Jones heavily critical of keeper Stech for City goals

Hatters goalkeeper Marek Stech came in for some heavy criticism from manager Nathan Jones for his performance at Coventry City last night.
Marek Stech is left rooted to the spot by Marc McNulty's free kickMarek Stech is left rooted to the spot by Marc McNulty's free kick
Marek Stech is left rooted to the spot by Marc McNulty's free kick

The Czech stopper started shakily by parrying Tom Bayliss’s shot back into the danger area after just three minutes for Peter Vincenti to open the scoring.

Stech then barely moved a muscle as he was beaten by Mark McNulty’s free kick from 25 yards, which curled round the wall and into the corner of the net he had been guarding.

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A disappointed Jones said: “We started badly, which kind of shook us. We didn’t defend well in the wide areas, then we didn’t get close enough on the edge of the box, then Marek’s parried it straight to Vincenti, who’s had a tap in.

“It’s a calamity of errors that you don’t recover from.

“Then it’s a massive goalkeeping error for the second goal.

“I explain something, because I lost a play-off final (for Yeovil against Blackpool) because of a goalkeeping error like that.

“The wall covers one side, they cover the other, that means that if it goes in your side, that’s your fault and that was his fault and I tell them every single game.

“Because I fell out with a keeper (Stephen Mildenhall) because of that, and he did exactly the same.

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“That’s for me the big disappointment from Marek and he knows it, but then he responded with two wonderful saves second half which were more like Marek Stech.”

With Town trailing 2-1 and time running out, Stech made a big save from McNulty’s effort before once James Collins levelled, he came to the visitors rescue, holding Jonson Clark-Harris’s header, parrying from McNulty again and then keeping out Kyely Reid’s 25-yard blast.

Skipper Scott Cuthbert was quick to praise his team-mate, saying: “Marek’s been different class since the start of the season.

“He saved a lot of points for us, there’s a lot of times in the first half of the season where you can pick out his saves that has made us points and got us points.

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“So he makes mistakes, takes it, gets on with it, then he pulls off a save at the end that keeps us in the game, so that’s his job.

“Unfortunately for goalkeepers, similar to defenders when you make a mistake you’re there to be shot at as you’re the last line of defence.

“But he showed massive character and we know he’s got character.”