SKY BLUE WIN IS BIG CUPSET...

Houchen 19 FA Cup fourth round, January 31, 1987 Attendance at Old Trafford: 49,082

ONLY Coventry boss John Curtis fancied the Sky Blues’ chances of winning the FA Cup after they were drawn away to Manchester United in the fourth round.

Curtis told the Press before the match: “Our name is on the Cup.”

In the home dugout was Alex Ferguson (below), taking charge for just the 13th time since being appointed the previous November when Ron Atkinson was sacked after a loss to Coventry at Old Trafford.

Under Ferguson, United’s form had improved and, seven days earlier, they had ended Arsenal’s 17-match unbeaten run, with Terry Gibson netting a late second in a 2-0 win.

The visit of Coventry brought Gibson up against his former club and he suffered early frustration on a pitch described as “a skating rink” by newspaper reporters.

Gibson, signed by Atkinson as a £660,000 replacement for Mark Hughes 12 months earlier, was unable to convert a chance from close range, the ball ending up in the grateful arms of Sky Blues keeper Steve Ogrizovic.

United were stunned after 19 minutes when Greg Downs aimed a low cross towards the near post and after a brief scramble in the six-yard box, Keith Houchen finally forced the ball into the roof of the net in front of the travelling Coventry fans.

“I’ve scored better goals,” said Houchen afterwards.

Gibson thought he had tied the scores before the break, only for the linesman to rule the ball had crossed the byline before Jesper Olsen had teed him up for a close-range finish.

United were fighting to keep their season alive, but, with Trevor Peake a cool presence at the heart of the Coventry defence, they struggled to carve out chances and Chris Turner saved from Nick Pickering to deny the Sky Blues a second.

Gibson afterwards predicted that his former team could lift the Cup.