ADRIAN Heath hopes to find out this week if he has the manager's job on a full-time basis and believes Coventry's performance at Ipswich will have helped his cause, writes Derek Davis.

By Derek Davis

ADRIAN Heath hopes to find out this week if he has the manager's job on a full-time basis and believes Coventry's performance at Ipswich will have helped his cause, writes Derek Davis.

Although the Sky Blues lost, to what Heath described as a bizarre winner, the caretaker boss felt they deserved at least a draw and had outplayed Ipswich for most of the match.

Heath said: “It is hard to take when the lads have put so much into the game. We have come to a team who will go up but for long periods of the game we were the better side.

“But that has happened too often. We have murdered sides, for example Gillingham twice, and come away with nothing.”

Former Sheffield United and Burnley manager Heath wants the City job but faces competition from a number of candidates with Micky Adams favourite to land the job.

Heath insists City need to get the situation sorted out so they can start changing player personnel.

He said: “For everyone's sake I hope the board make an appointment as soon as possible, hopefully this week. Whether it is me or not we need to let someone get on with the job. We need to bring players in and the board won't allow that until the managerial appointment is made.”

And in typical losing manager fashion, Heath rounded on rookie referee Mick Russell, who was taking charge of his first Championship match.

Heath said: “The ref was inept. Jason De Vos not only fouled our player but then used his hand to keep the ball in play and that led to their first goal.

“The referee will be back at work on Monday morning wherever that is while we have to pick up the pieces.”

Eric Black, Gary Johnson, Stuart Pearce and Dave Jones are also on the Sky Blues' shortlist.