Matchday Memories: On This Day 2020 – See Mark’s Men Make Millers Miserable!

Mark Robins, CCFC ‘gaffer’

On this day just a year ago (5th December) in 2020 the Sky Blues, under Mark Robins, were facing three challenges. First they were back in the Championship hoping to consolidate after their promotion as runaway Champions of League One the previous season. Second they were in their second season in exile from Coventry playing all ‘home’ games at the St Andrews stadium of friendly hosts Birmingham City. Thirdly the COVID19 health emergency was in full swing and that meant that no spectators were allowed to watch proceedings. Today’s game at St. Andrews was against another of the promoted sides Rotherham United. Both teams were finding the step up to the higher division a bit of a struggle to date. Nevertheless City’s fairly comfortable 3-1 victory over the Millers extended their unbeaten run in theleague to five matches. The win left the Sky Blues in nineteenth, six points clear of the bottom three, but twentieth-placed Rotherham were left hovering just two points above the drop zone after a sixth loss in eight games.

Max Biamou in the Sky Blue

City’s win was thanks to goals from (now CCFPA member) Max Biamou and two loanees Tyler Walker (from Nottingham Forest) and Leo Ostigard (from Brighton). In virtually the Sky Blues first attack Tyler set up our popular French forward Max for the opener heading him through to beat Blackman after just four minutes. Then, eight minutes later, Tyler himself tucked home the second, squeezing home the rebound after Callum O’Hare had hit the post. Two up in a dozen minutes was a great start! The Millers’ response to this desperate early turn of events was initially positive as Michael Ihiekwe and Angus MacDonald both headed over from Joe Mattock set-pieces and they did come close to pulling one back after 24 minutes when Sky Blues ‘keeper Ben Wilson spilled Matt Crooks‘ cross but the redoubtable Kyle McFadzean was able to get the ball clear with the visitors’ striker Michael Smith lurking.

Tyler in the Sky Blue

On the other hand, only the woodwork and Jamal Blackman stopped the Millers falling further behind before half time. Max was so unlucky with an improvised overhead effort connecting with a cross with the outside of his right foot from Sky Blues captain Liam Kelly only to see it hit the post. Then, three minutes before the break a lovely cushioned header from Max sent Tyler racing away to shoot but Blackman spread himself well to block. Sadly United’s Glen Mattock was stretchered off at the interval to add to Rotherham’s woe. The Millers’ captained popular former Sky Blue central defender Richard Wood (now a CCFPA member) was injured and only played the first half.

Leo Ostigaard in the Sky Blue

It was a powerful header from the Sky Blues Leo Ostigard in the 27th minute of the second period that proved the Sky Blues killer goal forced through off a Miller’s player. Even though the Millers’ Daniel Barlaser claimed a late consolation for the visitors from the penalty spot past Sky Blues ‘keeper Ben Wilson (who had conceded it after a collision with United’s Kyle Vassell) with five minutes left all the points stayed in the hands of CCFC.

The contemporary BBC Sport report (including comments from the respective managers) can be found here.

Thanks to CCFPA’s Dean Nelson you can watch the key match action by clicking on the link or image of Gus Hamer congratulating Tyler Walker below:-

https://youtu.be/QEJL_Aw8NXE.

For the record the two teams lined up as follows:-

Sky Blues (CCFPA members underlined):-

Ben Wilson, Sam McCallum, Fankaty Dabo, Dominic Hyam, Kyle McFadzean, Liam Kelly (c), Leo Ostigaard, Gus Hamer, Tyler Walker (sub. Amadou Bakayoko -78), Max Biamou and Callum O’Hare

Unused subs: Josh Pask, Ryan Giles, Jordan Shipley, Jamie Allen, Ben Sheaf, Wesley Jobello, Blaine Rowe and Lee Camp (gk)

Max and Sam are both players who have since left CCFC for pastures new and we are pleased to say both quickly signed up for CCFPA on leaving as did Amadou and Dom more recently!

Though things looked tricky for the Sky Blues for a while as the season developed Mark Robins‘ men finished strongly winning five and drawing one of their last eight Championship games. One of these was a 1-0 win at Rotherham United ensuring a City ‘double’ over the Millers in mid April (Leo Ostigaard got our goal twenty minutes from time).

CCFC 2020-21

The Sky Blues were content with a sixteenth place finish and a Championship place for the following season when they would be moving back to their Coventry home after two years exile. They were a dozen points clear of the drop zone which contained two of the promoted teams the previous campaign Wycombe Wanderers (22nd), our opponents today Rotherham United (23rd) and bottom of the pile Sheffield Wednesday.

At the top of the tree Champions Norwich City and runners up Watford got automatic promotion to the Premier League along with winner of the playoffs, third placed Brentford.