Jim's column 18.1.2020

Coventry City overcame Bristol Rovers comfortably in their FA Cup Third round replay at St Andrew’s on Tuesday evening. Their 3-0 victory was the clubs biggest FA Cup replay win since 2003 when Cardiff City were despatched by the same score at Highfield Road.

The victory sets up an enthralling Fourth round tie with the club’s landlords Birmingham City with the Sky Blues the ‘home’ side at St Andrew’s. It will be the fourth FA Cup meeting between the clubs and Blues have the edge having won two to City’s one. The first meeting was in the Third round at St Andrew’s in 1935 when Blues were a First Division club and Coventry were in Division Three South. Blues’ pedigree prevailed with a 5-1 victory thanks to a Fred Harris hat-trick and City’s consolation coming via a Les Jones penalty. A crowd of over 40,000 watched the tie.

The next meeting was at Highfield Road in 1981 in front of 29,000, when both sides were in Division One. In a close game Gerry Daly and Andy Blair gave the home side a 2-0 half-time lead before Frank Worthington, with a penalty, and Alan Ainscow levelled things. Daly won the tie from the penalty spot to send the Sky Blues to a Fifth round tie at Tottenham.

The most recent meeting was in 2011 in the Fourth round at St Andrew’s. Blues were in the Premier League with City in the Championship but the game didn’t excite the fans and only 16,000 were present. The Sky Blues took a 2-0 lead through Richard Wood and Marlon King before David Bentley pulled one back with a screamer from 25 yards. After half-time the home side’s quality began to tell and they sealed the tie with goals from Stuart Parnaby and Kevin Phillips. The Blues went on to reach the quarterfinals before losing to Bolton.

Josh Pask made an impressive senior debut for the club on Tuesday night and capped it with a stunning goal. Fellow historian Paul O’Connor pointed out that Pask is the first player to score for the club on his debut in an FA Cup game since City joined the league in 1919. That’s not strictly true - Coventry-born winger Dennis Simpson scored in the home FA Cup game with Aston Villa in January 1946 which City won 2-1. Whilst it was Simpson’s first ‘official’ competitive game for the club, he had played numerous times for the club in wartime games. Dennis went to play 69 games for City before joining Reading where he played almost 200 games.

The Sky Blues’ home form continues to be good with only one defeat in 18 games in all competitions. MK Dons however did become the first side not to lose at St Andrew’s after going behind. Ironically it was Coventry’s fastest goal of the season that put the ahead with Sam McCallum’s strike timed at 50 seconds.