Matchday Memories: On This Day 2014 – See Sky Blues’ Madine Sinks Colchester In Essex!

City ‘gaffer’ Steven Pressley

On this day (22nd November) in 2014 the Sky Blues, for the time being under former player Steven Pressley, were struggling in the lower reaches of League One. They were going through a bad patch having won only one and lost seven of their last ten matches in the league and had lost 1-0 to Notts County last time out at the Ricoh (now fully owned by the Wasps RFC)!

A win was desperately needed and thats what ‘Elvis’ got from his team on their awayday in Essex at the home of Colchester United. It was, nevertheless, a tight squeeze with the only goal of the game coming from Sky Blues’ loan striker Gary Madine in the 73rd minute.This sent the 503 members of the Sky Blue Army in the 4,433 Colchester crowd home on their long journey back to Coventry in happier mood.

Gary, loaned from Sheffield Wednesday at the end of October, had now got two in his four outings so far and would go on to net another two in his total of thirteen Sky Blue appearances before returning to the Owls.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=WZonQcT_ckY

Gary Madine celebrates scoring

The Sky Blues relied on the following players on this day (CCFPA members underlined):-

Ryan Allsop, Aaron Phillips, Ryan Haynes, Andy Webster, Aaron Martin, John Fleck, Jack Finch, Frank Nouble (sub. Adam Barton-84), Gary Madine, and Jim O’Brien (c) (sub. Danny Swanson -69)

Unused subs: Conor Thomas, James Maddison, Shaun Miller, Josh McQuoid and Reice Charles-Cook (gk)

 

Tony Humes‘ United team lined up as follows:-

Sam Walker, Sean Clohessy, Tom Eastman, Magnus Okuonghae, Cole Kpekawa, David Fox (sub. Sammie Szmodics -68), George Moncur, Alex Gilbey, Gavin Massey (sub. Kemar Roofe -68), Freddie Sears and Sanchez Watt (sub. Rhys Healey -63)  Unused subs: Craig Eastmond, Michael O’Donoghue, Elliott Hewitt and Chris Lewington (gk)      Referee: Andy Woolmer (Northants)

 

In April, five matches prior to season’s end, United came to the Ricoh in the return and City completed the double over the Essex side by the same score with a 35th minute goal from fairly recent CCFPA recruit Jim O’Brien. By this time Tony Mowbray was in charge of City’s fortunes ‘Elvis’ having been sacked towards the end of February. Mogga was appointed on March 1st after a brief caretaker inter-regnum by Steven’s Assistant Manager Neil MacFarlane and coach Dave Hockaday.

CCFC 2014-15 (under Steven Pressley)

Tony did enough to keep the still struggling Sky Blues up in seventeenth spot in League One with United also safe two places and three point behind us and just two points clear of the relegated Notts County and Crawley Town and beneath them Leyton Orient and (bottom) Yeovil Town.

 

At the top end of the table Bristol City took the honours pro,oted with rummers up MK Dons and third place (via the playoffs) Preston North End!

Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young (& Dean Nelson) for sourcing the images.