November 28 1990, Rumbelows Cup Fourth Round

Coventry City 5
(Gallacher 14, 15, 35; Livingstone 29, 62)

Nottingham Forest 4
(Clough 36, 42, 43; Parker 53)

Highfield Road
Att: 16,342
Ref: R Pawley

Teamsheets

Coventry: Ogrizovic; Borrows; Edwards; Gynn; Billing; Peake; Gallacher; Speedie; Regis; Livingstone; Smith

Nott'm Forest: Crossley; Laws; Pearce; Walker; Chettle; Hodge; Crosby; Keane; Clough; Jemson; Parker

The Sky Blues faced a tough draw in the Fourth Round of the League Cup in 1990/91 as they came up against the winners of the competition in the previous two seasons, Nottingham Forest.

Brian Clough's side were firmly established as a top-half side in the top flight in the late Eighties and early Nineties and they were also renowned as cup specialists.

City were out for revenge having been beaten by Forest in the semi-finals of the League Cup the previous season, with a 2-1 victory at the City Ground proving enough for the East Midlanders before a goalless second leg at Highfield Road, as well as losing in the Third Round in 1988/89.

But nothing could have prepared Clough and his players for an evening of high drama, not least because Forest had not conceded five goals in a match for two-and-a-half years.

This was only Terry Butcher's third game in charge of the Sky Blues and he will surely remember this encounter - his first managerial victory - to this very day.

Kevin Gallacher had notched a hat-trick for the Sky Blues - the first of his career - by the 35^th minute and City seemed to be cruising at 4-0 up, but Nigel Clough went one better as he too netted three times before the break - all of his goals coming in the space of just seven minutes before the interval.

Gallacher struck first from close range after David Speedie's header was blocked, and a minute later he put the Sky Blues two clear with a chip over the badly positioned Crossley. Livingstone grabbed City's third before Gallacher completed his hat-trick with another close range shot after Peter Billing had won the ball in the air.

That was that as far as a fair proportion of Forest fans were concerned as they flooded out of the stadium with ten minutes still to go before half-time. Presumably when they heard the score at the interval they regretted their decision as City pressed self destruct and Clough netted three times to make it 4-3.

Not long after the break it was all square when Parker scored to make it 4-4 but just after the hour mark Livingstone scored what proved to be the winner after a terrific scramble in the City goalmouth.

After a night of unparalleled drama and entertainment, Coventry fell at the next hurdle in a home tie against Sheffield Wednesday who went on to win the Cup.