| The words, "tight", "nervy", "relieved" and "andrex" come to mind tonight. |
| Chris Burns had to fill a major hole in midfield due to the suspension of Neil Mustoe. The experienced midfielder had been shown red for a minor offence at Team Bath and his two game ban (also at Evesham on Tuesday) would be a major blow to the City engine room. |
| Another Neil, this time Griffiths, was picked to fill the void and play in the unfamilar midfield berth alongside Chris Thompson and Tom Webb. Adam Howarth had joined Burns and Jethro at the back as the side showed a lack of creative genius in the most important areas. |
| There was a surprise in the Sutton line up when talented goalkeeper Justin Bray was announced only as substitute keeper having always stood out as a blossoming talent. Also featured were Richie Gardner, a useful full back who got Darren Keeling red carded whilst playing for Bromsgrove against City and Mark Wolsey, a nasty, foul mouthed little bugger who according to the pen pics wouldn't look out of place on a bike! |
| This was one of those games that you just want to see a favourable result in black and white and being there is more of a chore than an enjoyment. The elements didn't help as a strong wind blew across Meadow Park from Hempsted to the Docks and Sutton won the toss and chose to kick with it. |
| Chances were going to be few and far between but the first one fell to Adie Harris when he sent in a shot from the edge of the box, but the power matched his stature and posed no real problem for the keeper. |
| The game seemed to be something of a stop / start affair as Sutton had players requiring treatment for what seemed like minor knocks, although after the game it was suggested that one of their players had received a smack in the head from a City defender! |
A combination of the wind pressing City back and better than normal opposition saw the Royals dictating the state of play and my reporting skills probably don't do the North Birmingham side justice.
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| The ref came into play when first he failed to book a player for belting the ball into Spinnaker Park three seconds after he'd blown for a foul then neglected to give City a corner after Smith's run and shot was deflected wide by Gardner, that despite the Sutton and City team lining up for the set piece. |
| City's nerves were almost calmed when another Smith run saw a cross flicked on by Andy Hoskins and Thommo was just too far ahead of the ball to control it and shoot. City's chances were few and far between so Sutton will be devasted that their failure to clear a corner gave the Tigers the lead. |
| Instead of clearing the ball, they tried to play it out but the ball went for a throw in. For what seemed the first game in a while Neil Griffiths took the ball and sent in one of his long throws, up went the heads and the ball fell nicely for Andy Hoskins to nod into the far corner. |
| The goal, Hosky's thirty-sixth of the current campaign broke the record for goals scored in a season at Meadow Park. It was no coincidence that it came on a day when I (and many others, I suspect) voted for the big striker as Player of the Season. |
| More Arsene Wengerism from the ref as Hosky won a header on the edge of the box only to be freight trained from behind. This brought the kind of reaction from the City man to the referee that usually earns yellow cards, and had Andy been booked then it would've been the officials fault. |
| Despite having lots of the play Sutton hadn't really tested Matt Bath, but the pocket tourrettes sufferer Wolsey brought the best out of the City stopper with his wind assisted low free kick. It looked as though Bath had spilled it as the Sutton strikers followed up but thankfully he held on to keep City's lead intact. |
| The only City booking of the game came as Jimmy Cox attacked, he stretched to keep the ball in and as the T-End willed him on the fans in the stand were being entertained by a set-to between Sutton top scorer Dean Perrow and Jethro. Both were booked, although the City man protested that he wasn't the sinner and was indeed the sinned against. |
It was two bookings in a minute for the the side from the Birmingham borugh often mentioned on Midlands Today by Alan Towers despite it's lack of relevance to Gloucester in the days before local televsion. Their captain Mark Peters blasted the ball into Adie Harris with the City man on the floor and play having already been stopped by the referee and saw yellow for what was an act or either spite or cowardice.
