New manager's first game is against his former side
Steven Pressley wants his Town side to show the same levels of intensity as in their second half display in the cup on Tuesday when Coventry City visit Highbury this weekend.The Cod Army progressed to the northern section quarter-final of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy in midweek with a win over Shrewsbury Town.
Pressley’s first game in the dugout however will be against his former side on Saturday afternoon, and it is a contest he is very much relishing.
The Sky Blues have begun the season in impressive fashion, and will be hoping to continue their good run when they visit the Fylde Coast.
Ahead of the clash, Pressley said: “The scenarios football throw up are often quite amazing. I’m really looking forward to Saturday as Coventry are very much a team in form.
“They picked up a terrific win against Shrewsbury at the weekend and seem to be playing with confidence at the moment.
“I’m expecting a tough game as they’ve recruited a number of players since I’ve left, so the team has changed considerably.
“They’re a very good team but haven’t been so good on their travels, so will be determined to put that right however we need to win and hopefully we can do that.
“We have nothing to fear though. If we maintain the belief and intensity levels shown in the second half on Tuesday then we can certainly win the game.
“We started with a little bit of trepidation on Tuesday as you can imagine really when you’re a team that hasn't been getting results lately.
“We grew into the game and I thought there were a number of very impressive second half performances. The young players played well which excites me.
“We had a good blend with plenty of legs and energy in the team. It has certainly given me food for thought moving forward.”
A number of performances impressed Town’s new manager in the win over Salop, in particular Ash Hunter's who caught the eye off the bench.
“Not only did Ash impress me on Tuesday but he made an impression on others too. He allowed Jamie Proctor to be freed up a little and link play.
“He brought an energy to us, and in the modern game it’s important that you do have a threat behind and he did prove to have that.
“You want to stretch games and you want to have players play in behind, and he certainly did that which is important to us.”