Matchday Memories: On This Day 2017 – See City Crack Carlisle As Duckens Delivers & Vincenti Volleys!
Duckens in the Sky Blue
On this day seven years ago (12th September 2017) 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 home defeat to Newport County and another at Yeovil Town was followed by a goalless draw at Chesterfield Town. Things were starting to look up again, however, as the Sky Blues were looking to build on a mid week 1-0 home win against Port Vale.
Today’s opponents at the Ricoh were Carlisle United who only brought 242 fans with them to be part of the 6,151 crowd (which consequently turned out to be the lowest home league gate of the season)!
There was no score at half time as the Sky Blue fans grew restless for success. Then, three minutes after the break, City’s powerful loanee striker from Wolverhampton Wanderers, Duckens Nazon, broke the deadlock latching onto a lovely through ball from City’s club captain (until leaving the Sky Blues at the end of the 2023-24 season) Liam Kelly.
The game was settled on 79 minutes with a volley from Sky Blue winger Peter Vincenti from a cross by Jodi Jones (who was a constant threat) and so Keith Curle‘s Cumbrian side were sent home pointless on the wrong end of a 2-0 defeat.
Manager Mark
Mark’s men that day were (CCFPA members underlined):-
Lee Burge, Jack Grimmer, Chris Stokes, Jordan Willis, Tom Davies, Liam Kelly, Peter Vincenti, Michael Doyle ©, Stuart Beavon (Devon Kelly-Evans -86), Duckens Nazon (Max Biamou -58) and Jodi Jones.
Unused subs:– Dom Hyam, Jordan Ponticelli, Callum Maycock, Tom Bayliss and Liam O’Brien (gk).
Keith Curle‘s Carlisle lined up:-
Shamal George, James Brown, Mark Ellis (Gary Liddle -67), Tom Parkes, Danny Grainger, Jason Kennedy, Luke Joyce, Kelvin Etuhu (Hallam Hope -76), Nicky Adams (Richie Bennett -64), Jamie Devitt and Shaun Miller Unused subs:- Mike Jones, Samir Nabi, Reggie Lambe and Jack Bonham (gk) Referee: – Trevor Kettle
Shaun (now a CCFPA member) had played around a dozen games for the Sky Blues in 2015-16
CCFC 2017-18
At the end of December the Sky Blues completed the double over the Cumbrians at Brunton Park winning by the only goal scored by our ace strike (now CCFPA member) Marc McNulty after 50 minutes -though Mark did also miss a 76th minute penalty!
Marc in the Sky Blue
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 before 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! Carlisle United finished in tenth position.
Divisional Champions Accrington Stanley, runners up Luton Town and third placed Wycombe Wanderers got the automatic promotion spots and went up with CCFC whilst Barnet and Chesterfield Town were relegated to the National League.
