Many Coventry City fans have been calling for the return of captain Liam Kelly to the side for some weeks.
And those supporters got their wish on Friday night when the Sky Blues skipper was handed only his third start of the season, immediately making a impact and helping the team stem the flow of goals against them with a clean sheet and consolidating point at home to Birmingham City.
The 30-year-old has had to be patient following his recovery from an opening day hamstring strain, with manager Mark Robins preferring the midfield combination of Ben Sheaf and Gus Hamer.
But Kelly was restored to the starting line-up to face Blues in a game in which all three midfielders were accommodated until Sheaf made way for Leo Ostigard midway through the second half when City switched formation.
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So what was Robins’s assessment of his captain’s contribution?
“I thought he did well,” he said, after the goalless draw at St Andrew’s.
“There’s a tackle in him and he’s got experience. We empty the midfield too much and that doesn’t end up in a great way. He’s more experienced than any of the others and he’s done a terrific job for us.
“What he does is brings all that along with his competitive and combative nature. He’s won good tackles and comes out of the space but we have to make sure we work off each other because that’s what we haven’t done very well.
“That’s down to young players and a lack of communication. They need to grow in those terms but that’s what Kels does, and he’s been a real plus tonight.”
