Matchday Memories: On This Day 2017 – See Penalty Fever For Sky Blues EFL Trophy Success v. Saddlers

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Sky Blue gaffer Mark Robins

In season 2017-18 the Sky Blues, under Mark Robins, were facing only their second ever season in the fourth tier of English football (the only previous time was 1958-59). Having been top of the division with two wins in their first two games in League Two (3-0 at home to Notts. County and 2-0 at Grimsby Town) they had since slipped a bit. A 1-0 home defeat to Newport County and another by two clear goals at Yeovil Town was followed by a goalless draw at Chesterfield.

Things began to look up again, however, as the Sky Blues built on a mid week 1-0 home win against Port Vale with another at the Ricoh (2-0) against Carlisle United but then  City came unstuck at Cambridge United by the odd goal in three, before getting the better of Exeter City by two clear goals. Further wins (2-1) at Swindon Town and 1-0 at the Ricoh last time out against Crewe Alexandra had made it five league wins out of six for fourth placed CCFC.

Marc in the Sky Blue

On this day just five years ago (October 3rd 2017) Mark’s men could take a rest from their league exertions as, as defending Cup holders, they had another first round match in the EFL (or Checkatrade) Trophy which were being played as a mini league, each team playing the other once.  On the 29th of last month they had lost 3-2 at home to Shrewsbury Town in the competition and needed a win tonight at Walsall to stand any chance of progress (the third team in the group was the U23 side of West Bromwich Albion). There was about 500 members of the Sky Blue Army present in the tiny 1517 crowd and they saw a game full of twists and turns.

Jordan Ponticelli in the Sky Blue

The Saddlers took a 32nd minute lead from a penalty conceded by a rash tackle on the edge of the box by Sky Blue winger Peter Vincenti and converted by the Salopian side’s Zeli Ismail. The Sky Blues forwards then clawed their way back into the game after the shock of the half-time deficit in the second 45.

First, Marc  McNulty converted his own penalty six minutes before the hour (after the Saddlers goalie tripped him) to equalise. Then, five minutes later, ‘Sparky then made a goal for now fellow CCFPA member Jordan Ponticelli which he hoped would be a Sky Blue winner! Sadly the Saddlers got their own leveller in a scrappy goalmouth skirmish two minutes into added on time to send the game to penalties thanks to a strike from a Sky Blue loanee from the previous season Dan Agyei!

Liam in the Sky Blue yellow!

The resultant penalty shoot-out was the first under the new rules and the Sky Blues squeaked home by 4-3! The Sky Blues’ penalty scorers were (in order) . City’s goalkeeper Liam O’Brien proved the hero for the visitors saving two of the Saddlers’ efforts (from Agyei and Dan Edwards) -though we had one saved too!

A full report from the Saddlers’ perspective can be found here.  Thanks to CCFPA’s Dean Nelson you can relive again the substantial impact of all the penalties taken in this game by clicking on the link or image below:-

Sky Blues (CCFPA members underlined)

Liam O’Brien, Dion Kelly-Evans, Jack Grimmer (c), Dom Hyam, Chris Camwell, Ben Stevenson, Callum Maycock (sub. Bilal Sayoud -74), Peter Vincenti, Stuart Beavon (sub. Jordan Ponticelli -46), Jordan Shipley and Marc McNulty.                         

Unused subs: Reece Ford, Jak Hickman, Tom Bayliss, Kyle Finn and Corey Addai (gk)

Dan in the Sky Blue

Walsall (managed by Jon Whitney)

‘Baka’  in the Sky Blue

Liam Roberts, Nicky Devlin, Kory Roberts, John Guthrie (c), Luke Leahy, Zeli Ismail (sub. Erhun Oztumer -68), Reece Flanagan, Maz Kouhyar (sub. Joe Edwards -63), Keiron Morris, Amadou Bakayoko and Dan Agyei.   Unused subs: Brandon Ganley, Jordan Sangha, Will Shorrock, Stefan Mason and Joe Cairns.  Referee: Robert Lewis

Even though the Sky Blues beat W.B.A. Under 21s by 2-1 three days after bonfire night it was enough to see them through and Shrewsbury Town went through to the second round at the expense of the reigning Cup holders!

CCFC 2017-18

As is well known to Sky Blues fans the Sky Blues squeezed into the League Two play-off positions in sixth spot and, in two heady legs, won through to the League Two final by beating Notts County 4-1 at Meadow Lane (after a 1-1 Ricoh draw) in a stunning victory.

This was followed by them carrying off the Play-Off Cup at Wembley 3-1 against Exeter City on an emotional day in front of nearly 38,000 Sky Blue fans (out of a crowd of 50,196). A successful ‘March to the Arch’ for the second successive season for Mark’s men ensured our stay in the bottom tier was as brief as possible just as nearly fifty years previously!

Unlucky Exeter City finished fourth whilst Champions Accrington Stanley, Luton Town and Wycombe Wanderers got the automatic promotion spots and went up with CCFC whilst Barnet and Chesterfield were relegated to the National League.

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

 

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