Gary Doherty admits City have to be prepared to “take the rough with the smooth” if they are to stay among the leading pack in the Coca-Cola Championship this season.

Gary Doherty admits City have to be prepared to “take the rough with the smooth” if they are to stay among the leading pack in the Coca-Cola Championship this season.

A 3-0 defeat in a sometimes rugged contest at Coventry left them licking their wounds - physical and mental - but central defender Doherty knows victory at Southend United tomorrow (7.45pm) is likely to be the best medicine.

Saturday's reverse at the Ricoh Arena means the Canaries have yet to register an away goal in four and a half hours of league football, and have taken just one point out of nine on their travels.

Said vice-captain Doherty: “It's disappointing. Three-nil sounds like a hammering. It probably wasn't a 3-0 game but they deserved to win. They got the goals and we didn't, so fair play to them.

“We're all disappointed but you've got to take the rough with the smooth. We took all the plaudits when we were playing well, now we've got to take all the criticism and regroup and get ready for Tuesday.”

Doherty said he sensed it was not going to be City's day after Trinidad and Tobago international Chris Birchall had given the Sky Blues a 12th-minute lead. Goals from home debutant Kevin Kyle and Stern John followed in the space of four second-half minutes.

“They got the early goal and then later they got a deflected goal. It was difficult, you always felt like everything fell for them and they got their goals, but they were the better team.

“There was a bit of illness in the camp. Hucks has got a groin strain and there's a few injuries, but we've got to put it behind us and crack on against Southend.

“Now we've got to really get our heads down. We're still only three points off the top and we've really got to perform on Tuesday.”

Doherty knows questions are already being asked about City's ability to reproduce their home form, with maximum points and 10 goals in three games, on their travels.

“An away goal would be nice at the moment - an away goal and then an away win,” he said.

“But we're still creating chances. We're set up at home, for some reason we're on fire at home and then we go away from home and we're not as fluent, I suppose. We're still working on it and hopefully it will come good, this formation away from home, and we'll start picking up points.

“We played Southend in a friendly last year and they're a good side. It's going to be a tough game but on Monday and Tuesday we'll focus a lot more on their team so we'll be ready for them.”