Despite putting up another fine display away to League Two Tranmere Rovers, City – who were reduced to 10-men early in the second half – lost out 2-1, falling victim to a decisive 88th minute penalty.
Though disappointed at the loss, EDS head coach Maresca said there were still numerous positives to take from the campaign as a whole.
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And, having climbed into top spot in PL2 last weekend after our 2-1 win over Brighton, the Italian believes the first derby of the season will provide the perfect incentive for his players
“We have a very big game on Sunday,” Maresca acknowledged.
“We have reached a good position in the table and we want to maintain that position.
“It’s a shame (we went out of the Papa John’s Trophy) as I think we didn’t deserve to lose the game, but it’s football.
“But I am very proud of the performances. And I get the feeling we are on the right path.
“We are becoming a team now – all of them are helping each other.
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“We saw that again when we went down to 10 man at Tranmere on Tuesday and that’s a good thing.
“The players still kept our shape and did good things and they again showed they can compete.”
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