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| City should've had a penalty when a well disguise punch clear by a defender was missed by both referee and linesman before an Andy Hoskins shot was pushed wide for a corner. |
| With the game now deep into first half injury time, Jimmy Cox scored what turned out to be the important winning goal. Lee Smith knocked the ball between two defenders out on the right wing and sent in a perfect cross, which all Jimmy had to do was connect his head with. The quality of the delivery shows Smith's strength and only backs up the frustration felt by players and fans alike when he shoots instead. |
| The two goal lead taken into the break by City was well deserved despite the away team having more of the ball, but it was a sign of the quality of the City side that they could be second best and still score goals. |
| City opened the second half on the front foot and might've put the three points beyond Sutton when Adam Howarth headed a corner just over the bar. At the other end a deep cross from Peters found Mark Wolsey whose attempted volley at the far post flew out for a throw, much to the amusement of the fans who'd stayed in the T-End. |
| Lucan Spittle, a defender with a name bizarre enough to rival that of sub Exodus Geohagan was shown a yellow card when he ended Smith's run (and almost his season) when he went in over the ball with his studs up. |
| Coxy beat the offside trap and his cut back was put just over by Tom Webb. With City on top a double change by Sutton saw Perrow replaced by white booted wuss Nick Carter and Danny Martin came on for Kevin Jones. |
| After a Sutton corner was cleared they picked up another booking when Webby's run was checked by a half clothesline from recent arrival Martin. Then the game really should've been put beyond the visitors in a swift move that saw a Bath goal kick headed on by Hosky, Lee Smith played in Jimmy Cox and unmarked he dragged his shot wide of the far post. |
The danger signs started to flash as Sutton somehow failed to score with the ball pinging around the area but refusing to cross the line. This brought their handful of fans to life and one of them, a bald headed rotunder excitedly bounced along the T-End much to the amusement of the City fans there.
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| Naveed Arshad had City's nerves jangling when he rose unmarked at the far post to pull a goal back. The much travelled striker was a thorn in our side all afternoon and seems to have a knack of scoring against City. As a youngster he scored the third goal for Paget Rangers on the lowest day in my memory as a City fan. He followed that up with a goal for Redditch as they beat us 2-5 at Meadow Park last year and added to his haul today. |
| With the Royals seemingly having the upper hand, Burnsy swapped youthful exuberance for a calm old head by replacing Lee Smith with Keith Knight. |
| Cox's persistence almost restored the two goal cushion when he robbed a defender and played the ball in for the advancing Adie Harris, but a deft touch by Farmer saw the ball out for a corner with the goal beckoning. |
| Tom webb ended the game ten minutes before time when he was replaced by the extra grit of Dave Wilkinson. Webb's midfield partner Chris Thompson might've netted but he wanted too many touches from Harris' cross. |
| The Blues picked up another cautioned when as Hosky took the ball into the far corner he was elbowed by Neil Watkins. The Sutton man had been the victim of an accidental clash at Coles Lane so maybe he was looking for some retribution, whatever happened he didn't get it as Hoskins laughed it off and the Sutton man was booked. |
| Mark Wolsey showed his true colours as Chris Thompson lay injured. Play was stopped to allow treatment for the City man and Wolsey couldn't resist sticking his nose in to say something to the Thommo and complain to the ref. He'd obviously forgotten that minutes earlier a City attack had been halted to allow treatment for a Sutton player. |
| To gee up the City team in the final few minutes a non-stop "Barmy Army" chant came from the T-End, it even provoked a brief response from those City fans at the car park end too! |
| With the game deep into injury time, a Sutton volley flew just over the bar and was met with a nervous cheer as the City fans realised they'd done enough to secure an important victory. |
| Elsewhere Redditch overcame their recent blip by beating Supermarine 2-1 and Ciren saw off form team Ilkeston by the same scoreline to keep alive their slim hopes of pipping the Worcestershire team to the title. |
| The Evesham game on Tuesday now has more importance than ever as City look to make up ground on the long time leaders. Make the short trip to Common Road and get behind the City! |
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