PHIL Parkinson paid special praise to keeper Ben Alnwick as Wanderers held out for a 12th clean sheet of the season against Coventry City.

The former Peterborough United stopper made a string of fine saves in the second half on his Macron Stadium debut to keep the Sky Blues at bay.

Zach Clough’s 11th minute effort proved to be the winner but Parkinson was proud of a stubborn defensive effort to preserve three points against a side who looked a different prospect from the one trounced 4-1 at Oxford at the weekend.

“Apart from one cross which slipped out of his hands, the rest of Ben’s performance was very good,” he said. “He has come into the team and been fantastic for us.

“We knew Coventry would have a response to that defeat at Oxford at the weekend and Mark Venus will be pleased with the way they played, I’m sure.

“But you have got to win all different ways over the course of a season and we did it one of those ways in this game.”

Wanderers did have chances to kill the game off with Coventry keeper Lee Burge also in incredible form throughout.

Zach Clough hit the post with a free kick and Gary Madine had a shot saved from point blank range.

“I’d like to see that again because I have no idea how he got to it,” Parkinson said after a seventh win in eight league games.

“In the first half we played some fantastic football and should have scored more goals.

“In the second half we started slowly and didn’t come out of the blocks. We were sloppy in our play and could have got punished.

“Sometimes when you start like that it is difficult to get going again. It is a lesson learned that you can’t start slowly.

“Our technical ability didn’t diminish over the 15 minutes of half time but our mentality wasn’t right when the whistle went for the second period.

“When you don’t t play great like we didn’t in the second half, you have got to roll your sleeves up.

“And I don’t think anyone can deny that since I came into the club the spirit and determination to get the win is there.

“There are things we need to learn but you can’t fault the determination to win.”