CITY 1 COVENTRY CITY 0
FA Premier League
10th March 1993
attendance 20,092
Scorer Flitcroft(33)
Ref P Durkin
City Coton, Curle, Phelan, Simpson, Hill, Vonk, White, Sheron, Quinn, Flitcroft, Holden – subs Reid(unused), Ranson(unused), Margetson(unused)
Coventry Ogrizovic, Borrows, Babb, Atherton, Busst, Williams, Ndlovu, Gallacher, McGrath, Quinn, Flynn – subs Greenman(45), Pearce(unused), Gould(unused)
FROM THE PRESS BOX
DONALD GRAY WRITING IN THE BIRMINGHAM POST 11TH MARCH 1993
Coventry City’s few hundred followers left Manchester last night wondering just how their team had ever been mentioned as European contenders.
For such was the awfulness of their performance at Maine Road they rather more resembled the perennial relegation strugglers than Bobby Gould’s bright new hopefuls.
Coventry could count themselves lucky that Manchester City were scarcely more adept.
Indeed any worries of a repeat pitch invasion were never likely, the crowd needed to muster up enthusiasm just to stay awake.
Maine Road, after the hateful cauldron of Sunday was eerie by comparison and for the first-half both sides were caught up in the strange listlessness.
Such was the lack of enterprise that it was the 18th minute before Garry Flitcroft raised a cheer with a shot on goal, but even that was a shot over the bar.
Eleven minutes later, Simpson’s speculative skimmer was grabbed by Ogrizovic.
Then much to the surprise of everyone, Manchester scored, which from Coventry’s point of view reflected their dismals show defenders repeatedly failed to clear before Hill played through to Flitcroft, who had timed his run admirably, was left with a Ogrizovic before him and had no difficulty clipping past the advancing keeper.
It had been efficient execution, but for the second consecutive match Coventry had allowed a midfielder more room in their penalty area than they could have expected on a Sunday morning in a parks game.
Flitcroft might well have doubled the lead shortly afterwards, but Ogrizovic dived acrobatically to turn wide his shot from 25 yards. Manager Gould made another of his unconventional changes at half-time when he withdrew top scorer Mick Quinn and replaced him with midfielder Greenman.
The move almost had immediate effect as Flynn dispossessed Curle and Williams, restored to the centre of attack, ran through to confront Coton only to disappoint with a meek shot which the ex-Blues keeper smothered.
Williams has missed at least three similar chances in the last month and with pounds for places, come the end of the season, they could literally cost dear. Coventry did show a little more inventiveness and Ndlovu, who had been particularly subdued, was denied by Hill as the cross tried to find Williams at the far post.
Flitcroft, meanwhile, was usually involved in Manchester’s better play and his delicate chip fell invitingly for Niall Quinn whose attempt was blocked by Ogrizovic.
Coventry’s opportunities were indeed scarce but Gallacher might have equalized with five minutes left when he bore down on Coton and the ball was spun goalward but Curle gratefully hacked clear.