Matchday Memories: On This Day 2007 – See Dowie’s Sky Blues Send Preston Packing (‘Dele & ‘Doyler’ Deliver)

Iain Dowie

On this day (1st September) in 2007 Sky Blues ‘gaffer’ Ian Dowie’s picked a team to play Preston North End at the Ricoh in their fourth Championship game of the season. The Sky Blues had certainly started the 2007-08 campaign with a bang. After bashing Barnsley at their own place 4-1 in the season’s league opener they dispatched Notts County 3-0 at the Ricoh in the first round of the League Cup. Then, again at the Ricoh, the Sky Blues had fought out a 1-1 draw with Hull City and seen off Cardiff City the previous Saturday in Wales thanks to a Jay Tabb goal.  In midweek they had also racked up another League Cup victory at Carlisle United to add to the success.

On this day the City’s postive start to the season was continued as they registered a 2-1 home league victory over the Lilywhites to keep them top of the table in front of 17,551 fans. In fact, the run would end in a fortnight’s time as they suffering their first defeat on September 15th at Bristol City.

Dele in the Sky Blue

The win today looked an unlikely outcome for much of the game since North End scored first after 16 minutes thanks to a Patrick Agyemang strike capitalising on a poor goal kick from Sky Blues Dimi Konstantopoulos in goal. This was actually P.N.E.‘s first goal of their season! Furthermore, the Sky Blues seemed out of sorts in front of the SKY TV cameras in the first 45 minutes.  Dowie must have read the riot act at half-time as the Sky Blues were a very different proposition straight from the whistle in the second period. 

Michael Doyle in the Sky Blue

Their non-stop attacking eventually got its reward ten minutes from time as our forward ‘Dele Adebola, who was immense this half, converted a difficult chance swivelling under pressure to equalise at long last! The game was won for the Sky Blues five minutes later (and five minutes from the finish) by Michael Doyle (now ‘Dele’s fellow  CCFPA member) who conjured up a thunderous left foot drive into the top corner which brought the house down and led to a deserved standing ovation for the team at the final whistle. City had finally ended their Preston hoodoo!

Thanks to CCFPA’s Dean Nelson you can watch the highlights by clicking on the image below:-

BBC Sport’s contemporary report featuring reactions from the respective managers can be found here.

The Sky Blues fielded the following team (CCFPA members underlined):-

Dimi Konstantopoulos, Isaac Osbourne, Gary Borrowdale, Michael Doyle, Elliott Ward, Marcus Hall, Jay Tabb (sub. Ellery Cairo -72), Stephen Hughes, ‘Dele Adebola, Leon McKenzie (sub. Michel Mifsud -66) and Julian Gray

Unused subs:-  Robbie Simpson, Arjan De Zeeuw and Andy Marshall (gk)

Paul Simpson‘s Preston side lined up as follows:-

Danny Pugh in Sky Blue action

Andy Lonergan, Billy Jones, Liam Chilvers, Youl Mawene, Callum Davidson, Chris Sedgwick, Kevin Nicholls, Darren Carter, Danny Pugh (Simon Whaley -84), Patrick Agyemang (Brett Ormerod -76), Andy Carroll (Paul Gallagher -69).  Unused subs:- Matt Hill and Chris Neal (gk).

Referee: Anthony Taylor (Greater Manchester)

Danny Pugh, who was on loan at Deepdale from Stoke City, would later play a handful of games for the Sky Blues in 2004-05.

The season, of course, developed in a much less promising way with takeover plans stuttering and the resignation of City MD Paul Fletcher in October (to be replaced by Ray Ranson before Christmas as the threat of Administration was lifted.

Results and player morale suffered and Chris Coleman was placed in the CCFC hot seat after Iain Dowie‘s shock sacking in February. Frankie Bunn and John Harbin took temporary caretaker charge in between). Just before Dowie’s departure, with the Sky Blues nineteenth City played their return in Preston with the Lilywhites (who were themselves struggling in 22nd spot and under the management now of Alan Irvine) and lost ignominiously to a first half Sean St Ledger goal.

Coventry City 2007-08

In the event, the Sky Blues escaped relegation in 21st position in the Championship, a point and a place above the drop. Leicester City were the somewhat unlucky fall guys, even after the Sky Blues succumbed to a last day of the season drubbing, losing 4-1  at Charlton Athletic.

Preston’s improvement saw them finish fifteenth as West Bromwich Albion (as champions of the Championship) and runners up Stoke City went up with third placed Hull City (who won the play-offs). At the other end of the table bottom club Colchester United and Scunthorpe United went down with the Foxes.

Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young for sourcing the photos