Sky Blues soar as McAllister and Hignett bring house down

Forced to work with an asset-stripped squad, the Coventry player-manager Gary McAllister is doing a splendid job shaping a potential promotion challenge from meagre resources at Highfield Road, where he is both father figure and inspiration to some fine young prospects.

The former Scotland captain knows, however, that youthful enthusiasm will be no substitute for experience if his Premiership bid is to be sustained, which is why he will spend his Christmas doing everything possible to keep Craig Hignett and Dean Holdsworth.

Blackburn's Hignett and Bolton's Holdsworth are both due to return to their clubs after Coventry's match against Sheffield United on 28 December but McAllister is anxious to extend their loans, even if the club's debt precludes him finding the cash to buy.

"They bring us Premiership experience and they both know what it takes to get out of this division, so we'd like them to stay," McAllister said. "We will be making moves to keep them here, although you cannot take a Premiership player on loan for more than three months."

Hignett has already spent two with Coventry. Apparently out of favour with Blackburn's manager, Graeme Souness, he would welcome a permanent move, especially after endearing himself to the home crowd on Saturday by capping a fine performance with a brilliant volleyed goal.

"It is so fast and hurly-burly at this standard compared to the Premier League that it takes time to get used to it," Hignett said, "but I'd love to come here. When you have had two years of playing a bit part you can never really get fit. Gary has been brilliant and understood my situation and helped me a lot. I have a year left at Blackburn but there is an agreement that I can go if anyone wants to buy me."

Hignett's goal, smacked in off the underside of the bar from 25 yards after Chris Riggott's clearance had bounced invitingly in front of him, would have been the high spot of the afternoon but for what had happened five minutes earlier.

Then, in common with 13,000 spectators, Hignett had stood open mouthed in admiration after watching the evergreen McAllister – 38 on Christmas Day – deliver a goal he rates among the best of the 149 that have decorated his club career.

Meeting Warren Barton's towering headed clearance on the full volley well over 30 yards from goal, McAllister sent the ball looping and then dipping over a helpless Lee Grant in a moment of technical brilliance that could scarcely be bettered. "The ball went very high but as I watched it down I thought: 'Why not'?" he said. "When you try something like that they can end up in Row Z or even further but I hit it sweetly and I knew it had a chance.

"Even so, it was fantastic to see it hit the back of the net. It would have to be up among the best goals I have scored, probably in the top three."

Stunned by McAllister's strike, Derby were left wondering where their luck had gone after Hignett's moment, which gave Coventry a comfortable lead in a game in which the visitors had been the better side. When Jay Bothroyd added a crisply taken third nine minutes into the second half, after two excellent saves by Morten Hyldgaard had denied Lee Morris and Malcolm Christie, they effectively packed up and went home.

Goals: McAllister (30) 1-0; Hignett (35) 2-0; Bothroyd (54) 3-0.

Coventry City (4-4-2): Hyldgaard; Caldwell, Konjic, Shaw, Quinn; McAllister (Eustace, 88), Pead, Hignett, Partridge; Bothroyd (Strachan, 66), Holdsworth (Mills, 90). Substitutes not used: Davenport, Montgomery (gk).

Derby County (3-4-3): Grant; Riggott, Evatt, Elliott; Barton, Burley, Bolder, Boertien (Mills, h-t); McLeod, Christie, Morris. Substitutes not used: Kinkladze, Murray, Oakes (gk), Twigg.

Referee: M Dean (Wirral).

Bookings: Coventry: Caldwell; Derby: McLeod, Burley, Morris, Elliott.

Man of the match: Hignett.

Attendance: 13,185.