Unable to avoid relegation at the end of his first part-season, McLeish led the team back to the Premier League at the first attempt in 2009, then guided them to a 12-game unbeaten run, a club record in the top division, and a ninth-place finish, their best since 1959. McLeish led Birmingham to their first major trophy in 48 years, by beating Arsenal in the 2011 League Cup Final, then took them back to the second tier. Rumoured to be favourite for Aston Villa's managerial vacancy, McLeish resigned by email in June 2011. His successor, former Newcastle United manager Chris Hughton, led the club into the Europa League group stage, narrowly failed to qualify for the knockout rounds, and reached the play-off semi-finals. With the club in financial turmoil and under a transfer embargo, Hughton left for Premier League Norwich City. Lee Clark, dismissed by Huddersfield Town earlier in 2012, led Birmingham to a mid-table finish in his first season. They escaped relegation to the third tier on goal difference via Paul Caddis's stoppage-time equaliser at Bolton Wanderers in the last match of 2013–14, but continuing poor form, with only one home league win in more than a year, brought Clark's dismissal in October 2014.