Matchday Memories: On This Day 2013- See Sky Blues & North End Share 8 In Sixfields Thriller

City ‘gaffer’ Steven Pressley

In the last post we looked at the Sky Blues’ League One game on this day (25th August) the previous season (2012). On this very day a year later in 2013 the Sky Blue manager, former player (and now CCFPA member) Steven Pressley, who had taken over from Mark Robins only the previous March, faced running a campaign with the club undertaking their first period of exile from the Ricoh. It’s not too long since we completed the second of two seasons based at Birmingham City‘s St Andrews so let’s hope that is the last time! Then, ‘Elvis’ was facing a season sharing their ‘home’ games with host club Northampton Town at their Sixfields stadium. The club had to try to minimise the impact of the club owner’s deep problems with the City Council and their Ricoh Landlords and this vastly unpopular solution for most fans.

CCFC was also labouring under the handicap of a 10 point Football League deduction for going into administration! The Sky Blues first two games after a mixed pre-season had proved disappointing with 3-2 defeats both on the road (at Crawley Town in the League opener and at Leyton Orient in the Capital One Cup). The next two were a different kettle of fish! On the 11th August Elvis’ team had produced a stunning 5-4 victory at Sixfields against Bristol City with young strikers (both now CCFPA members) Billy Daniels and Callum Wilson each getting a brace and experienced front man Leon Clarke getting his first of the season.

Franck in the Sky Blue

Next, just under a week later, away at Carlisle United the Sky Blue forwards carried on where they left off the previous Sunday and rattled off three goals by half-time and won the game handsomely scoring four without reply. City were two goals up within six minutes as Leon Clarke bagged another after four minutes and then (now CCFPA member) Franck Moussa doubled up less than two minutes later.

Billy in the Academy Sky Blue 2012

Even better, though after fourteen minutes Sky Blues central defender (another CCFPA recruit) Andy Webster conceded a penalty, our shot-stopper Joe Murphy pulled off a great save from the Cumbrian’s James Berrett. To rub it in City’s young striker (and now CCFPA member) Billy Daniels netted just after the half-hour and the rout was completed in the second half by Leon’s second after 65 minutes. They had found their shooting boots at this level!

Leon in the Sky Blue

Today’s game was back at Sixfields against Preston North End and City scored another four goals in an eight goal thriller but failed to win, sharing the spoils in an exciting, roller coaster of a game. there was a tiny 2,068 fans in the ground (including 562 from Lancashire).

Callum In the Sky Blue

The scoring went like this. Tom Clarke gave the visitors a tenth minute lead but another goal from Leon Clarke after 25 minutes made it all square at half-time. The visitors’ Bailey Wright restored their lead with 25 minutes to go only for the Sky Blues exciting young striker Callum Wilson to equalise and then put us in front in the space of thirteen minutes (seventy and 83 mins).

Mathieu Manset in the Sky Blue

With only three minutes left, Preston’s sub. Joel Byrom equalised again and both sides might have settled for the draw at that point. However, after ninety minutes was up  there was more action in stoppage time. First, two minutes in another of the the away side’s substitute Chris Humphrey thought he had won it for the visitors only for City’s French new signing (a fairly recent CCFPA recruit) Matthieu Manset to get a last gasp equaliser for the homesters after 90+7 minutes! What a breathless finale to this 4-4 draw!

You can watch the key action, courtesy of former CCFPA committee member Dean Nelson by clicking on the image below:-

Joe Murphy; Cyrus Christie, Blair Adams, Andy Webster, Jordan Clarke, Conor Thomas, Billy Daniels (Mathieu Manset – 67), Franck Moussa, Leon Clarke, Callum Wilson and John Fleck   

Unused Subs: Jordan Willis, Ryan Haynes, Adam Barton, Louis Garner, Leon Lobjoit and Lee Burge (gk)

Simon Grayson‘s North End team lined up as follows:-

Stuart Beavon in the Sky Blue

Declan Rudd, Keith Keane, David Buchanan, Paul Huntingdon, Tom Clarke, Bailey Wright, Will Hayhurst (Chris Humphrey -62), John Welsh (John Mousinho -62), Kevin Davies, Joe Garner (Joel Byrom -82) and Lee Holmes Unused Subs: Scott Laird, Stuart Beavon, Iain Hume and Thorsten Stuckmann (gk)   Referee: Robert Madley.

On the bench (unused) for the Lilywhites was Stuart Beavon who later (2017-19) became a Sky Blue player and fairly recently an Association member.

The two sides met again in the return in Preston on 18th January and produced another draw, this time a goal apiece. After a goalless first half North End’s Kevin Davies gave the home side the lead only for Franck Moussa to salvage a late, late point for City with a goal in the seventh minute of added on time just prior to the final whistle!