Coventry manager Mark Robins has urged his side to build on their second-half showing against Preston despite going down 3-2 at Deepdale for a fourth straight loss.
The Sky Blues missed out on promotion a year ago in extra-time of the play-off final against Luton but have found life tougher this season, sitting 20th in the Sky Bet Championship.
Defeat to Preston, who ended a run of seven without a win, will not help, but they almost salvaged something thanks to Haji Wright’s double.
It was not enough though, with Coventry now winless at Deepdale on their last 21 visits in the league.
Robins said: “I think there was definitely nervousness. What happened was the first half we were pretty poor, couldn’t really get out and they had a lot of the ball and their intent was clear.
“Ours wasn’t, we couldn’t move it, we turned the ball over too much, but then we took the lead probably against the run of play.
“The second half was chalk and cheese really, it was a proverbial game of two halves, and we showed the intent that our team shows generally and has done for years and we’ve got to hold on to that.
“The second-half performance was pretty good, apart from the goal that we conceded.
“The three goals we conceded were soft, they were poor, so that’s got to improve, but we looked better.
“We’ve broken that duck of not scoring away from home and then we’ve ended up with two from Haji which is good for him and his confidence.”
Coventry hit the front against the run of play when Wright opened the scoring after 33 minutes, but they were 2-1 down by half-time.
Duane Holmes levelled for Preston before Alan Browne fired home from the spot after Kyle McFadzean was adjudged to have brought down Milutin Osmajic.
Osmajic then gave Preston breathing room after 71 minutes, but Wright got his second seven minutes from time, leaving the home side sweating.
Preston boss Ryan Lowe believes that on this form, Coventry will turn things around.
He said: “What I will say about Coventry is they’re well coached and have got a fantastic manager and they’ve got some fantastic players and they’re in a false position as we speak.
“I said that to Mark at the end, ‘keep going because you’ve got some players and a good team’.
“Of course it’s a bit of a relief when you get that third goal but they’re never going to lie down, they were play-off finalists last year and they’re not just going to roll over and say take the three points.
“They’re going to keep fighting and that’s what they did so we had to show a different side to us again.
“Their second goal I’m disappointed with because it shouldn’t get to that, but I said to the group about management in-game and what we need to do and how we do it, and they know, they take it on board.
“A two-goal cushion is fine for a while and then they get one back. But I’m just pleased for the lads, they’ve been working hard.
“The performances have been good but the results just haven’t been, so to take three points off a good team in Coventry is pleasing.”
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