Members News: ‘Elvis’ Sees Sky Blues Succumb To PNE Smash & Grab

It was great to see our member, former Sky Blue, Steven Pressley back in Coventry at the CBS Arena yesterday evening visiting us as our Friday night match-day ‘special guest’. ‘Elvis’ as he was affectionately nicknamed was always passionate about his football both as our former player and ‘gaffer’ so he must have been surprised how easily the Sky Blues succumbed to a first half Preston North End onslaught to go three goals down by the break. As another member, CCFC goalkeeping legend Steve Ogrizovic, honest as always, recognised in his live match-day commentary (for BBC CWR) Mark Robins‘ men were outfought and outplayed by the Lilywhites – always a bit of a bogey team for CCFC.

Steven arrived on time to do his pre-match Q&A’s around the supporters lounges in the CBS Arena mainstand with fellow CCFPA member and ex Sky Blue defender Brian ‘Harry’ Roberts. He had plenty of interest to say from a long and varied career, particularly about his Sky Blues’ days when the club were facing a number of challenges. Little can either have suspected how easily the robust visitors, kitted out in all red, managed to bully the home team into  frequently losing possession and misplacing their passes. The sucker punch of going one down in the very first minute with PNE’s Emil Riis forcing home from close range seemed to discomfit the home side more than most Sky Blue fans would have anticipated. We hope that a brief video of one of Steve’s Q&As (alongside CCFC U21 Isaac Moore) will appear on our Facebook page in due course. Just click on Facebook button to the right of this post.

Twenty minutes in another decisive strike from Will Keane (capitalising on more  defensive uncertainty) doubled the deficit with the night soon getting worse when the Sky Blues Japanese winger Tatsuhiro Sakamoto was carried off necessitating a formation change. A Bobby Thomas own goal after a breakawy from the visitors with less than ten minutes left added insult to injury and the Sky Blues a mountain to climb in the second period.

In the second forty five minutes Steven saw City make a better fist of things but PNE always managed to smother the Sky Blues efforts and usual fluency. Though a few CCFC chances continued to be created by the home midfield and forwards the visitors always seemed more likely to convert their opportunities. After the game Steven sportingly agreed to join CCFPA vice chairman Billy Bell and a good showing of disappointed Sky Blue fans in the Lady Gs supporters lounge down in the G-Casino under the Arena. From the stage ‘Elvis’ and Billy did their best to cheer up their audience and there was enough positive spirit left for all to produce a reasonably satisfying finale of together singing the Sky Blue song to see off an unsatisfactory Sky Blue performance! A bad day at the office, unlike the great performances in past weeks, everyone awaits next Monday night’s F.A.Cup tie at the CBS against non-league Maidstone United to see the Sky Blues get back on track. Though obviously a ‘banana-skin’ to be avoided, a Monday night win in front of the ITV cameras would do much to relegate last night’s result to the back of the collective memory banks of the Sky Blue Army, a magnificent 24,000 in number who turned up to watch the game.

Thanks to Steven for coming to see us again despite the poor result – we hope you come again soon!