Home sweet Home after early strikes set up cup City’s progress

Jack Rudoni slots home the 

Sky Blues’ second goal at Home Park

29 Aug 2026 - Coventry Telegraph

JIM BROWN

THE Sky Blues successfully moved into the third round of the League Cup in midweek with a 4-2 win at Plymouth’s Home Park. City’s early goals from Taiwo Awoniyi and Jack Rudoni hinted at a big victory in Devon but slack defending let the Pilgrims back into the tie before shrewd substitutions made the victory safe. Ephron Mason-Clark and a Victor Torp penalty sent City through to the third round.

Scouring the club records I discovered it was 36 years since the team scored two goals inside the first five minutes of a game. It was February 1990 at home game to Chelsea when Steve Livingstone scored after 27 seconds getting on the end of Steve Ogrizovic’s long punt.

A minute and a half later Chelsea’s Kevin Mcallister put the ball into his own net after Dave Beasant had parried Cyrille Regis’ shot. As at Plymouth, Chelsea came back into the game and goals from Tony Dorigo and Kerry Dixon made it 2-2 before Regis secured the points 20 minutes from time.

Tuesday’s game was the first-ever League Cup tie between the Sky Blues and the Pilgrims but Home Park has not been a happy hunting ground for the Sky Blues in recent years.

It’s less than 18 months since a League One-bound Argyle beat City 3-1 in a league game and City had won only once in the previous nine visits there.

It was the first time City have scored four goals away from home in the competition since a 4-0 win at Southend in 1998.

The victory tees up a tie with West Midlands’ rivals Aston Villa, once again the first time we have met them in the competition.

Villa’s visit will be only the fourth time a Premier League side has visited the CBS since the stadium was opened in 2005. Those three games all ended in defeat: West Ham 1-2 (2007), Newcastle 2-3 after extra time (2008) and Tottenham 1-2 (2024). Time for a win!

SAD news from Australia, former City reserve fullback Bob Dobbing, who was a regular in the reserve team between 1967-69 but never quite made the first team, has passed away after a long battle with cancer.

Sunderland-born Dobbing joined City straight from school and played in the same youth team as Willie Carr, Jeff Blockley and Trevor Gould. He left the club in 1969 and after a season at Hartlepool he emigrated to Australia. He settled in Melbourne and played for Melbourne Hungaria.

In 1974 he was chosen for the Australian preliminary World Cup squad but broke his leg before the final squad was announced.

He managed to get over for a game at the CBS a couple of years ago and was presented with a 1960s replica shirt by Coventry City Former Players Association (CCFPA). His wife Pauline, who worked in the Sky Blue Pools office in the 1960s, predeceased him.

If you enjoy this column and would like to hear more about Coventry City’s history you can listen to the Sky Blue History Podcast which is available on Apple, Spotify and Youtube. Claudio Cardellino and I talk about all things Sky Blue and often interview former players. Just search for ‘Sky Blue History Podcast’