Hot Wind blows in

Amid the scenes of joy and huge relief at clinching the second win in 19 games, Dean Windass was a lone figure in the centre circle.

As his team-mates hugged each other and punched the air, Windass lay there spread-eagled. Elated and probably absolutely shattered.

But there was no doubt for a second how much this win meant to him.

Windass has not been everyone's cup of tea this season.

While his return to the club was heralded in the summer, there are some critics in the stands who claim he is no longer the force or influence he was a few years back.

But yesterday the fans saw exactly why Windass will be such a huge part of City's fight to beat the drop.

An on-song Deano is a huge weapon - as Coventry will reluctantly testify. They even tried to sign him last season. It was not just the goal, as welcome as that was after a drought that seems to have lasted an eternity. But Deano's drive and commitment was there to be seen from the first minute to the last.

In a three-man front-line, Bryan Robson virtually gave him a free licence to roam around. That is where Windass is at his best, popping up all over the place and sniffing out the danger areas.

City must scrap and fight for every point between now and the end of the season. Their best chance of doing that and succeeding is with Windass at the heart of the action.

But yesterday's first win for a month was far from a one-man show. What City lacked in finesse at times, and their passing could have been sharper, they made up for in guts and sheer willpower.

Crucially they gave as good as they got in midfield, an area that had been completely overrun by Sunderland just 48 hours before.

Robson made five changes from the Stadium of Light defeat. Alun Armstrong got his debut up front and David Wetherall made a massive difference in the back four.

But possibly the most significant selection was bringing back Paul Evans.

The fiery Welshman has his knockers just like Windass. But when it comes to trench warfare, and that is the case from hereon in, those are the type of players who will not be afraid to get in yer face.

Both got booked by over-fussy referee Carl Boyeson. Unfortunately the yellow card for Evans takes him up to five and means he will miss out on the skirmish with his fellow countrymen Cardiff on January 17.

Bookings aside, this was a day that City were entitled to enjoy. So what if they were living on their nerves for the second half?

At this stage, points makes prizes. Or in City's predicament, they could add up to the financial necessity of staying in Division One.

There is renewed hope, although the early exchanges suggested another uncomfortable afternoon for the season-ticket holders.

Andy Morrell should have connected with Steve Staunton's inviting cross after 12 minutes and was then guilty of a ridiculous miss on the half-hour. Stephen Warnock, one of the four City old boys in the Sky Blue squad, released Julian Joachim behind the defence and a goal looked certain.

His low cross picked out Morrell on his own and no more than eight yards out. Somehow he managed to get underneath the ball and skied it.

City certainly could not believe their luck and four minutes later cashed in with that rarest of commodities, a goal of their own.

It was 484 minutes since Michael Branch's stoppage-time winner against Millwall as Gareth Farrelly found Windass from the left flank.

Windass had already signalled his intentions with an early volley at Gavin Ward. The one-time City stopper had been lucky that one was straight at him because it was going like a rocket.

He was not so fortunate second time around as Windass let fly with a left-footed piledriver which flew into the far bottom corner of the net. Cue mad scenes on and off the pitch.

They nearly got even wilder a minute later as Farrelly again found room on the left. His cross brushed off defender Andrew Whing on its way to Andy Gray whose diving header was smothered by the body of Ward, more by luck than judgement. But the game was a long way from over.

Coventry piled forward and forced three quick corners. With bodies everywhere in the City box, Wetherall threw himself in the way of Joachim's shot before the striker slipped through only to be cut off in his prime by the half-time whistle.

The second half began in the same vein. Whing's pass got Joachim clear again within 20 seconds of the re-start.

But instead of squaring for the unmarked Warnock, who was screaming for a pass in the middle, he opted to go it alone and shot wide from a tight angle.

Coventry lacked composure in front of goal, although the tension was getting to City. That was clear when Alan Combe and Paul Heckingbottom had to be pulled apart after an amazing row over conceding a corner.

It may have been freezing but the temperatures on the pitch were rising fast. Referee Boyeson was not helping though with his inconsistent officiating. Combe seemed ready to take on the world and after clashing with Joachim, he tangled again with Calum Davenport, who got a booking for leaving his boot in on the City keeper.

Coventry threw on more strikers while Robson replaced the tiring Tom Kearney with Ben Muirhead, pushing Windass deeper.

In the 71st minute, City had the chance to wrap it up. Armstrong, growing stronger after shaking off his early rustiness, turned his marker and forced a save from Ward after a great run from Evans turned defence into attack.

Coventry went back on the attack and were immediately thrown a lifeline as Mo Konjic played for and won a penalty for a push from behind from Wetherall.

But the Gods were smiling on City as Staunton lofted a Paul Deacon-style penalty into the upper tier of the away fans.

In stoppage time the Coventry keeper twice ran the length of the field to join a heavily-congested home penalty area for corners. But City, just about, hung on.