Robins hails Palmer after helping Coventry sink Huddersfield

A relieved Mark Robins praised Kasey Palmer after the ex-Huddersfield loanee scored against his former side as Coventry ran out 2-0 winners at the CBS Arena.

The Chelsea academy product spent 18 months on loan in West Yorkshire, netting four goals in 28 league appearances before joining the Sky Blues from Bristol City last summer.

Gustavo Hamer was also on the scoresheet for Robins’ side, who ended a run of five games without victory in the Championship dating back to before Christmas.

Robins said: “Kasey Palmer is now getting on the end of things and getting into the box in good areas, scored a header, he’s never headed it in his life!

“I think it was a brilliant goal as well, great ball in, great position, great header and it kills the game off.

“Kasey’s a really good player, there’s things he does where he takes a touch he doesn’t need to but he’s outstanding, he creates loads of things and now he’s adding goals, goal attempts and making keepers make saves.”

After an uninspiring first half, Hamer unleashed a rasping drive into the far corner before Viktor Gyokeres teed up Palmer to nod home a second.

Robins added: “This was an edgy game, a bit scruffy, a bit scrappy, too many turnovers. They were reluctant to come out, space was at a premium, you try and be precise but you don’t have to be precise.

“We got in at half-time quite comfortably really, there was nothing in the game, it wasn’t great to watch but we said there were two or three things that could win the game.

“We did that but what we didn’t bank on was the brilliance of Gus coming out of his space to drive inside and do what Viktor does so well.

“It didn’t surprise me but it was a relief, a relief because they’ve got to come out now and we created one or two more opportunities, scored a brilliant second goal, managed to get Matty Godden on, Sean Maguire on albeit for a cameo at the end and Josh Eccles as well.

“Clean sheet, two good goals, much-needed win just to settle things down, settle us down really as a group and I thought it was generally a good performance.

“The supporters have been brilliantly behind the players but it’s been a little bit quiet and a bit edgy. That doesn’t work, we’ve got young players and we need the supporters.”

Huddersfield head coach Mark Fotheringham spoke of his frustration as his side missed the chance to haul themselves out of the bottom three.

He said: “The group is frustrated, they’re disappointed in the manner in which we lost the two goals.

“Our whole match planning was to nullify their big players. We had a real clear shape to what we were doing.

“There wasn’t a lot of chances against us from open play, especially against a team that are playing with great confidence and have two or three really exciting players in the final third.

“But we do have an underlying feeling of frustration and disappointment because we felt in the first half we wanted to take it up the gears and not let Coventry off the hook because we felt we had them rattled, it was just the manner in which they scored the goal off the two second phases from set plays.

“I felt that especially when you look at the possession we were on top with that, not by much but we’re definitely not looking like a team that is in the bottom three.

“I feel we’re very deflated because we’ve not come out of the bottom three for the first time this season and we played really well again.

“When we get in good areas we’ve got to do things with more purpose.

“We have to be more convicted in our finishing actions and that’s why we’ve been really creative in the transfer window because we wanted to give the guys support and help and we’ve added it.”