| It was a game of two halves at Ashton Gate last night as City bowed out of the Gloucestershire Senior Cup in style. |
| There was a time when this competition was considered the 'noddy cup', but since the inclusion of a few proper league sides like Bristol Rovers & City it has become far more attractive. Of course, it also has the scummers from over the road but we can't have it all our own way can we. |
| Whereas even the Tigers would normally look upon this tie as a burden for once it had it's merits as it enabled both Neil Mustoe and Andy Hoskins to complete their two match bans inside just over fifty hours, not bad considering poor old Lee Smith had to sit out almost a month because of his red card at home to Yate Town in January. |
| Bristol City's first team are currently sitting proudly atop the Second Division having won every one of the their last eleven games, so anyone frozen out of the squad would need to impress in the reserves to regain their place. So to beat a mixture of academy players and first team squad members was always going to be an uphill task. |
| Among those included were Christian Roberts, recently called up to the Welsh International team, Marvin Brown (who'd been on loan at Cheltenham), Leroy Lita, Joe Burnell and tall centre-half Clayton Fortune (not to be confused with Clayton Blackmore or Quinton Fortune) among others. |
| The line up of City superstars included Cory Hyde, a striker who'd previously contacted Tiger Roar to get a game and youth team goalkeeper John Moody. Neil Griffiths returned from his one match ban but found his defensive berth filled by the trio of Lee Jeffries, Adam Howarth and Marvin Thompson so had to be content with a place in midfield. Karl Bayliss also completed his first game up front since the win at Clevedon. He'll be feeling it now! |
The handful of Tigers fans who braved parking in the chavscum KFC car park next door before sitting in the freezing cold weather (even though playing in a proper stadium made it feel as though we were indoors) would've been quite happy with the way that the defence dealt with the omni-present threat from the Robins attack in the first half.
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| There was only one team in control from the start, and with such a lush surface to pass the ball around on it was no wonder why. Matt Bath could only stand and watch as a deflected shot rolled againt the upright and out for a goal kick. City did find a way forward occasionally and it was a Dave Wilkinson run and shot which the defender did well to turn away. |
| Another Gloucester attack ended with a Mars bound shot from the out of practice Baylo followed by a long range free kick from the Bristol man which Matt Bath did well to hold. The City keeper was called into action again soon after when he dived low to thwart a Roberts run as he closed in on goal. |
| Lee Jeffries almost scored a dream goal against his home town club when Baylo flick a free kick into Jimmy Cox's path. The City striker sent in a wicked low cross to Jethro that young Robins keeper Scott Brown got down well to beat away the defenders goalbound shot. |
| City were encouraged now and could've broken the deadlock when Lee Smith got into a similar position as Jeffries, again from a Cox cross, which Brown saved. However, five minutes before the break Cox was rewarded when he beat the offside trap to run onto Jethro's clearance. He steadied himself before shooting to the keepers right for his first goal in ten games. |
| At the other end there was a hint of a push as Leroy Lita went to ground following a challenge from Adam Howarth but no penalty was given. With the professionals shell shocked they looked for an equaliser but it may have been two when Cox beat his man and crossed to Baylo but the veteran got the ball caught under his feet and the chance was lost. |
| In first half injury time the dangerous looking Roberts (with a dangerous haircut as well) easily surged through the City defence before putting a lovely cross onto Lita's head, but the Bristol City striker headed over from six yards. |
If the Tigers had shaded the play the first half, then the second forty-five minutes would be an entirely different story!
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| Young centre-half Adam Howarth didn't have the best of starts to the second half when his bravery in the tackle saw him lying injured in the penalty area for the second time in ten minutes either side of the interval. |
| To add insult to injury Bristol scored twice inside a minute to turn the game on it's head. A Mickey Bell shot was heading straight for Matt Bath's midriff when forward Marvin Brown stuck a toe out and sent it into the unguarded net. No sooner had we kicked off that we lost posession and the ball found its way out to the right where Bell sent in another cross to the far post and Brown outjumped the City keeper to make it two. |
| It was three soon after thanks to a nice move starting with a zipped low cross from the right that Lita expertly volleyed into the back of the net, to be fair he couldn't have hit it sweeter and Bath stood and watched like the rest of us. City's only action was the withdrawl of Dave Wilkinson for Cory Hyde and the disappearance of Chris Burns to get kitted up. |
| By the time the gaffer had returned it was four. Cumbersome centre-half Clayton Fortune controlled the ball on the halfway line before comfortably bringing it forward despite the close attention of Chris Thompson. He got to the edge of the area, stopped, turned and angled a left footed shot inside the far post, an act which actually brought applause from the home fans. |
| It was the end of Marvin Brown's evening with twenty minutes to go when he pulled up with cramp whilst chasing a loose ball with Thommo. Jimmy Cox then had a half decent chance for City as he ran at goal but the experienced defender took him wide and the keeper made a brave block. |
| The Football League side scored their fifth despite shouts for offside from Jethro when Bell was found unmarked at the far post where he had the simple task of tapping the ball into Bath's empty net. Substitute Dave Cotterill almost made it six when he tried a spectacular overhead kick but missed the ball and ended up looking something of a tit. |
| Matt Bath's last action was to tip over another smartly hit long range shot before he was replaced by youth team keeper Andrew Moody for the final minute of normal time. Surely not long enough to concede a goal? Not a chance, the sixth was the scruffiest goal of the night as a mishit shot found it's way to Lita who tapped in to equal the number of goals they'd scored against Mangotsfield in the previous round. |
| Hit for six but not humiliated against a very good side. Oh well, there's always next year and we can concentrate on the league now! |
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