[17 APR 00] COVENTRY CITY NEWS
Hendry Relief As Losing Streak Ends
Scotland captain
Colin Hendry has expressed his relief after helping Coventry to bounce
back from a miserable month of action.
Before
Saturday's 2-1 victory over Middlesbrough the Sky Blues had lost their
previous three games and conceded eight goals in the process.
Hendry
played in all of those matches and admitted it was pleasing to turn in
an improved performance, but most importantly, to have taken the three
points.
He
said:
"It
is always nice to win. The
five defeats I have been played in since arriving at the club have
been against five of the top six teams.
"We
have played three sides from lower down the table and have beaten
them all so I would like to think that is the shape of things to
come.
"It
is satisfying that we have bounced back because in football you take
knocks and get knocked down but you have got to show character and
ability, you have to keep proving things to people and to yourself.
"I
think against Middlesbrough we have shown our ability and won so we
are happy at that."
The
former Blackburn man had sympathy for Boro midfielder Paul Ince who
put the Sky Blues ahead after turning in the first own goal of his
career.
The
feeling that experience brings is still fresh in the mind of Hendry,
he did the same less than a week ago during City's defeat at Stamford
Bridge.
He
said:
"I
feel sorry for Paul Ince because it is not a mistake, it is just an
unfortunate that happens from time to time.
"He
knew as much about his as I did on Wednesday night. Generally it is
defenders who score own goals but he was running back and the ball
just touched him and went in."
Although
the big central defender is still trying to recover full fitness after
nearly a year on the Ibrox sidelines, he looked back to his best on
Saturday and was pleased with the defensive display.
He
said:
"We
knew what we had to cope with, a lot of aerial ability, and the pace
of the lad Campbell.
"Once
Juninho came on they had a bit of everything and I think we coped
quite admirably."
However,
the 34-year-old believes that his Coventry team-mates may have to
stifle some of their attacking instincts in order to collect more
points.
Several
times during the game City were caught on the counter attack looking
for a third goal and Hendry is urging more caution.
"It
is great to try and go for goal after goal but that may be something
we will have to look at in the summer because that is not always
going to win us games."
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