| What is it about my predicitions? Atherstone, forever the poor man of the Dr Martens League visit Meadow Park in a so called crisis so I plump for a 10-0 victory. So we get a goalless first half and then they take the lead before we wake up. The rest is history, or rather it will be once you've read this report! |
| After the 4-3 victory over Team Bath, both Tom Webb and Chris Burns were struggling with knocks. Youngster Webb made the starting eleven but the gaffer was ruled out, Will Steadman took his place in the heart of the City defence and Adie Harris was named on the bench. |
As my forecast suggested the opening was all City. Lee Jeffries headed over from an early corner and as the ball was fetched, Atherstone's veteran 'showman' goalkeeper Dale Belford gave Mrs Hammonds a quick kiss! To show how much of a veteran Belford actually is, he was the victim of one of Chris Townsend's chest high challenges at Tamworth when the Tigers last won promotion from this league back in 1988.
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| Of course, when you set up camp in an opponents half you're always in danger of a quickly breaking counter attack. The Adders did this but they didn't reckon on the intervention of Super Will. Both Will and the Adders striker went for a loose ball, the opponent got there first and then Will clouted him. It wasn't as bad as it looked but Steads was worth the booking for entertainment value alone! |
| City took the initiative again with a run and shot from Jimmy Cox that Belford was equal to, but hey, isn't he always! Then Andy Hoskins decided to test him, not with the ball though. A swirling cross came in from Lee Smith, too close to the keeper but Hosky went for it anyhow and made aquantancies with Belford. Belford went down, Hosky was very lucky not to get booked. The pendulum swang back in Atherstone's favour but their attack ended with a shot going wide of Matt Bath's post. |
The opponents grew in stature and gave us more of a game. Despite being a poor first half City did have a number of chances but Dale was there for the cameras and as ever made the most of chances that came his way. Tom Webb had the best opportunity for the Tigers but his low drive from Cox's cut back just went the wrong side of the post. Jimmy himself was looking to improve on his brace against Team Bath and did well to force a save under pressure from two defenders.
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| Not only did half time bring a stalemate and the need to score ten goals in half of the alloted time, but also it saw Tom Webb replaced by Neil Mustoe. |
| The second half started in pretty much the same fashion as the first ended. Chances came and went at either end and it looked as though the game would finish goalless. Fortunately, for the neutrals at least, there was a goal. And what a goal! |
| Keith Knight, again playing out of position at left wing back (despite having left sided players Adam Hemming, Adie Harris and Kenny Howard on the bench) was caught upfield on an Atherstone breakway. Lee Onions hit a superbly dipping shot from thirty yards that Bath couldn't get near to. Considering the City had had the best of the game it was a real blow to be behind. Thankfully the lead didn't last. |
A minute later Neil Griffiths, always a danger at set pieces rose the highest and headed a corner down, which with the help of a deflection hit the back fo the net. The equaliser gave the impetus well and truly to City and Lee Smith, a real thorn in the Adders side all afternoon came into his own. He came second in a contest with ex-Bedowrth man Craig Whitmore and ended up in the advertising hoardings. He then played his part in a four man move which saw the impressive Chris Thompson shoot just over the crossbar when on another day he might've scored.
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| Just after the hour mark City made their second change. Keith Knight, seemingly less popular than Bart Simpson when he cut off Jebadiah Springfield's head was replaced by Hemming for the third game in succession. It was also about now that the Dale Belford show went into overdrive. Along with the chat came the 'bare ass cheeks' jape, circa 1986! |
| Adam Hemming, fresh from his home debut goal on tuesday was looking for a second as he tried to head Lee Smith's cross home but the defender held firm and cleared from underneath the crossbar. Griff was close to getting his second, and as far as I can recall his first from distance in a City shirt. A Neil Mustoe free kick wasn't totally cleared and Griffiths let rip from the edge of the box, sadly the shot just cleared the bar. |
| City took the lead on 71 minutes with Lee Jeffries scoring his first competitive goal after Wilko had returned a corner back into the area. He lost control but Jethro swung a foot to divert the ball beyond Belford's reach. This sparked a strange reaction from Wilko as he was alleged to have shoved Belford back into the net, he was booked but by all accounts was lucky that the card was only yellow. The over reaction went as far as the T-End too with a minor confrontation between Belford and a small group of City fans. |
| With City well ahead in terms of possesion but not goals, a corner was held up as the referee bizarrely stopped play to speak to the few City fans. Maybe it was a case of Dale Belford's antics turning on him, I wonder how many times it's gone sour for him previously? |
Jimmy Cox wasn't having the best of luck in front of goal all afternoon but he made the third goal on 76 minutes as his low cross was turned into his own net by Atherstone's Tom Guiney. With the game relatively safe City made their third and final change, Adie Harris coming on to replace the faultless 'Tiger Roar sponsored' Lee Smith.
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| Atherstone did their utmost to get back into the game but City soaked up the pressure and were happy to sit back and take their chances on the break. It was on one of these counter attacks that in the last miute Harris easily beat his man and crossed for Hemming to nod in City's fourth at the far post. |
| 4-1, job done, three points. Ok, so it wasn't 10-0, but with Mangotsfield getting mullered at Halesowen today, maybe we'll make up for it on monday! |
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