Matchday Memories: On This Day 2015- See Mogga’s Men Play Out Goalless Draw With Seasiders!
Manager Mowbray
On this day October 17th in 2015 the Sky Blues, under Tony Mowbray, played out a goalless draw at the Ricoh with struggling Blackpool. Mogga’s men kept their unbeaten home start but really would have hoped to have done better against a side struggling in League One relegation zone especially as they had won four out of the five home games so far! The Sky Blues were hoping to build on a 1-0 away win at Fleetwood the previous Saturday. Perhaps predictably, however, the seasiders ensured with the 0-0 result that they remained unbeaten in thieir last three games. There was a crowd of 12,094 in the Ricoh watching the game including 450 from the seaside.
‘Arma’ in the Sky Blue
Not that CCFC didn’t have chances to get off the mark as forwards Marc Antoine-Fortune, Adam Armstrong and Ryan Kent as well as defender (and CCFPA member) Chris Stokes all might have netted during the first-half. The Tangerines also failed to take advantage of a good opportunity in the second period when Blackpool’s striker Mark Cullen fired wide. The stalemate meant that Tony’s Sky Blues remained fifth. Mogga told BBC CWR:-
‘It was a frustrating day. One of those games. We knew what it was going to be like. The team worked extremely well, but it just wasn’t to be. I can’t question the endeavour of the team in trying to get a result, or the concentration to make sure we didn’t concede. It was a game we would have probably lost last season when I came. It was a game we controlled for long spells. Sometimes you have to put the point in the bag and move on to the next game. We’ll be frustrated as the fans are frustrated of course, but we’ll take the positives.
Thanks to CCFPA’s former committee member Dean Nelson you can watch some match highlights by clicking on the link or image below:-
Marc in the Sky Blue
The following ten players in the Sky Blues’ squad of eighteen later went on to join CCFPA:- Reice Charles-Cook, captain Sam Ricketts, Aaron Martin, Reda Johnson, Chris Stokes, Romain Vincelot, George Thomas, Jim O’Brien, Marcus Tudgay and Lee Burge (gk). The ‘Pool’s young substitute loan striker Kwame Thomas would soon spend two years (2016-18) signed up with CCFC!
City did get their win over the Tangerines having to wait for the return game in the north-west the following March when a 25th minute Marc-Antoine Fortune strike gave the Sky Blues all the points, though they had to fight to protect their lead during the last ten minutes when they went down to ten men after (now CCFPA member) Chris Stokes was stretchered off injured in the 80th minute.
Though the Sky Blues had once harboured serious promotion aspirations, they had to be content with an eighth place finish just shy (albeit five points) of the playoffs. Top of the League One tree this season were Wigan Athletic who were promoted along with runners up, a couple of points behind, Burton Albion and sixth placed Barnsley (after the playoffs).
CCFC 2015-16
Our opponents on this day remained in the final relegation quartet as follows (in descending order) Bolton Wanderers, Blackpool, Colchester United and, at the very bottom, Crewe Alexandra.
Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young (& Dean Nelson) for sourcing the images.
