Matchday Memories: On This Day 1997 – Watch Woking’s Woe As Whelan Wakes Up Sky Blues
Eoin in Sky Blue action
On this day (4th February) in 1997 it was Third Round F.A.Cup replay day as the Sky Blues travelled to Woking for a return match against Geoff Chapple’s outfit. Ron Atkinson, moving ‘upstairs, had allowed his assistant, now a fellow CCFPA member Gordon Strachan (who came on as sub in this match), to take up the full managerial reins. The non-leaguers had outplayed the Sky Blues for large parts of the first tie at Highfield road and got a deserved 1-1 draw in late January with a Steve Thompson 89th minute equaliser to a 75th minute strike from recent CCFPA recruit Eoin Jess.
Noel in the Sky Blue
Here, at the Kingfield Stadium, in front of a crowd of 6,000, the Sky Blues very nearly slipped up again despite the encouragement of an early Noel Whelan goal, pouncing on a loose ball in the box to strike for the away side in the eleventh minute. Woking‘s 39 year old veteran professional Clive Walker put in a dazzling forward display to keep the Sky Blues’ defence on its toes and they deservedly equalised nine minutes before the break from No.9 Scott Steele. The second half was end-to-end stuff and it took a 78th minute own goal from Steve Foster, trying to head clear a deflection from Gary McAllister‘s cross, to settle the tie in favour of the Sky Blues.
Coventry City lined up as follows (CCFPA members underlined):-
Gordon Strachan -City’s ‘gaffer’
Steve Ogrizovic, Paul Telfer, Richard Shaw, Kevin Richardson, Brian Borrows, Paul D Williams, Eoin Jess (sub. Gordon Strachan -89), Gary McAllister, Darren Huckerby (sub. Peter Ndlovu -68), Noel Whelan and Marcus Hall
Woking‘s side line up as follows:-
Lawrence Batty, Terry Howard, Robin Taylor, Steve Foster, Kevan Brown, Tom Jones, Steve Thompson, Shane Wye, Scott Steele, Darran Hay (sub. Junior Hunter -85) and Clive Walker Unused subs:- Andy Ellis and Shane Wye Referee:- Mike Riley
The Sky Blues then met and defeated Blackburn Rovers 2-1 at Ewood Park in the Fourth round but eventually fell, in another away tie, at Derby County‘s Baseball Ground, when the Rams won a thrilling game 3-2 after City were two early goals to the good.
CCFC 1996-97
In the Premier League Strachan’s Sky Blues finished a point and a place (seventeenth) above the drop in another nail-biting end to the season. The required a stunning 2-1 last day win at Tottenham Hotspur to guarantee survival for yet another top-level season. It was Sunderland, Middlesbrough (with three points deducted) and bottom club Nottingham Forest who took the drop. Manchester United took the title seven points ahead of the chasing pack.
Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young for sourcing the images.
