Matchday Memories: On This Day 1981 – Sky Blue Dyson & Daly’s Double Destroy Boro’s Home Pride!

On this day (21st April) in 1981 the Sky Blues achieved an unlikely result on their travels, masterminded by long term gaffer (and now CCFPA member), Gordon Milne. At the nub end of the Division One season, with only three games left to play, the Sky Blues travelled to Teesside to take on Middlesbrough. CCFC had lost four and drawn one of their last four matches, whilst the Boro’ had won nine in a row at home (and only lost once there this season). The odds looked stacked against the Sky Blue visitors but they triumphed by the only goal of the game!

Sky Blue Gerry Daly

This was a vital win for the Sky Blues, however narrow the victory, as they were looking over their shoulders in twentieth place as the game began. City’s Irish midfielder Gerry Daly had scored one of our two goals in the 2-2 home draw with Stoke City just three days ago and it was Gerry who grabbed the 71st minute winning goal from a pass by City centre half Paul Dyson at Ayresome Park today in front of 11,371 fans.

Paul Dyson in the Sky Blue

In truth, the Sky Blues might have won more handsomely as they missed several other chances and Boro’s goalie Jim Platt also made some good saves! The score and scorer exactly repeated the Highfield Road result back in February so the Sky Blues got a great double over Middlesbrough!

The desperation and tension of the last few relegation haunted weeks dissipated as the team showed real fight. Safety, and a sixteenth place finish in Division One followed a 1-0 home win against Southampton four days later and a 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest on the last day of the season! Middlesbrough finished only a couple of places higher.

Gordon Milne-CCFC gaffer

For the record the Sky Blues team that day was:-

The late Les Sealey, Mick Coop, Brian ‘Harry’ Roberts, Andy Blair, Paul Dyson, Gary Gillespie, Ray Gooding, Gerry Daly, Garry Thompson, Tom English and Steve Hunt.

All bar Les later went on to join this association, we are pleased to say!

John Neal‘s Middlesbrough Men lined up as follows:-

Jim Platt, Nobbs, Ian Bailey, Charlie Bell, Michael Angus, Tony McAndrew, Terry Cochrane, Marc Procter, Micky Burns (sub. Billy Askew), David Shearer and David Armstrong    Referee:- C.Seel

This was the season, of course, that the Sky Blues almost made it to Wembley in the League Cup, going out in the semi-finals 3-4 on aggregate in the second leg at West Ham United!

Closest Midland rivals Aston Villa won the Division One title this season (clear by four points from Ipswich Town) whilst Norwich City, Leicester City and Crystal Palace (bottom) were relegated.

Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young for sourcing the images.