Matchday Memories: On This Day 2020 – See Sky Blue ‘Matty’ Punish Pompey At St Andrews
On this day (11th February) just four years ago in 2020 the Sky Blues were storming home in their League One campaign well into the play-off positions and unbeaten in the league in eight games since the 14th December. Today Mark Robins‘ Men were looking for a third successive league win having pipped Bristol Rovers 2-1 in a League One game just three days ago at St Andrews, their Birmingham ‘home’ in exile for the second and last season before returning to the Ricoh/ CBS Arena.
Today’s visitors to St Andrews in front of a modest crowd of just under 7,000 (including over 1,500 from the south coast) were Portsmouth. Themselves promotion rivals, bringing a club record nine successive wins under their belt, Kenny Jackett‘s team were looking for an upset. The two teams had fought out an exciting 3-3 draw back in August at their place with nine man City coming back from 3-1 down and having a goal disallowed!
Pompey looked like they might get some kind of revenge until up popped our reliable goal-getter (and CCFPA sponsored player for 2021-22) Matty Godden who came off the bench to score the only and winning goal just four minutes from the final whistle. Matty slotted home from close range after being set up by a lobbed ball from perennial livewire Callum O’Hare.
The strike put the Sky Blues up to third and saw them continue their unbeaten run which would extend a further five matches (four wins) right to the end of the COVID 19 truncated season when the Sky Blues claimed the League One title on a points per game formula! However, they headed the table with ten games to go five points clear with a game in hand on most of their challengers so they thoroughly deserved their promotion as League champions!!
A contemporary match report from BBC Sport can be found by clicking here. Thanks to former CCFPA committee member Dean Nelson you can see some match highlights (with Pompey commentary) by clicking on the link or image below:-
Marko Marosi, Fankaty Dabo, Sam McCallum, Dom Hyam, Kyle McFadzean, Liam Kelly (c), Jamie Allen (sub. Max Biamou -70), Michael Rose, Amadou Bakayoko (sub. Matty Godden -82), Liam Walsh and Jordan Shipley
Unused subs:- Callum O’Hare, Zain Westbrooke, Josh Pask, Ryan Giles and Ben Wilson (gk)
Kenny Jackett‘s Pompey side lined up:-
Alex Bass, James Bolton, Sean Raggett, Tom Naylor (c), Steve Seddon, Christian Burgess, Ryan Williams (sub. Marcus Harness -63), Ben Close, Cameron McGeehan, John Marquis (sub. Ellis Harrison -63) and Ronan Curtis Unused subs:- Lee Brown, Ross McCrorie, Jack Whatmough, Gareth Evans and Craig MacGillivray (gk) Referee:- Scott Oldham

CCFC 2019-20 League One Champs
Runners up to the Sky Blues, Rotherham United (captained by former Sky Blue, and CCFPA member, Richard Wood) were also automatically promoted. Wycombe Wanderers joined them via the playoffs after making it into the top six via a goals per game adjustment. Pompey, who were fifth failed to make it out of the playoffs.
Tranmere Rovers, Southend United and Bolton Wanderers took the drop.