Neil Warnock reveals half-time message and provides Chuba Akpom update after Coventry City win

Britt Assombalonga and Djed Spence scored two late goals as the Teessiders recorded a 2-0 win which moved them up to seventh in the Championship.

Coventry were promoted from League One last season and were beaten 4-0 by Blackburn on Saturday, yet Warnock was always expecting a tough game.

“I knew it would be hard,” said Warnock after the match. “The result they had on Saturday with the sending off, you know they are going to come here and defend in numbers and that’s what they did.

“I thought we had most of the chances throughout the game and I said at half-time you just have to be patient, these are games we have to win.

“We missed a few more chances in the second half but I think we deserved to win.

“I was pleased with a lot of things tonight, I thought (Jonny) Howson and (George) Saville were as good as anything and Sam (Morsy) played a couple of great balls in.

“Then you have (Marcus) Tavernier tackling back in his own six-yard box at 0-0, we could have easily been a goal down, a great block he got. Those are the things that epitomise good teams.”

Warnock made three changes to his starting XI, with striker Chuba Akpom missing out through illness.

When asked about the forward, Warnock said: “We don’t know, he just didn’t feel very well.

“We told him to get off home and we’ll do a test for him now and cross our fingers.”

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