Matchday Memories: On This Day 2011 – CCFC Punish Palace To End 10 Game No Win Woe
Aidy Boothroyd- Sky Blue ‘gaffer’
On this day (12th February) in 2011 the Sky Blues managed by Aidy Boothroyd, were greatly relieved to end a ten game run without clocking up a victory. The victims were south London club Crystal Palace who City had beaten by the same score (2-1) at the Ricoh in the F.A.Cup Third Round only the previous month with early goals from Freddie Eastwood and Carl Baker (both Association members now). The Eagles, however, had trimmed us by two clear goals at Selhurst Park in the Championship the previous November. Though this time, in the league return, the Sky Blues built a 2-0 lead with a goal in each half thanks to defender Richard Wood and striker Marlon King (both now CCFPA members) the game was result was in doubt to the final whistle. The City fans in the 16,454 crowd, but not the 2,500 or so travelling fans, went home happy!
Richard Wood in the Sky Blue
Marlon King in the Sky Blue
In the finely balanced encounter ‘Woody’ scored a close range backward header drom a speculative Martin Cranie long ball just after the half hour mark to send the Sky Blues in at half time a goal to the good. It should have been all over after 79 minutes when Marlon turning in a cross from (now CCFPA member) Aron Gunnarsson. However, typically for City, their win was put into jeopardy bt allowing the Eagles’ Steffen Iversen to strike for Palace from six yards in injury-time to set up a frantic final few seconds. Palace failed to capitalise on earlier chances and City’s other striker (and fairly recent CCFPA recruit) Clive Platt also had three fine headers well saved by Eagles’ ‘keeper Julian Speroni. The win left the Sky Blues in fourteenth spot having (only temporarily as it proved) stopped the rot!
The Sky Blues put out the following team (CCFPA members underlined):-
Clive Platt
in the Sky Blue
Keiren Westwood, Richard Keogh, Stephen O’Halloran, Martin Crainie, Richard Wood, Nathan Cameron, Aron Gunnarsson, Carl Baker, Marlon King, Lukas Jutciewicz and Clive Platt (sub. Freddy Eastwood -88)
Unused subs:- Chris Hussey, Jordan Clarke, David Bell, Gary McSheffrey, Roy O’Donovan and Danny Ireland (gk)
Dougie Freedman‘s Palace fielded the following side:-
Julian Speroni, Nathaniel Clyne, David Wright, Patrick McCarthy (c), Darren Ambrose (sub. Sean Scannell -63), Owen Garvan, Wilfried Zaha, Jermaine Easter (sub. Pablo Counago -63), Dean Moxey, Anthony Gardner and James Vaughan (sub. Steffen Iversen -84) Unused subs:- Claude Davis, Adam Barrett, Andrew Dorman and Lewis Price (gk) Referee:- K. Wright
CCFC 2010-11 (under Aidy Boothroyd)
CCFC gaffer- Andy Thorn,
Sadly, the performances of the team that Aidy built gradually but substantially deteriorated particularly in this second half of the season. Aidy was replaced by Chief Scout Andy Thorn in March as (initially) caretaker ‘gaffer’ to the end of the season.
The team ultimately ended up their 2010-11 season safe in a lowly eighteenth spot with Crystal Palace twentieth. Nevertheless, City were a full thirteen points clear (and Palace six clear) of the relegated trio, Preston North End, Sheffield United and, at the very bottom, Scunthorpe United.
Queen’s Park Rangers (Championship Champs) and Norwich City got the automatic promotion spots and were Premier League bound along with play-off victors, third placed Swansea City.
Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young for sourcing the images.
