Matchday Memories: On This Day 1995 – See Sky Blue Chelsea Stalemate Seal Neal’s Managerial Fate
On this day (4th February) in 1995 the Sky Blues were eleven games without a win in the Premier League, in the four team relegation zone, and in the last days of Phil Neal‘s management as they took on Chelsea in front of 13,423 at Highfield Road. ‘Big Ron’Atkinson (now a CCFPA member) would arrive to fanfares as Phil was sacked after the subsequent game at Crystal Palace but following this drab 2-2 draw which repeated the scoreline at Stamford Bridge between the two clubs back in early November when (both now CCFPA members) Dion Dublin and Peter Ndlovu successively replied to goals from the Blues.
In today’s game once more the Sky Blues had to come from behind each time and all goals came in the first half. First, CCFC’s now legendary goalie ‘Oggy‘ managed to spill a cross from the Blues’ Scott Minto giving Mark Stein an opportunity he took with aplomb after fourteen minutes. City’s Sean Flynn (now an Association member) got the Sky Blues back on term a dozen minutes later with a fine header from a free kick from fairly recent CCFPA recruit Leigh Jenkinson.
Then, future Sky Blue ‘gaffer’ Steven Pressley (also now a CCFPA member) gave away his second penalty in successive matches when he fouled Steve Clarke in the box three minutes after the half hour and John Spencer converted. It required an own goal from the Blues’ Craig Burley nine minutes from the break to give City their second equaliser, a header into his own net from another free kick in an almost identical position by Sky Blue winger Leigh (who later limped off to be replaced by Roy Wegerle). Naturally Sean claimed a brace but the ref decided it was the Blues defender who made slight contact with the ball that beat Dmitri Kharine. It was 2-2 at the break and that’s how it stayed as the Sky Blues fans in the 13,423 crowd left the stadium disappointed.
Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young for sourcing the images.