COVENTRY CITY 3 CITY 1
League Division 1
23rd March 1991
attendance 13,198
scorers
City Allen(46)
Coventry Regis(5), Gynn(26), Gallacher(68)
ref Ray Lewis
City Coton, Brightwell, Brennan, Reid, Heath, Redmond, White, Allen, Quinn, Harper, M Ward – Subs Hughes(unused), A Ward(unused)
Coventry Ogrizovic, Borrows, Sansom, Robson, Pearce, Peake, Woods, Gynn, Regis, Gallacher, Smith – Subs Emerson, Drinkell
FROM THE PRESS BOX
IAN MOSS WRITING IN THE BIRMINGHAM SUNDAY MERCURY 24TH MARCH 1991
Coventry City quickly quashed, their cruel “Dad’s Army tag” with a display of pace and panache to sweep aside meek Manchester City.
And nobody contributed more to the Sky Blues precious victory than veteran Kenny Sansom, whose £100,000 signing from Queen’s Park Rangers raised so many questions among Coventry fans. His passes began the moves which led to all three goals and his confidence in Coventry’s problem left back spot quickly spread to the rest of the team.
Meanwhile delighted manager Terry Butcher must make one more vital move before Thursday’s transfer deadline and sign midfielder Stewart Robson permanently. His towering influence in midfield was another key factor in Coventry’s win.
The Sky Blues took the lead in the fifth minute after 32 year old Sansom struck a cracking 40-yard pass to Kevin Gallacher who tricked past Ian Brightwell before crossing to Cyrille Regis to place an unstoppable header past Tony Coton.
The former England striker was in in the thick of the action again in the 26th minute, he took a pass from Sansom, dribbled past two Manchester men on the halfway line and played a fabulous ball to Michael Gynn who charged 40 yards before clipping past Coton.
Manchester had looked a ragged outfit in the first half but within a minute of the restart they pulled one back through Clive Allen.
Seconds later Niall Quinn missed a marvellous opportunity to equalise when he ballooned over the crossbar as he stood just six yards from goal.
But in the 69th minute Coventry’s fears that victory would be tossed away were erased when Sansom sent an enticing cross field pass into the path of Woods who darted forward played through to Borrows, whose shot was partially blocked by Coton and Gallacher nipped in to score.