'WE HAVE TO KEEP PUSHING'

STOKE City's kick-in-the-guts late defeat to Coventry was a reminder to Mark Robins about the progress they still need to make.

- Peter Smith

Stoke held their own in a tense and tight game at the top of the Championship at a packed bet365 Stadium before they were hit by an 86th-minute sucker punch as Ephron Mason-Clark scored an acrobatic winner from a long throw.

The result puts Stoke in third heading into another international break, way beyond most summer expectations, but with a sharp eye on how they still need to improve.

"It's a dose of realism," said Robins, pictured right. "We were almost relegated last season and now we're talking about entirely different feelings.

"The support we've got, the feeling around the place is really positive. We've got to be satisfied with where we're at but not happy and resting on our laurels. We have to keep pushing - and you've got to be careful about not pushing too hard and breaking them if they're not quite ready.

"I think we're on the right track but it was an interesting game. There wasn't a great deal in it."