Matchday Memories: On This Day 2012 – See City Conquer Crawley Comfortably
Manager Mark
On this day (6th November) in 2012 the Sky Blues were now managed by new manager Mark Robins, in his first stint with the club. City’s former ‘gaffer’ Andy Thorn had been sacked at the end of August and his assistant (and now Andy’s fellow CCFPA member) Richard Shaw had looked after team matters as caretaker until Mark arrived in mid September in the middle of a dire run of six league and cup defeats plus a goalless draw with Burton Albion in the Johnson’s Paints Trophy which was eventually won 10-9 on penalties. Mark, however, was stabilising the ship and getting a few league points on the board and was building a bit of positivity. In their last League One game they had brought back a 1-0 win from Leyton Orient and last time out Mark’s men comfortably avoided a potential banana skin against non-league Arlesey Town in the F.A. Cup and progressed to the second round with a 3-0 win.
Flecky in the Sky Blue
Today they were looking for a win treble against Crawley Town and there was a reasonable crowd of 8,862 at the Ricoh (including 228 away fans) to see the Sky Blues achieve their aim with a 3-1 victory! The win was fairly comfortable as City went into the interval two goals up thanks to a ninth minute angled drive from 15 yards from John Fleck after good work from David McGoldrick and another a minute into added time by David assisted by Flecky!
David in the Sky Blue
Although the Essex side pulled one back through Billy Clarke finishing after a shot had hit Sky Blue central defender (and now CCFPA member) William Edjenguele ten minutes into the second period, David curled home a twenty yard effort for his second on 65 minutes and put the game to bed!
Paul Jones, David Hunt, Mat Sadler, Danny Bulman (Nicky Ajose -71), Kyle McFadzean, Mike Jones, Billy Clarke, Claude Davis, Gary Alexander (c) (John Akinde -83), Nicky Adams and Josh Simpson, Unused subs:- Mark Connolly, Sergio Torres, Joe Walsh, Shaun Cooper and Michel Kuipers (gk), Referee: S.Rushton
‘Elvis’- Sky Blue ‘gaffer’
In the league results picked up extensively and, despite the ten point penalty from going into administration, the team was relatively comfortable in the League. However, when Mark, clearly unhappy with the off field situation, decamped for Huddersfield Town at the start of February (now CCFPA member) Lee Carsley took over as Caretaker ‘Gaffer’. Then, in early March, another Sky Blue former player (and now CCFPA member) Steven Pressley took over at the helm to see out the season.
Leon in the Sky Blue
Leon Clarke‘s goals put him second in the League’s hot shot table and CCFC would have finished firmly mid table but not for the points penalty and we were therefore pleased to survive the season in fifteenth spot though exile in Northampton was in prospect. Crawley Town finished comfortable in tenth.
AFC Bournemouth ended up in runners up spot in League One and were promoted along with champions Doncaster Rovers and (via the playoffs) fourth placed Yeovil Town.
For the record the relegated quartet this season were (in descending order) Scunthorpe United, Bury, Hartlepool United and Portsmouth.
CCFC 2012-13 (between Thorn & Robins)
Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young for sourcing the images.
