| Before todays game City's title hopes depended on us beating Redditch on their own pitch, a must and not an easy task, and also Cirencester had to come away from Rugby with a point or less. Incredibly, everything went the way of the Tigers and the destination of the Championship Shield won't be known until the final whistle has blown on the final day of the season. |
| The City fans got behind their team in their masses with around two hundred supporters behind the goal that the yellows were attacking. Other than Gloucester, they came from as far afield as Stockport, Cinderford, Swindon, Andoversford, Newent, Berkeley, Bristol and Cheltenham. A great representation from a great bunch of fans. |
| After being sorely missed from the midfield of the previous two games, Neil Mustoe donned the number seven shirt and the captains armband and played his heart out for his home town club. |
If Muzzie is the best footballer from Gloucester, then Jimmy Cox, the second best was conspicuous by his abscense having picked up a calf injury during training in midweek. It mean't that the sixty-one goal partnership of Cox and Andy Hoskins was broken up for this most important of games and Lee Smith moved up from as his replacement.
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| This most enthralling of contests was played out on possibly the hottest day of the year so far, so hot that an elderly City fan collapsed and had to be taken to the Redditch Hospital. It wasn't without a fight though as he wanted to stay and watch the game in his groggy state, but they eventually took him away, still wearing the Tigers' scarf that he refused to take off. He was allowed home an hour after the game. |
| The players ran out to a roar from the Tigers fans and a cascade of tickertape, in a previous life they were volumes of the Yellow Pages, torn up en route by TF, Joe & Co. Pity the poor sod that had to clean up afterwards! |
| It could've been a mountian to climb at the very start as Redditch, climbing their own mountain going uphill at the the Valley Stadium hit a post with a flicked effort from a free kick. City had started slowly. |
| If there were any nerves in the City camp they showed as a backpass from Chris Burns gave Matt Bath little chance to clear and left him hopelessly off his line with the ball at a Redditch players feet. Fortunately the Brummie screwed his shot wide but it didn't stop Bath and the Gaffer exchanging angry words. |
Seeing as the game was scrappy and the ball spent more time in the air than most purists would've appreciated, it was appropriate that the only goal of the game came from a header. A Neil Mustoe corner was overhit to the back post where Lee Smith gathered the ball, ran to the line and flicked a cross in with the outside of his boot. Redditch keeper Richard Anstiss stretched to get a touch to it but only succeeded in palming the ball to Chris Burns who nodded it high into the far corner to spark wild celebrations.
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| The look on his face was one of pure relief, with arms aloft signifying the weight of a possible goal-free season lifted off of his shoulders. |
| It might've been even minutes after the goal as not only Bath, but every other player stood and watched a low cross roll across the area and smack against the upright. At the bottom of the hill Andy Hoskins did well to get ahead of the defender to touch a Harris cross wide but such was the angle that it was never going to threaten the goal. |
| Desperate defending brings needless fouls and City gave away far too many for their camp to bear. One such free kick on the edge of the box was sent skyward by Martin Myers. Another attack ended with a goalbound shot being blocked en route to goal by their own man, however, he was offside but we've seen decisions like those missed before! |
Neil Griffiths was called upon to block another goalbound effort before two missed half chances for Hosky brought the half to a close and a much needed breather for players and fans alike.
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| Veteran former Telford United striker Myers was the victim of Rod Brown's half time re-organisation as he was replaced by Matty Hall. |
| City had the better of the opening exchanges and Griff was unlucky when his header from a free kick went straight to the keeper. Another set piece was well blocked by a defenders face as it took the Redditch man by surprise. |
| The first of a number of heart stopping moments came when a long kick by Anstiss saw Mark Shepherd jink his way around Adam Howarth before flashing a cross across the face of goal with only a touch needed to convert it. A free kick from near the corner flag followed and fortunately, no-one got a head to it as it flew past the City goal. |
| Redditch came closer than ever to scoring on their next attack when another free kick to the far post was cleared off the line, by all accounts all the Reds striker had to do was tap it in but he jumped over the ball and let it run. |
Although everyting seemed to be going the way of the home team, what followed was the most frenetic minute that could've seen a goal at either end.
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| A City defender was caught in possession and with the goal gaping, the City keeper produced a fine point blank save and the ball found it's way out to Adie Harris out wide. The diminutive winger dashed eighty yards unopposed into their penalty area before cutting the ball back for Lee Smith, but the young striker finished with a powder-puff shot and what should've been a goal for City was easily cleared by the defender on the goalline. |
| It must've knackered Adie because he was then replaced by Adam Hemming. Redditch threw caution to the wind with Danny Scheppel and Richard Burgess replacing Shepherd and Richard Softley as they used up all of their subs. |
| The last fifteen minutes was pure heart in mouth time for the City fans and aside from a deflected shot to Bath and far too much Redditch possession near the City goal they didn't look like scoring (easily said in hindsight!) |
| An injury to Neil Mustoe in injury time (aptly enough) saw the introduction of Keith Knight, but with the referee checking his watch constantly the sound of his full time whistle was music to our ears. It also led to amusing scenes among the travelling T-Enders as a number of Redditch 'fans' had stood among the City fans trying to provoke them. As the game ended, the yellows jumped about wildly, inadvertently engulfing the fools at the same time! |
| With Ciren losing at Rugby the weekend had gone to plan and all that remains is for City to win and Redditch to lose on Saturday. Nervous anyone? |
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