Matchday Memories: On This Day 2002 – Mills, Macca (& Jay) Make Mariners Miffed

On this day (14th September) in 2002 the Sky Blues, under player-manager Gary McAllister, were facing their seventh league game in the new Division One season having, so far, achieved mixed results (three wins, a draw and two defeats). However, last time out three days ago also at Highfield Road, they crushed Division Two Colchester United by three clear goals in their initial League (Worthington) Cup tie so hopes were high they could repeat the dose today at home in the league against Grimsby Town.  A decent crows of 12,409 had turned up to watch the contest. There was no breakthrough for either side in the first half.

Lee Mills in the Sky Blue

Though the Mariners had only scored one goal so far in their Division One campaign they shocked the City two minutes into the second period when Steve Kabba beat (now CCFPA member) Richard Shaw for pace to put the visitors in front. However, that advantage lasted only a couple of minutes before (another Association member now) Lee Mills equalised and then, twenty minutes later, Lee earned a soft penalty which Macca put away. The game swung again immediately when a minute later, on seventy minutes the Mariners equalised through Alan Pouton.

Jay in Sky Blue action

It could have gone either way in the closing stages but Sky Blue pressure paid off eventually when, three minutes from time, the Sky Blues young striker Jay Bothroyd produced a looping header to win the points and settle a somewhat scrappy game.

Morten Hyldgaard

For this League game City had restored new ‘keeper (now a CCFPA member) Morten Hyldgaard between the sticks after the other goalkeeping newbie Frenchman Fabien Debec had made his debut in the League Cup tie. So, the Dane (now a CCFPA member) must have been pleased the two goals conceded did not lose City the game!

The BBC Sports contemporary match report can be found here.

Macca’s Men lined up as follows (CCFPA members underlined):-

Gary in the Sky Blue

Morten Hyldgaard, Youssef Chippo, Dean Gordon, Richard Shaw, Mo Konjic, Gary Caldwell, John Eustace(sub. David Pipe -64), Gary McAllister, Lee Mills, Jay Bothroyd  and Youssef Safri

Unused Subs: Barry Quinn, Laurent Delorge and Fabien Debec (gk)

Paul Groves‘ Mariners’ team that day was:-

Danny Coyne, John McDermott, Tony Gallimore (sub. Simon Ford -52), Stacy Coldicott, Paul Groves, Steve Chettle, Paul Robinson (sub. Darren Mansaram -90), Stuart Campbell, Steve Kabba, Alan Pouton and Darren Barnard (sub. Jonathan Rowan -90)   Referee:- Joe Ross (London)

The Sky Blues completed the double over the Mariners on the first day of March beating them by two clear goals in Cleethorpes thanks to a seventeenth minute Simon Ford own goal and a  penalty three minutes after the hour from (now CCFPA member) John Eustace.

CCFC 2002-03

Despite the double City finished their 2002-03 Division One season safe, but only just so, finishing in twentieth place four points and a couple of places above the relegated clubs (Sheffield Wednesday, Brighton & Hove Albion and bottom of the table, our opponents today, Grimsby Town).

Division One Champions Portsmouth, runners up Leicester City and fifth place Wolverhampton Wanderers (after the playoffs) were the promoted trio.

Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young (& Dean Nelson) for sourcing the images