Joe Edwards addresses Coventry City mix-up amid goalkeeper assessment
Coventry City match reaction from CoventryLive as Frank Lampard’s assistant Joe Edwards backs goalkeeper Brad Collins after criticism against Burnley
Joe Edwards has backed Brad Collins after another difficult afternoon in the Coventry City goal.
The Sky Blues assistant said the 28-year-old stopper will get all the support he needs to bounce back from the disappointment of his part in Burnley’s winning goal, with defender Liam Kitching being equally culpable for the mix-up that allowed Jaidon Anthony to secure the three points for the Clarets.
Collins, who was dropped five games into Frank Lampard’s tenure after the 4-1 defeat at Portsmouth, was restored to the starting line-up on Saturday, chosen ahead of Ben Wilson to replace long-term injury Oliver Dovin.
The former Chelsea prospect, who City signed from Barnsley in the summer of 2023, went on at Sheffield United in the previous game when Dovin was stretchered off and acquitted himself well, making two decent saves at Bramall Lane to keep the scoreline down to 3-1 in what was the first time he’d played in a competitive game in three months.
“He made his comeback at Bramall Lane which was an incredibly tough fixture,” said Edwards, who sat in for Lampard for the post-match press conference after the 2-1 defeat to Burnley on Saturday because the head coach had been red carded by referee James Bell immediately after the game – the result of which was that he was not allowed to face the media as part of his punishment, which will also includes a touchline ban for Wednesday night’s CBS Arena clash with Pompey.
“And when you come on after being out for a period of time, and he got thrown in, but I thought he handled it really well, not only the couple of saves he made but in terms of how composed he looked in our build-up with the ball at his feet. He obviously gives us that outlet because he has a good range with the longer kicking, which we used at times today, so yes, all good with Brad.”
