Matchday Memories: On This Day 2014 – See Réda & Simeon Sort Sky Blues Glovers’ Success!

‘Elvis’- Sky Blue ‘gaffer’

On this day (13th September) in 2014 goalsthe Sky Blues, under former defender Steven Pressley were facing Yeovil Town at the Ricoh. ‘Elvis’ had made just the one change to the side that had beaten Gillingham 1-0 in CCFC’s Ricoh Arena homecoming the previous Friday by bringing in Josh McQuoid to replace (now CCFPA member) Marcus Tudgay. There was a modest 11,085 fans in the stadium including just 485 away fans!

Our imposing central defender Réda Johnson gave the Sky Blues a perfect start by netting his third of the season with a powerful header after only six minutes.

Simeon Jackson in the Sky Blue

Then Jamaican-born Canadian international (and now CCFPA member) Simeon Jackson came off the bench to grab the Sky Blues’ second half winner after 68 minutes after the Sam Foley had levelled for the visitors five minutes after the restart. The back to back home win lifted City into the playoff spots (though the season was to deteriorate and the Sky Blues were not to win again in the League until 25th October)!

A full match report from the Coventry City club website can be found here. Thanks to former CCFPA committee member Dean Nelson you can watch some match highlights by clicking on the link or image below:-

youtube.com/watch?v=T1Szjg

Reda Johnson celebrates his goal

The two teams lined up as follows (substitutes in brackets. CCFPA members are underlined)

Sky Blues (subs in brackets – CCFPA members underlined):

Ryan Allsop, Jordan Clarke, Reda Johnson (c), Jordan Willis (Seb. Hines -73), Andy Webster, Ryan Haynes, Jim O’Brien, Conor Thomas, John Fleck, Josh McQuoid (Simeon Jackson -46), Frank Nouble (Aaron Phillips -90+1)

Unused Subs: Danny Pugh, Danny Swanson, Marcus Tudgay and Lee Burge (gk)

Aaron in the Sky Blue

Yeovil Town (managed by Gary Johnson):

Chris Weale, Nathan Smith, Joe Edwards (c) (Ralph 73), Aaron Martin, Jakub Sokolik, Kevin Dawson, James Hayter (Grant -49), AJay Leitch-Smith,, Sam Foley (Moore 73), Jack Price and Ben Nugent Unused Subs: Seth Nana Ofuri-Twumasi and Artur Krysiak (gk). Referee: Dean Whitestone

At the end of this October Aaron Martin (who later joined this Association) moved to the Sky Blues in a loan swap with another CCFPA member now Jordan Clarke. He had also had a loan spell with us in February 2013 when a Southampton player. Aaron signed for us full-time the following January (2015) and ended up making 72 Sky Blue appearances netting twice before departing to Oxford United in June 2016.

Gary Madine in the Sky Blue

The following January lowly Sky Blues helped the struggling Glovers off the bottom of League One by missing a second half penalty (culprit Gary Madine whose shot was saved by Eric Steer) thus allowing Yeovil Town to take a point in a goalless draw!

‘Elvis’ was to make way on the 22nd February 2015 for Tony Mowbray (appointed from 1st March 2015). Neil McFarlane and Dave Hockaday acted as caretakers in the gap. The Sky Blues final League One position was seventeenth.

At the top Bristol City (Champs). runners up MK Dons and third placed (via the play offs) Preston North End got themselves promoted. At the bottom Notts County, Crawley Town, Leyton Orient and bottom club, today’s opponents, Yeovil Town fell through the trap door. The Glovers were a dozen points adrift of safety!