Brighton & Hove Albion 0 Coventry City 1
Coventry City manager Micky Adams would surely take a home tie against Premiership leaders Chelsea or European champions Liverpool in the FA Cup fourth round; accept a graceful, money-spinning loss and then get back to everyday life that is the Championship . . .
Not a chance! Adams wants the gold that a plum draw would offer and the glory that a successful passage into the next round would bring after his side scraped past his former club.
The ex-Seagulls manager said that some may have questioned his sanity when he announced after this victory that he wants to win the trophy. But 'moaning Micky' of earlier this season is a much more cheerful chap these days. This win was another sign that Coventry's fortunes may have taken a turn for the better.
The Sky Blues have won five of their last eight matches and have kept four clean sheets. The team conceded 34 goals in the first half of the Championship season.
They have finally got to grips with defending without Welsh international Robert Page, their most consistent player this season but sidelined for six weeks with a broken cheekbone during Christmas.
Ady Williams and Richard Shaw have played together in two successive matches and the Sky Blues have two wins and no goals against to show for it.
Shaw was once again in good form but it was Williams who stood out at the back. The former Reading defender was composed with the ball on the ground and was strong in the air against the burly home team striker Colin Kazim-Richards.
After two strong displays by Williams it seems almost incomprehensible that he had been considered surplus to requirements and was allowed out on loan to Millwall for three months.
It is fair to say that Brighton's attacking threat was somewhat reduced by the sale of Leon Knight to Swansea in midweek after a fall-out with manager Mark McGhee.
But Williams and Shaw will still take some shifting from the starting lineup if they continue in this form before Page returns.
The real difference between both sides, however, was Gary McShef-frey. The Coventry kid, who desperately wants to be a centre-forward week-in week-out, was asked to operate on the right side of midfield.
Adams's plan was to use McSheffrey's pace to full effect against left-back Kerry Mayo. The idea worked perfectly as the 23-year-old gave his marker a torrid afternoon.
McSheffrey was the shining light in a quiet first half. He almost set up the opening goal after a driving 40-yard run but James Scowcroft headed just wide.
Then he was denied a penalty after he broke clear of Mayo in the penalty area with the defender appearing to clip his ankles as the visitors' winger was about to shoot.
Adams fears his player may have missed out on the spot kick because of a reputation he has developed for 'exaggerating' his fall in the area. He might have a point; McSheffrey has been cautioned three times this season for diving.
But there was absolutely nothing fake about the quality of Coventry's winning goal.
Clayton Ince had just made another decent stop at the other end in a steady, if not spectacular, return in place of Marton Fulop, who was denied the opportunity to play by his real employers Tottenham.
As Coventry broke quickly the ball arrived at the feet of McSheffrey in the Brighton area. He danced his way past Mayo before shooting low into the corner of the net from a tight angle.
It was his tenth goal of an inconsistent season and he could prove to be the key if Adams gets his wish and Coventry do get the chance to turn over a Premiership side at the Ricoh in the next round.
