Only once last season did the Sky Blues come from behind to win, at home to QPR in September when Kyle McFadzean scored an 85th minute deciding goal. In the 2019-20 promotion season however the team came from behind to win on five occasions including three times at home with added time winners. Callum O'Hare scored a 91st minute winner to complete a 3-2 comeback from 0-2 against Blackpool at St Andrews and in the following home game Liam Walsh netted in the 93rd minute to beat AFC Wimbledon 2-1 after trailing to an early goal. Later Max Biamou scored an injury-time winner to complete a hat-trick in an EFL Trophy game v Southampton.
Until Saturday that was the last time City came from behind to win successive home games and they had never achieved that feat at the CBS/Ricoh Arena since the move there in 2005. You have to go back to 1989 to find the last time it happened. The 1988-89 season was an excellent campaign for the Sky Blues despite the FA Cup shock at Sutton. John Sillett's team were never out of the top eight and in February, with the team in third place, there was even talk of a title challenge. Sadly attendances were poor and on Easter Monday there were less than 12,000 for the home game with struggling Southampton. Danny Wallace gave the Saints an early lead but Brian Borrows equalised before half-time. The winner came from a superb David Speedie chip which sailed over Tim Flowers' head in the 71st minute.
David Speedie challenges Southampton's Tim Flowers
Less than two weeks later Norwich City, the surprise team of the season, arrived at Highfield Road. The Canaries were lying third in the table only four points behind leaders Arsenal and still in the title race. Robert Fleck put them ahead on 14 minutes but David Phillips equalised in the 28th minute. In a controversial second half Speedie scored the winner, his fifteenth goal of the season, from a narrow angle after Norwich goalkeeper Bryan Gunn saved from Phillips. In injury time Gunn was adjudged to have brought Speedie down and his protest to the referee earned him a red card. Mark Bowen donned the green jersey to face Brian Kilcline's penalty but Killer put his shot wide – his fourth penalty miss of the season.
Prior to 1989 you have to go back to November 1978 for the previous time City had won from being behind at home in successive games. Then they defeated Middlesbrough and Derby County.
On Saturday we saw two City substitutes scoring in a game. Jamie Allen and Matty Godden came off the bench just after the hour and Allen netted within two minutes with Godden scoring the late, late winner. This was the seventh time that two substitutes have scored for the Sky Blues. The previous ones are:
1999-2000 Norwich (away) FA Cup 3-1 (Cedric Roussel and John Eustace)
2010-11 Barnsley (home) 3-0 (Carl Baker and Jordan Clarke)
2016-17 Wycombe (away) FL Trophy 4-2 (Ryan Haynes and Gail Bigirimana)
2017-18 Luton (away) 3-0 (Jordan Shipley and Duclons Nazon)
2019-20 Southend (away) 2-0 (Callum O'Hare and Max Biamou)
2020-21 Stoke (away) 3-2 (Viktor Gyokeres and Max Biamou)
If you have a question about Coventry City's history please drop me an email at clarriebourton@gmail.com and follow me on Twitter @clarriebourton
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