Matchday Memories: On This Day 1994 – See Sky Blues Extinguish Red Dragons Fire In L.C.

Dion in the Sky Blue

On this day (October 5th) in 1994 the Sky Blues managed by Phil Neal faced lower league opposition, Wrexham, in the second leg of the second round of the League Cup (then called the Coca Cola Cup) at Highfield Road. On the 20th September in the first leg at the Racecourse ground, though the Red Dragons gave City a run for their money, the top tier team eventually prevailed by the odd goal in three with goals (one in each half from Julian Darby and Sean Flynn –both now CCFPA members).

Just as in the first leg the Welsh side refused to lie down to their higher level opposition and, perhaps, their over attacking exuberance led to City’s ‘killer’ third goal when the Sky Blues forward Roy Wegerle headed in three minutes after the hour to make it 3-1 on the night.

Roy in the Sky Blue

Discounting their first leg deficit in this game Wrexham were always needing to come back from behind to a brace scored by our talented striker Dion Dublin (to total of six from six since his arrival at Highfield Road).

Dion’s first, a delicate close range chip over Andy Marriott in the seventeenth minute, gave the Sky Blues a 1-0 half-time lead and a two goal cushion in tie which heartened the City fans in the 8,615 Highfield Road crowd. The Red Dragons pulled one back four minutes into the second period thanks to a goal from Wrexham’s Jonathan Cross. Dion’s second just before the hour gave the Welsh side a shock.

Paul in the Sky Blue 1995

Constant attacking from the visitors then led to Roy Wegerle‘s goal and a mountain to climb for the Welsh club. However, on 73 minutes they came back again with a penalty awarded for one of the many crosses from the visitors hitting (now CCFPA member) Paul Cook’s arm. Somewhat unluckily City were penalised further as ‘Cooky’ was also red carded and the Sky Blues were required to see out the remaining seventeen minutes of the game with ten men! The game ended 3-2 to the Sky Blues and 5-3 on aggregate!

https://youtu.be/mxP0uMlVqtU

The teams lined up as follows:-

Phil Neal, CCFC’s gaffer

The Sky Blues : (CCFPA members underlined)

Steve Ogrizovic, Ally Pickering, Steve Morgan, Julian Darby, Dave Busst, Gary Gillespie, Sean Flynn, Paul Cook, Dion Dublin, Roy Wegerle and Cobi Jones

Bryan Flynn‘s Wrexham:

Andy Marriott, Barry Jones, Phil Hardy, Dave Brammer, Bryan Hughes (sub. Steve Watkin), Barry Hunter, Melvyn Pejic, Garry Bennett, Gareth Owen, Karl Connolly, Jonathan Cross and Keiron Durkan.    Referee: Keith Burge

Andy Marriott was briefly attached to the Sky Blues (without playing for the first team) in 2004

The second round win earned the Sky Blues a tie at Blackburn Rovers later in the month.  However, at Ewood Park the Sky Blues went out in the Round Three losing by two clear goals.

CCFC 1994-95

The Sky Blues finished their 1994-95 season in sixteenth place in the Premiership five points clear of the relegation zone after CCFPA member ‘Big Ron’ Atkinson had taken over from Phil Neal.

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