Sunderland – Championship Champions 2004-05
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Sunderland went into the 2004-05 season under Mick McCarthy with the tag of firm favourites, with many expecting the Black Cats to be promoted to the Premier League. However, with expectations high, their start to the campaign left a lot to be desired, winning just one game in six during the first month, a 3-1 win at home to Crewe Alexandra. Otherwise, they kicked off on the opening day with a 2-0 away defeat against Coventry City, followed with draws at home to Queens Park Rangers and Wigan Athletic and after a narrow defeat away to Plymouth Argyle, they rounded off the month with a 1-0 loss at the hands of Reading.
With work to do already early on, September saw an upturn in their league form, winning four games out of five. A 4-0 away win against Gillingham would set the tone, with impressive back-to-back league wins against Nottingham Forest and Preston North End to follow. They were to end the month with a brace of 1-0 displays, winning away to Leeds United before suffering their next defeat in the league at Bramall Lane. Their up turn in form was to continue as they headed into October, going the month unbeaten to put them back in the mix near the top. In a perhaps more conservative attacking month, narrow 1-0 wins against Millwall and Rotherham United were to be backed up with draws against Derby County and Watford, before returning back to home soil as they recorded a routine 2-0 win against Brighton and Hove Albion.
They were to start November in the same way that they finished October, impressing as they ran out 3-1 winners at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers. A 2-0 defeat at the hands of Millwall was to follow, before they would to their ruthless best as they recorded three straight league wins keeping a clean sheet in all of them, running out narrow 1-0 winners away to Leicester City and Stoke City as well as a 2-0 win against Ipswich Town. December was to start in less impressive fashion, losing out 2-0 away to West Ham United. They were to bonce back with a 2-0 display of their own, beating Cardiff City in the Welsh capital, and followed that with another 2-goal haul as they ran out 2-1 winners against Burnley. They were to fall to their next defeat of the season in the following game, coming out on the wrong side of a 3-2 game against Leeds United. They rounded off 2004 with a win to put them firmly in the driving seat heading into the new year, heading to the County Ground and coming away with a 2-1 win.
They were to start 2005 with a defeat, again losing 3-2 but this time at the hands of Preston North End, before embarking on a five-game unbeaten run to strengthen their position in the table, recording 1-1 draws against Gillingham and Wolverhampton Wanderers along with impressive wins against Derby County, Sheffield United and Watford, winning the later with a 4-2 display. The middle of February was to see their next defeat in the league, losing 2-1 away to Brighton and Hove Albion, but this was to be the start of an impressive run of form in the league as Mick McCarthy’s men tightened their grip on top spot as they won the next eight games without fail. Notable results included a 4-1 home win against Rotherham United and an impressive 5-1 display against Plymouth Argyle, along with equally-important 1-goal wins against Crewe Alexandra, Coventry City and Wigan Athletic.
The start of April was to see their last defeat of the season, 2-1 at home to Reading, as they responded in confident fashion to make sure of their promotion and title win in the next three games. A 2-2 draw away to Ipswich Town was to be followed by three consecutive wins to close out the campaign to put the shine on a fantastic season, with back-to-back 2-1 wins against Leicester City and West Ham United followed by a 1-0 home win on the final day of the campaign against Stoke City, ensuring they finished the season in style and round up a fine season.
Needham Market – Isthmian League Division One North Champions 2014-15
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Needham Market headed into the 2014-15 campaign as one of the favourites to be challenging for promotion, and their opening month certainly showed early signs that they would do just that, going August unbeaten as they won all six games to lay down an early marker. Three successive 1-goal wins to kick off the campaign – at home to Great Wakering Rovers and away to Ware and Thurrock – were followed up with impressive home victories against Cheshunt and Tilbury, winning 4-2 against Cheshunt before coming out on top in a topsy turvy, entertaining 5-3 clash with Tilbury.
They continued to go strong as they headed into September, and despite losing twice – 2-1 at home to Brentwood and Heybridge – they won the other five games as they hit three against Thamesmead Town, Soham Town Rangers and Cray Wanderers. They also impressed as they won 4-1 at home to Brightlingsea Regent to round off the month. October saw a reduced quota of games, and their next defeat in the league as they lost 2-0 away to Aveley. The rest of the month saw them continue their fine form, putting together another two wins as they returned to home soil after running out 3-1 winners away to Romford and followed it up with an entertaining 4-2 win against Maldon and Tiptree.
November was to see them go from strength-to-strength in the league, winning the first five games of the month – including a comfortable 5-0 home win over Burnham Ramblers and 1-goal victories over Harlow Town, Redbridge and Chatham Town, before they dropped some points towards the end of the month with a 2-2 draw against Great Wakering Rovers and their next defeat in the league in the form of a narrow 1-0 home display against Ware. December saw another reduced round of games in the league, but no let up in their form as they recorded three 2-0 wins – against Cheshunt, Thurrock and Wroxham – to head into the new year in winning mood.
January started in similarly positive fashion, with routine wins to kick off the new year against AFC Sudbury and Thamesmead Town before an impressive 4-0 home victory over Barkingside. They were to round off the month with a 3-1 away defeat against Dereham Town, before honours were even against Maldon and Tiptree. February was to see perhaps a more inconsistent month, with a 6-2 home demolition of Romford and a routine 3-0 home win against Aveley coupled with away defeats against Brightlingsea Regent and Redbridge to provide them with a timely reminder that perhaps not all was done quite yet. March was to see a fantastic month of action for them in the league, with a 1-0 away defeat against Heybridge to finish the month doing little to derail an otherwise exemplary month that saw them pick up five consecutive wins, including back-to-back 3-1 away wins against Brentwood and Cray Wanderers.
With the title race next and neck with Harlow Town, all eyes were on their April form to see if they were to seal top spot, and so they did. An unbeaten last month of the campaign would see them firmly in their groove, following up a goalless draw with Wroxham and a 1-1 draw at home to Dereham with a routine away performance against Burnham Ramblers – running out 3-0 victors – before again sharing the spoils in a 2-2 draw with Harlow Town, a draw that would prove to be decisive in deciding the outcome of the contest. They headed into the last game of the season knowing that a win against Chatham Town would seal the title, and they duly obliged, winning 5-0 in an impressive, text book away performance to ensure they finished on 104 points, a point ahead of second-placed Harlow Town who pushed them close. However, it was not to be for Town as Needham Market were to lift the title and put the shine on a fantastic campaign.
Guess Who #16
We continue our Xmas Calendar Guess Who with a player that came through the youth ranks at Southend United, has played for East Thurrock United and has played in the Championship for Peterborough United. Who do you think may be?
Let us know by commenting on this post, or on either of our social media posts (Twitter or Instagram) and we will reveal the identity of the player in tomorrow’s edition. Happy guessing, and good luck!
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