 Many sections of the media pinpointed this as a 'must-win' fixture for Adams.His future looked bleak as Coventry were 3–1 down in the first half only to claw back one goal before half-time and then stage a stirring comeback to draw 3–3 with Stern John grabbing the equaliser.In the build-up to the replay however Coventry produced arguably their worst defensive performance for years and succumbed to a 4–2 home defeat against a distinctly average Crystal Palace side on 13 January.