Can City Avenge An Old Score?

Coventry City look to continue their good form in cup competitions this season when they take on Sheffield United at the Ricoh Arena on Tuesday night.

The two sides last met with a semi-final place at stake back in 1998 when the Blades won an FA Cup replay at Bramall Lane on penalties, a defeat that hurt Sky Blues’ supporters as they went into the tie as clear favourites being a division above and in blistering form with the likes of Dion Dublin and Darren Huckerby in their ranks.

Tuesday’s game is, of course, a Johnstone’s Paint Trophy tie rather than the FA Cup but the prospect of a Wembley final will come more clearly into focus after this round and City have turned in some very good displays in the cups this season. They will want to do so again against their divisional rivals.

Both teams progressed in the FA Cup at the weekend, the Blades producing a late show to turn around their game against Micky Adams’ Port Vale side.

Mark Robins will have David McGoldrick available again for this one but may not make too many changes to a line-up that is slowly starting to pick itself, especially at the back where Christie, Wood, Edjenguele and Adams have proved themselves a solid unit over the past few games.

***Update***Quoted in the Yorkshire Post ahead of the game, Blades boss Danny Wilson said: “Coventry are a different team and a different test to when we last went there (a 1-1 draw in August). It is a good venue to go and play football at and this is a big game between two big clubs.”