Sunday April 12, 1987 F.A. Cup Semi-Final

Venue: Hillsborough Att: 51,372 Referee: R Milford

Coventry City 3 Gynn (68), Houchen (77), Bennett (99)

Leeds United 2 Rennie (14), Edwards (83)

This semi-final was rated by David Miller in The Times as one of the best the competition had seen for the last 20 years.

City returned to Hillsborough only four weeks after their epic quarter-final win against Sheffield Wednesday and this time more than 27,000 supporters made the journey to see the Sunday lunchtime confrontation with Leeds United.

The Sky Blues were favourites against Billy Bremner's Second Division side but City started the match on the back foot with Leeds opening the scoring through a David Rennie header with 14 minutes on the clock.

The goal roused City into life and Cyrille Regis missed three good chances to level the score before half-time.

On the hour, Coventry brought on Micky Gynn for the limping Nick Pickering and the substitution had an immediate effect. Dave Bennett crossed a teasing ball into the box and Gynn, lurking on the edge of the area, fired the ball home.

Nine minutes later, Keith Houchen put the Sky Blues in the lead when the striker side-stepped Leeds keeper Mervyn Day and calmly put the ball into the back of the net.

The Elland Road outfit clawed their way back into the game when substitute Keith Edwards converted an Andy Ritchie cross on 83 minutes to make the score 2-2.

The game went into extra-time and Leeds dominated the opening period but it was the Sky Blues who snatched a dramatic victory. Gynn floated a free-kick into the penalty area, Regis headed back at the far post for Houchen who shot against Day and the ball fell to Bennett to stab the ball home.

Coventry City: Ogrizovic; Borrows; Downs; McGrath; Kilcline; Peake; Bennett; Phillips; Regis; Houchen; Pickering (Gynn)

Leeds United: Day; Aspin; Adams; Stiles (Haddock); Ashurst; Ormsby; Ritchie; Sheridan; Pearson (Edwards); Baird; Rennie

Wembley beckoned for George Curtis' men against Tottenham Hotspur.