Frank Lampard and Ben Sheaf reflect on Coventry City's defeat against Luton Town 🎙️

Frank, football can be heartbreaking, but your players gave everything today, didn't they? Yes, absolutely everything. 10 men for a long, long time. I know it levelled out, but the effort they put in from a team that really go direct, get it wide, cross it a lot, defend the box, when you're manned down it's a long, long afternoon. The lads' spirit was brilliant. That's why it's so disappointing to lose in the end. For all the set-pieces they had, for all the crosses they put in, they didn't actually create that many chances against you? No, there's some moments, obviously, because it bounces around sometimes in the box. But yes, not loads of shots from outside the box, no big deal. Defending, some saves, some blocks and great spirit collectively. That said, Brad Collins making some good saves? Yes, he made some good saves. The setting off of Jadon Silva, how do you see that? Yes, probably a red because he doesn't mean to, but he clicks his heels. Pretty much most referees even though they're hard to predict at the minute can give those and he was very quick with his card. You have to reorganise, but the players really, it almost seemed to rally them that. Yes, it did. There's great spirit in the group. That's why we've been able to amass points and move up the table, because of spirit first, quality second. At the minute we're not getting that little bit of quality and we're making mistakes in the last two games, which are crucial, but spirit's never a question with this group. And Joel Nattavode here picks up an injury early on and then carries on? Difficult job. Fought through it, fought through it. Injury that might make some players come off. Got to half-time, strapped it up and went again. Old school, with great character. When they went down to 10, did you feel you could win it then? Yes, we were a team then. It's not easy to change gear from desperation and defending to we can get the ball now and we did and Rudy got on it in different situations. Didn't create massive chances, but I think as the game would have gone on and they should have gone down to nine, I think the game was ours, but of course you can't legislate for a late mistake at least in a goal. Is it fair to say that Josh Eccles is the number nine? It's a clear kick, isn't it? You can't kick someone on the back of the leg in frustration. Josh is a yellow because it's a foul that we see many times in games, but the referee was there, Lionsman was there, Plymouth we had the biggest red card you'll see because it was a double of a leg-breaker and a push in the face. Today the two reds, the first two I don't argue about Jays, that's a fair decision, I don't argue about their one. The goal you conceded was just so untypical of the way you defended throughout the game. What were your thoughts on that? I don't want to talk about it. Probably still the case that if you beat Middlesbrough you'll do it, it's going to be quite a day at the arena next weekend. Yes, I think it's pretty much definitely the case, right? I suppose a goal difference is a bit of an all-time swing. We would have taken that a while ago. You have to regroup and get over the disappointment and try and do that. But we'll see what Middlesbrough do today as well. Your 1,300 supporters, they were very much part of it today and the way they rallied after the red card. The supporters were amazing. They were amazing before the game. The staff came in and said to me, wow, our fans. They were amazing through the game when we're digging in. They were amazing to the end. I'm sorry I didn't hang about too long at the end. I've clapped them but I'm frustrated and they've travelled so they deserve maybe a bit more. But the players I think did and I hope did. It's not short on me. I saw them at the fans forum in a week. They were amazing today and I know they're going to turn up in big numbers and I hope we can do it for them. Milan fan Ajak, what was the issue there? Small groin injury. We'll see how he is for next week. So he's got a chance for Middlesbrough, has he? Yes, he's got a chance. Are you hoping to get Bobby Thomas back? Because you're struggling, obviously you lose Jay De Silva now as well. Yes, we're hoping to. Being bad like that must have been hard to take in the end. Yes, difficult one to swallow that. Dug in for most of the game, well the whole game. That's football sometimes. But we've got to dust ourselves down and we've got one big game to go. The work rate, the way you dealt with them when you were down to 10, you all rallied around it, didn't you? Yes, we knew what type of game it was going to be with 11 men. So obviously when we went down to 10, we knew it was going to be even harder. But like I said, the boys dug in, defended well, stuck together, done all the right things. It's just a disappointing result in the end. You had some chances to create things up front, but you slightly disappointed you maybe didn't make more of those. Yes, you can always look at doing things a bit better. Yes, we could have done things a bit better in the final third. But when you don't have the ball so much and you're defending, then it's difficult to find that quality. But yes, that's football sometimes. But yes, as I said, difficult one to swallow. That corner count was huge. You dealt with all of those pretty much. Yes, we've done really well. Defended set plays really well. We knew that was going to be a big threat of theirs throughout the week. We looked at that and dealt with it well. But yes, football can be cruel sometimes. But we'll look at results today and then we've got to look after ourselves on Saturday and all the focus now is on that. Yes, because it is still in your hands, isn't it? You saw what the 1,300 fans were like here today. Full arena against Middlesbrough is going to be quite an occasion. Yes, these are the games that you want to be playing in. Like the games today, you want to be involved. You want to feel that pressure and embrace that. So yes, it's going to be another big one on Saturday. We've just got to dust ourselves down and look forward to that one because at the CPS we know what we can do. Will that be difficult, dusting yourselves down and picking yourselves up after such a heartbreaker? I don't think so, no. Obviously it's a disappointing result but like you said, it should still be in our hands. If we look after ourselves and play the way that I know we can play and our form at CPS has been good. So yes, look at all the positive side of things. We'll obviously look at Boer and we'll prepare well. You're losing so many players to injuries and now Jadon Silva to suspension. You're all having to dig in, aren't you? Yes, but that's what the squad's for. These points in the season, they can throw those sorts of things at you but that's where the boys who maybe haven't played so much have trained well and are ready to come in. That's what it's all about. You can get chucked into situations and the boys have come in and done really well. It is what it is and we've got to stick together and rally. If you'd said back in November, at the end of the last game of the season, if you win it in your play-offs, you'd probably barely believe this, wouldn't you? Probably not, yes. But we're in this position now. We've got ourselves here and we don't want to lose that now. We're worthy of being where we are because of the quality we have and the way we've played. I'm confident in the squad and the coaching staff have been fantastic since they've come in. The belief is there for sure. You haven't been able to take your first chance, it's all about taking the second one now? Say that again, sorry? You haven't been able to take your first chance, it's all about taking the second one now? Yes, exactly. That's the way we've got to look at it. We've got one massive game to go and it all focuses on that.