Ahead of Tuesday night's Carabao Cup tie against Watford, we look back at the history of the fixture...
Head to Head:
There have been 92 encounters between Coventry City and Watford ahead of Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup tie.
The Sky Blues have won 36 times, with 16 draws between the two sides. The Hornet have come out on top on 40 occasions.
There has been a previous League Cup encounter, over two legs back in December 1980. Vicarage Road hosted a 2-2 draw in the first leg, with Garry Thompson getting both Sky Blues goals. A week later in the Second Leg on 9th December at Highfield Road, Coventry City were 5-0 victors – Garry Thompson added another to his haul in the away leg, while Peter Bodak, Mark Hateley (2) and Steve Hunt also found the back of the net.
Last Time We Met:
Remember the last trip to Vicarage Road? Probably not…
It was a 0-0 draw on 17th March 2012, in the season that would see Andy Thorn’s side drop out of the Championship.
This was a welcome result however for City, who had suffered 10 successive away defeats before this match. Keeper Joe Murphy produced a string of fine saves to keep an in-form Watford side at bay. That said, Nathan Cameron had one disallowed for a push and a header from Clive Platt was cleared off the line.
In an attendance of 12,563 at Vicarage Road that day, there were 1067 members of the Sky Blue Army – expect around three times that figure this Tuesday night!
Sky Blues line-up: Joe Murphy, Nathan Cameron, Jordan Clarke (Cyrus Christie 85), Richard Keogh, Martin Cranie, Sammy Clingan, Gary Deegan, Oliver Norwood, Gary McSheffrey, Alex Nimely (Cody McDonald 72), Clive Platt
Subs Not Used: Chris Dunn (GK), Chris Hussey, Conor Thomas.
First Meeting:
Our first match against Watford came way back on 17th October 1908. Played at Highfield Road, City were 3-0 winners, with goals coming from George Warren, Charles Tickle and Samuel Turner. Just over 6000 were in attendance for the Southern League First Division fixture.
Our first trip to Watford wasn’t at Vicarage Road but in fact Cassio Road, the home of the Club from 1898 to 1922, for the return fixture in February 1909. Watford got their revenge for the earlier encounter, running out 3-1 winners.
The first game at Vicarage Road, a ground they moved to in 1922, was on 1st September 1926 in Division Three South, a fixture the hosts won 1-0.
Biggest Win:
On three occasions, Coventry City have won 5-0 - 12th March 1910 in the Southern League First Division, 30th April 1932 in Division Three South and that League Cup win of 1980. All three of those five goal wins came at Highfield Road.
The biggest away win was in January 1959. Billy Frith’s side won 4-1, with George Stewart and Ray Straw each getting a brace.
Worst Defeat:
Goalkeeper Bill Jacques picked the ball out of his net seven times, as City were thrashed 7-0 at Cassio Road on 24th September 1913.
Did You Know?
From 1964 to 1980 the two sides did not meet, but Graham Taylor's tenure as manager at the club between 1977 and 1987 saw Watford rise from the Fourth to the First Division and the fixture was a regular in the top flight calendar in the mid 80s. Watford however were relegated in May 1988, under the Management of future Sky Blues assistant manager Steve Harrison and the next meeting would come in October 1999 in the Premier League when the Sky Blues won 4-0 at Highfield Road.
