Although clearly on the right side of a controversial refereeing decision to award the a late penalty that levelled the scores at 1-1, Coventry City’s performance against Notts County in Saturday evening’s League Two play-off semi-final first leg gives plenty of cause for optimism heading into Friday night’s second tie at Meadow Lane.
Marc McNulty shrugged off the furore of the visiting players to net his 27th goal of the season and the form of the striker is one of the key reasons to be cheerful for all those heading to Nottingham or watching the game on television.
He had earlier struck the post after a sharp Sky Blues move and there was plenty in an attacking sense from the home side, in awful conditions, to give Notts food for thought when planning their approach to the return game.
The performances of City’s younger players showed that they weren’t overawed by the occasion and Mark Robins will be confident that that will again be the case by the River Trent.
But County too will take plenty of heart from a game they believe was taken away from them by poor judgement from the officials and it may be that two sides who ended a 46-game season just two points apart may be difficult to separate after 180 minutes.
Pre-match quotes: Mark Robins told the official CCFC website that the suspended Tom Davies apart he had ‘nothing new to report.’
“On the injury front, there is nothing different. We still have the same long-term injuries. One is so tantalisingly close to getting back to fitness and he is just dangling there but we can’t touch.”
