On 16 September 1987, Abbott scored the first hat-trick of his career to give City a 3–1 victory against Plymouth Argyle and elevate them to the top of the division. City remained in promotion contention for most of the season, with Abbott playing 32 games, though he did not start in any of the final eight fixtures, as City missed out on promotion after losing the final two matches. Abbott returned to the side for the play-off semi-final matches against Middlesbrough, which City lost 3–2 on aggregate to prevent them from winning promotion to Division One.