With another important game rapidly approaching for play off chasing Coventry City against promotion chasing West Bromwich Albion on Wednesday evening, Coventry defender James McPake has told of his hurt about his part in Leicester's opening goal and the half time roasting the players had from manager Chris Coleman.
Speaking about Sunday's 2-2 draw McPake said, “It was a very poor first-half, both individually and as a team. We weren’t solid like we have been over the last few months, even when we have not played well."
"We have been hard to break down and for 45 minutes we were the opposite. It was just one of those days and for the first half-an-hour we were battered. We came into it in the last ten-15 minutes of the half but the damage had been done by then.”
Commenting on his part in Leicester's first goal, McPake explained, “The ball came in that fast that I couldn’t get my feet to clear it and you just hope that when you get something on it goes somewhere other than straight to one of their boys, so I am disappointed I never got more on it.” Leicester's Andy King latched onto the poor clearance and buried to ball in the back of the Coventry net.
McPake admitted his view of the controversial second goal was blocked, saying, “I couldn’t see whether it was over the line because I was blocked but you just hope it goes for you. I thought we might have got a bit of luck to make up for the penalty against Cardiff.”
At half time the players left the field for a half time talk from manager Chris Coleman, “The gaffer came in and was quite right to have a go at us because we weren’t good enough, but we knew that ourselves anyway,” said McPake.
He continued, “You are never out of it with two goals because if you get the next goal you are back in it, and that’s what happened. I am delighted with the goal because it means something. If it had been 2-1 it would have just been a consolation, but it helped us get a good point for us."
“I don’t score many like that and I have been getting a bit of stick in the changing room for even trying to score one like that. I am just glad it came to me that quick that I had no time to think about it. I just went for it and if I had time to think it would have probably been in the stand."
"That’s my ninth of my career so it is not too bad. It is my first for Coventry and I have been saying for a while that I would like to get a couple because I usually get at least a couple each season, but that’s my first out the road and hopefully the next one will come sooner than this one did and not another year and a half.”
McPake continued, “In the second-half we did to them what they did to us in the first and we were the dominant team and deserved the draw because of the way we did play after the break. But we cannot give teams a two goal start, especially coming away from home."
"If they cut through you and score brilliant goals then fair enough but they were sloppy goals and we are disappointed with them, but delighted to come back and get a point. It hurt us at half-time because for the last three months we have been hard to break down."
"We knew the fans were there to see us win a derby game but we just didn’t turn up in the first half, so we owed them, ourselves and everyone at the football club a performance in the second half. We will look forward to the West Brom game now because we are still in and about it and you never know what we can do."
"But we can’t start the way we did against Leicester and hopefully we will be on our toes from the off and right up for it.”