| Almost four years ago to the day, standing on the open terrace watching City lose at Halesowen the realisation sunk in we'd been relegated. There were strange scenes with Adie Hayward distraught and a small band of City fans bizarrely singing and dancing. Well today people, WE'RE BACK! |
| The changes to the club since those dark days are incredible and the smiles on the faces of the hundred or so City fans after the final whistle were well earned and much enjoyed. |
| Chris Burns should've had a full squad to choose from but Neil Griffiths was mysteriously missing. Rumour had it that the club had tried to contact him after he failed to show up yet his phone was switched off and he was nowhere to be seen. This mean't that he picked a back three of himself, Howarth and Jeffries with Wilko still keeping Tom Webb out of midfield. |
The only major change to the Supermarine team that came to Meadow Park in January was the addition of our very own Steve Jenkins. Having been reduced to something of a bit part player after showing so much promise during the early stages of a blossoming City career, chances became few and far between and Jenks left for pastures new. Alongside him were other former City players Steve Bennett and goalkeeper Tom King.
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| The game suffered from a rather lethargic opening and it was Swindon who were dicating the play. City had to be on guard so as not to fall behind in this oh so important fixture. Dave Wilkinson showed the spirit required when he slid in for a superb tackle only to hurt himself in the process. |
| With Cirencester's Gareth Hopkins tearing up the goalscoring charts, City's near namesake Andy must be concerned about being caught. The Tigers number ten came close with City's first chance when he headed a corner wide of the near post, although the reaction of the City fans close by suggested that it was further wide than I've given him credit for. |
| As dour as the game had begun, it was livened up with an injury to a Swindon player. The home team had not one, but two tasty looking female physio's. Sorry Ade, you may be good but you just don't have the looks. Talking of looks, the home team's left midfielder Dave Toomey must be up there in the Richard Ashcroft sponsored 'Ugliest Player in the DML' stakes! |
Funny features may have broken into a smile though as a deep cross into the City penalty area wasn't properly cleared and a shot flashed across the face of the goal, narrowly beating the far post. If that was a chance then Wilko had a better one when he charged through the defence but King got down well to block his shot. If he'd netted it would've been a carbon copy of the goal he scored at Shepshed.
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| Lee Jeffries, seemingly over his season threatening knee ligament injury reacted quickly as a corner was half cleared and sent a shot inches over the bar. Chris Thompson might've come a cropper when he was fouled following a dreadful hospital pass from Neil Mustoe. Lee Smith was also the victim of a late tackle, but he carried on regardless after being used as a hacky-sack by the Clevedon players on Tuesday. |
| Another foul gave City a free kick thirty-five yards from goal which Chris Burns lined up for a long cross. Before the Gaffer sent in his kick, he screamed at his players that they'd gone too deep. However, he arrowed in his set piece, up went the heads and Jeffries was strongest and saw his effort loop up, across and then it dipped inside the far post with King desperately trying to get his hand to it. The City players celebrated as Burns retorted with "I told you you were too deep"! |
| Lee Smith ended a poor first half when his shot was deflected into the side netting. Not a great performance but it's always a sign of a good team that they can play badly and still score goals. |
During the first half Burnsy had been virtually conducting team talks on the pitch, well, that was when he wasn't deafened by the bellowing Jethro next to him. So, in the luxury of a private dressing room I'm sure he had a few choice words to gee up his under achieving troops because it showed by the way that they opened the second forty-five minutes.
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| Although, for all of our posession, it was Swindon who had the first real chance when Matt Bath had to be alert for the first time in the match to palm away a free kick. Andy Hoskins became the first player booked when he slid in late on a defender as he tried to close down a clearance, although it did look as though the referee was looking the other way at the time of the incident. |
| Ex-City keeper Tom King, in goal when we were relegated almost made up for his part in the Tigers' downfall when he miscued a clearance straight to Jimmy Cox. But the defender managed to close down the shot from the City man with the keeper in no mans land. |
| Chris Thompson was in the wars again as he was fouled, an offence which earned Swindon Captain Giles Harris a yellow card. A minute or so after the incident it was clear that the City midfielder couldn't continue and was replaced by Keith Knight. |
Although City were on top, they still needed a second goal. Again it was Jeffries who provided the finish from an Adie Harris corner to the far post. King got nowhere near the ball and Jethro rose highest from a crowd of players to power his header into the back of the net and send the City fans wild.
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| That was to be the old-aged winger's last contribution as he was replaced by Adam Hemming. The other wing back, Lee Smith embarked on one of his tricky runs and his shot was well smothered by the Supermarine keeper. Obviously no longer in the game, their new manager tried a double substitution as a way of getting back on terms. City also made another change with the eager Tom Webb on for the injured Wilko. |
| Having won a penalty in the home game at Meadow Park Supermarine will wonder how they didn't get one at Hunts Copse as their player glided into the box only to be upended by two City men. The game played on and a Swindon attacker fouled Adam Howarth in exactly the same way as Hosky had for his booking, yet the referee chose not to caution the home player. |
| Another Smith run and shot resulted in a comfortable save before Howarth headed a corner right at the keeper. Andy Hoskins, shotless all afternoon almost got one when Smith's run and cut back found him in a great position, but the defender nipped in in front of the City man to deny his opportunity. |
It really should've been three when Chris Burns headed a corner against the base of the post before Adam Howarth missed a golden chance to net his first for the club when he shot wide of an open goal from the rebound. Lee Jeffries was also in attendance and might've profited had it not been for the snatched shot from the young centre half.
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| As the tannoy announced that former City man Jenks was man of the match, a speculative long range piledriver crashed against the City crossbar and down, but according to the linesman didn't cross the line. It was Swindon's best chance and before they knew it the game was over. |
| Not the best performance but it was enough to keep City's incredible run of good form going strong. |
| Elsewhere, Redditch fell to a 0-2 defeat at Cinderford (with Will Steadman in goal) and threw a spanner in their Championship works. Despite still being seven points ahead of City, they will still need another eight to guarantee that Dennis Strudwick will award them the shield on May 1st. |
| Cirencester kept up the pressure for the Runners-Up spot with a single goal victory at Team Bath thanks to hitman Hopkins and Rugby beat Andy Mac's Shepshed Dynamo by the odd goal in one. Halesowen did their chances of second spot no good by losing at Sutton Town but will be content with elevation to the Premier. |
| Bring on the Bear Killers! |
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