CITY boss Bryan Gunn said he was pleased to hear news of Coventry's last-gasp equaliser against Barnsley as he returned home from watching Monday's opponents Reading take on Derby County.

Gunn told First News: "I was at the Reading v Derby game last night, so it was a chance for myself and Ian Butterworth to go on a spying mission - we were obviously happy when we heard that Coventry had equalised late in the game at the Ricoh Stadium.

"It meant that Barnsley only picked up the one point - Barnsley have been one of our closest rivals in the table, so things went in our favour for a change. We now have the weekend to go through with the matches on Saturday - as I told the players after the game at Portman Road, whatever you do to get yourself good luck, whatever superstitions you have, you'll need to do them now because we're in the hands of the gods now. Last night's result was a little change in our fortune and we'll see at 5pm on Saturday what the other results hold for us."

Looking ahead to this Monday's crucial clash with Reading at Carrow Road (7.45pm), the City boss told First News: "I think Steve Coppell is a very professional manager, his team have had a little slump in the terms of results they've got in the last ten games - but they've got themselves into a play-off spot now.

"I don't think they'll come here on Monday and relax in any way, he's got too much pride for that. We know it's going to be a difficult game, and we know we're going to have to perform to the highest of our ability. We'll be drumming that into the players over the next few days."

With the news today that Jim Magilton is out of a job as Ipswich Town Manager, Gunn commented: "I was shocked when I heard the news when I came off the training pitch - I spent an hour or two after the game on Sunday with Jim, with all the press calls we have to do after a game, and he was a happy man after the derby victory. He also said our team played well enough to get something from it, and he wished us all the best for the rest of the season.

"He's a friend of mine and I've already left him a message on his answer machine, and I look forward to seeing him in the summer for a game of golf. I'm devastated he's lost his job, it just shows you what a cut and thrust industry we work in - they're probably going to finish in the top half of the table, but it shows that's obviously not good enough."