead for Coventry with a deflected strike, before Stephen Mfuni fired in off the post to round off a memorable night for the Sky Blues.
“Very, very satisfying,” Lampard told Sky Sports of Coventry’s performance.
“It’s so hard to win. We played like the team that we want to be here. There is so much spirit and energy in the group and we know we are going to have to suffer a lot this season.
“The work ethic of the boys and the belief, you get what you deserve which is great finishes. We haven’t quite had that rub of the green this season that would help us nick more points.
“It was a complete performance. we have to keep our feet on the ground. It’s a great feeling for the players to feel that.
“It was a long 20 minutes [after the Botman goal] and it’s a fantastic strike but we also did some good defensive work. That was a worry but we started to make some changes and that’s when you are asking for good lads that train all week to come on and add to the performance.
“If we don’t have that spirit, we haven’t got a chance. We need everybody. A lot of the lads knew that tonight.”
Jaissle apologises to Newcastle fans
While Coventry scored four goals from six shots on target, Botman’s goal was Newcastle’s only reward for a performance in which they had 66.7 percent possession and had 19 shots on goal, six of them on target.
Jaissle indicated his irritation at the lead-up to the second goal, for which Joe Willock was off the field following a collision that led to him leaving the field for treatment but was not given as a foul, but accepted his side were not good enough in attacking areas.
“We’re frustrated definitely,” Jaissle said to Sky Sports. “It’s a feeling you don’t want to have when you feel as though you should have won. We can only apologise to the fans that took the journey.
“We need to analyse it clearly, especially in the box, at both ends. The desire and hunger to score, to finish the attacks, that was missing.
“The second goal there was a foul on Joe Willock but it wasn’t whistled, in my eyes, he was then missing in that spot where the ball dropped after the throw in. We need to improve the things we can control.
“It’s never nice to concede a goal but we had the approach after half time to come out and turn it around. The lads believed so we made the first goal and momentum was on our side.
“That’s something also we need to learn that in a risk zone you cannot lose the ball. You cannot invite the opposition to score the third one, then it’s going to be difficult.
“We need to win these games in the boxes. Defensively we need to improve. On the offensive we need to be more sharp.”
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