Coventry City's
defensive record in League Two this season has been very impressive.
After the 2-2 draw with Luton on Tuesday night the Sky Blues had
conceded 30 goals in 36 games - seven better than Mansfield, the
next best in League Two – an average of 0.83 goal per game. Only
League One clubs Wigan (23) and Shrewsbury (26) have conceded less in
the whole Football League. In addition 14 of City's 36 games have
resulted in clean sheets for City.
These spectacular
statistics have prompted several questions from readers about the
records with regard to goals conceded. The club record for the lowest
goals conceded is 38 and was set in 1970-71 under Noel Cantwell. That
was a pretty dire season for spectators as the team only scored 37
goals (the second lowest ever). That was a 42-game season and an
average of 0.90 per game. The lowest for a 46-game season was 47
(1.02 per game) in 1958-59 when City finished second in the Fourth
Division. I would be surprised if the current team didn't break the
46-game record and with a bit of luck they might beat the all-time
record as well!
That great season in
Division Four 60 years ago also saw a clean sheet count of 18,
equalling the record set in 1938-39. Several City teams have gone
close in the modern era with Cantwell's 1970-71 keeping 17 with Bill
Glazier between the sticks in all but one game. In 2001-02, City's
first season outside the Premiership, the team kept 16 clean sheets
shared between Magnus Hedman, Tim Flowers and Chris Kirkland. Then,
two years ago, under Tony Mowbray, the team kept 16 clean sheets with
Reice Charles-Cook (13) and Lee Burge (3) in the 'keeper's jersey.
The 1938-39 team,
arguably City's best team until the 1967 promotion team, kept 18
clean sheets in finishing fourth in the old Second Division. In those
days the defence was considered to be the goalkeeper, two full-backs
and three half-backs. That season four of the six defenders played in
virtually every game: Goalkeeper Bill Morgan (41 games), Jack Astley
(42), George Mason (42) and Billy Frith (39). Left back Walter
Metcalf played 34 games before injury kept him out of the run-in
while left-half Harry Boileau played 28 games. It was a tough,
uncompromising defence that conceded only 45 goals as City missed out
on promotion by four points with Morgan setting the club record for
the 'keeper with the most clean sheets in a season (17).
1938-39 squad
The 1958-59 team,
managed by the 1938 player, Billy Frith, also kept 18 clean sheets.
Three defenders, captain Roy Kirk an ever-present, George Curtis (43
games) and left-back Lol Harvey (41) played in virtually every league
game. Left-half Ron Farmer (26) was an ever present after joining the
club in November and right-half Brian Nicholas (26) was the regular
right-half until injured in December at which point Mick Kearns (32)
and later Frank Austin (14) took over. The goalkeeping situation was
fluid that campaign. Veteran Jim Sanders played the first ten games
(4 clean sheets) before breaking his leg. Coach Alf Wood came out of
retirement to take the jersey and kept five clean sheets in 10 games
before Arthur Lightening arrived from Nottingham Forest in November.
Arthur was ever-present until the end of the season keeping nine
clean sheets in 25 games.
1958-59 team
The other interesting
statistic of this season is that, to date, the club have not conceded
more than two goals in any league game. Luton were the eighth side to
score twice against the Sky Blues but no team has managed more. City
have never gone through a whole season without conceding more than
two goals in a game! Another record looming?
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