After
failing to
come from behind to win a home league game in more than three years
Coventry City did it in successive home games against Blackpool and
AFC Wimbledon. Both games saw late, late winners with Liam Walsh's
winner in the latest game timed at 93 minutes. By my reckoning these
two comeback wins were the first time the Sky Blues have done it in
successive home games since 1989. On 27th March 1989 Danny Wallace
gave Southampton an early lead at Highfield Road but Brian Borrows
equalised before half-time before David Speedie grabbed a 71st minute
winner with one of his trademark chips over Tim Flowers. Two weeks
later Norwich were the visitors and Speedie was the star man again,
making David Phillips' equaliser and scoring the winner. 'Speedo'
also won a penalty which saw Canaries' 'keeper Bryan Gunn sent off
for dissent, but Brian Kilcline missed the spot kick. The victory
lifted the Sky Blues to sixth place in the old First Division but
sadly there were only 12,000 to watch John Sillett's exciting team
defeat a Norwich team still in contention for the league title.
Today's
home game with Doncaster is probably City's toughest test to date and
the nine-game unbeaten league run will come under severe pressure.
It's currently the best run by a City team since the autumn of 2015
when Tony Mowbray's thrilling team went unbeaten for 11 games that
saw them top League One for three weeks. We are still well short of
City's best unbeaten start to a season however. That happened in 1937
in the old Division Two. Following promotion in 1936 manager Harry
Storer had consolidated in the higher division and with some shrewd
buys had built a strong side with its foundations in defence. He had
introduced a new kit that summer and it took fifteen games for the
'Bantams' to lose in the new kit. They started the season with a
goal-less draw at Tottenham followed by two 1-0 home victories over
Manchester United and Burnley. A point in the return at Old Trafford
and a 2-0 victory at Bury put City into second place but another 1-0
home win over Stockport saw City go top of the table.
The
team's form was attracting the crowds and over 27,000 saw City draw
2-2 with Chesterfield and a week later Forest grabbed a point at
Highfield Road. Any thought that bubble was about to be burst were
dispelled with 2-1 victories at Newcastle and at home to Luton before
a 3-3 draw at Swansea after leading 3-1 kept City on top. A 2-0 home
win over Norwich saw Irish international winger Jackie Brown score
his sixth goal of the season and a week later came City's greatest
test, at Villa Park.
Villa
were favourites for promotion and were in third place two points
behind City. Over 67,000 including an estimated 20,000 Coventry fans
packed into the ground and saw a thrilling game. Billy Macdonald gave
City a first half lead but Eric Houghton levelled after the break and
a draw was a fair result and extended City's run to 13 games. The
first two Saturdays of November saw City record 0-0 draws, at home to
Bradford Park Avenue and at West Ham, the latter game attracting a
crowd of over 40,000 to Upton Park, one of the largest crowds at the
east end stadium.
Seven
days after the draw at West Ham City's fifteen-game run came to an
end at Highfield Road when Sheffield Wednesday staged a smash and
grab act with a 1-0 win. City's good form continued however and the
next three games were won with 11 goals scored and there was only one
more defeat before the middle of January – at Bramall Lane in front
of 49,000 on Christmas morning. City were never out of the top four
all season but two defeats in their final three games cost them
promotion to Division One with Villa and Manchester United going up
and City missing out by one point. Coventry fans would have to wait
another 29 years before reaching the top flight.
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