Mark Robins couldn’t hide his frustration after his Coventry City side went within minutes of knocking Tottenham out of the Carabao Cup in a pulsating third round tie at the CBS Arena.
The Sky Blues took a deserved second half lead through Brandon Thomas-Asante but passed up chances to kill the game before Ange Postecoglou sent on his big guns, including Cov Kid James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Son, before Djed Spence and Brennan Johnson turned the game in Spurs' favour with goals in the 88th and 92nd minutes.
“I’m going to try not to swear,” said the City manager, reflecting on the unluckiest of 2-1 defeats. “I thought we were good, I thought we were really good out of possession and got most things right. In possession for the first 15 minutes we tended to rush it and went long too early.
"But after that we settled down into a rhythm and started to pass the ball like we can, like we know we can do, and you have to put that into the context of the way that they press. And even though they made some changes(eight in all), the players that came into the side are top players.”
He added: “What generally happens at those clubs when they do it for a cup game, they can look at it and think that they are the second best, the subs or the reserves or whatever and then, mentally, they’re not on it. And that’s what you hope for as a Championship team, or a side from a lower division.
“But they (Spurs) performed really, really well to be fair. They came after us really well and even though we got some things wrong it was because of the pressure they put us under with their press. Hence the reason we went long early in the game. But I thought we settled down really well and created some decent openings.”
For the second game running, however, Robins was left to rue missed opportunities in front of goal.
“We still have to be more ruthless, let’s be honest,” he said. “I keep saying, when life presents you with chances we seem to not take those chances at this moment in time.
“I look back to the play-off final and the game against Manchester United and it was there for us, and the game was there for us again tonight and we just didn’t manage to take it. There’s the disappointment but there are so many positive from the game.”
He added: “The finish from Brandon, for one. When Norman (Bassette) got down the left and showed great composure, brilliant skills and great pace – everything you want from a centre-froward – and he got his head up and played a really well weighted pass into Brandon’s path and that’s a finish; crisp and clean and the keeper had no chance and it put us deservedly 1-0 up.
“And then we had chances in the first half, one from Rudy where the ball gets played across and he controlled it really well but they made a block. And whilst those might be difficult chances, we have got to start converting those opportunities. The second half we had balls into the area that we missed. Ephron has had a couple of opportunities at the far post again and he has to keep getting in there because those will turn into goals at some point.
“From our perspective, yes, it’s disappointing that we didn’t see the job out and get over the line but there are lots and lots of positives from that tonight. And if you’re Tottenham Hotspur you are probably relieved to go through at our expense.”