Captain Gareth Griffiths headed Rochdale into the FA Cup's last 16 for only the second time in their history at sell-out Spotland.

Griffiths rose unmarked to nod home player-boss Paul Simpson's 47th-minute corner and heap more Cup humiliation upon 1987 winners Coventry.

Paul Connor - a £150,000 record signing - had fired the Third Division strugglers into a 32nd-minute lead as they made a mockery of recent form guides and ensured Spotland would be emblazoned on Coventry memories for evermore.

Thirty-two years ago Rochdale had experienced their finest FA Cup moment with a third-round win over the Sky Blues, made all the sweeter by City boss Noel Cantwell's "Where's Rochdale?" remark after the draw was made.

Their 3,000 travelling fans will not forget this shoe-horned stadium in a hurry. They had travelled north expecting their side to increase their 10-match unbeaten run.

Rochdale, in stark contrast, came off a dismal home defeat to Lincoln on Tuesday night which Simpson called the lowest point of his 23-year football career.

For Gary McAllister, a Cup winner with Liverpool, this was life at the sharp end as his team were hustled and harried and often outplayed by the Third Division strugglers.

It might have been different if Gary McSheffrey's second-minute effort had not been well-saved by Rochdale keeper Neil Edwards in the second minute as the home side struggled to settle their nerves.

And Dean Holdsworth will have nightmares about the 10-yard shot which he skewed horribly wide just three minutes after Connor had put Rochdale in front.

But Rochdale - third-round conquerors of Preston at Deepdale - richly deserved this great success and could have won by more.

Clive Platt had their first shot on target in the fourth minute when his header dropped into Morten Hyldgaard's arms.

The superb David Flitcroft hit a long-range effort straight at Hyldgaard and Gavin Melaugh whacked a rebounded free-kick just inches wide of the keeper's right-hand post.

Griffiths denied Holdsworth a shooting chance in the 20th minute before Connor's opener.

The 24-year-old was played clear after a superb challenge by Griffiths stopped Mo Konjic in his tracks, and he kept his cool to prod the ball past the advancing keeper.

Konjic and McSheffrey missed late first-half chances to equalise along with Holdsworth and the Third Division battlers had every reason to be grateful for the half-time break.

But any hopes the First Division side had of immediately getting back on level terms were shattered two minutes after the interval.

Connor's shot in the box was bundled behind for a Rochdale corner and when Simpson whipped in the set-piece from the right Griffiths rose highest to grab the glory.

Clueless Coventry were reeling - and in an amazing 10-minute spell following the goal Connor, Simpson, Michael Oliver and Flitcroft all came so close to increasing the home side's advantage.

The introduction of Juan Sara for Jay Bothroyd gave McAllister's men an extra attacking dimension and he was close to connecting to a Ritchie Partridge cross on the hour.

But when Partridge saw his lobbed shot from the edge of the box tipped brilliantly away from the top corner by Rochdale keeper Neil Edwards three minutes later, he must have realised it was not going to be his side's day.

Rochdale, superbly marshalled by Griffiths and Flitcroft, were holding their own with aplomb.

Simpson substituted himself in the 75th minute and instead of the boo-boys who barracked him four days ago he received a standing ovation.

He was replaced by teenager Lee McEvilly, who one year ago was working behind the counter in a local McDonalds.

McEvilly did not get much chance to make an impression but his team-mates had already ensured that the spirit of the FA Cup was alive and well at Spotland.

Teams:

Rochdale: Edwards, Evans, Griffiths, Grand, Hill, Flitcroft, Melaugh, Oliver, Simpson (McEvilly 74), Platt, Connor (Townson 84).

Subs Not Used: Gilks, Hodges, Warner.

Goals: Connor 33, Griffiths 47.

Coventry: Hyldgaard, Caldwell, Shaw, Konjic, Gordon (Fowler 77), Partridge (Davenport 61), Pead, McAllister, Bothroyd (Sara 48), Holdsworth, McSheffrey.

Subs Not Used: Debec, Osbourne.

Booked: Pead.

Att: 9,156

Ref: M Fletcher (Worcestershire).