| What can you say after such a defeat? |
| City travelled to Somerset with the knowledge that the home team had been beaten in their last six games and that the current league form guide placed them below Atherstone, a team that had folded in September. So surely, all we had to do was turn up to get the points? |
| Last season we travelled to Wordsworth drive for our first away game of the season and it was pretty much a journey into the unknown as it was our first visit. Our 2-0 victory remians memorable thanks to Lee Smith's two cracking goals, but tonight will stay fresh in our minds for other reasons. |
| After a difficult one hundred mile drive in awful driving conditions there was doubt in my mind whether the game would fall victim to the elements with a swirling wind and sleeting rain blowing across the County Town. The game did start though, but in appalling conditions. Appalling conditions for both sides. |
| City's team had a much more familiar feel to it, with both Adie Harris and Steve Jenkins returning to the first team after injuries and spells out on loan. Keith Knight and Dave Wilkinson swapped places again, with the former saving face and sitting on the bench for the duration of this humiliation. Both Lee Davis and Marvin Thompson, on 'work experience' from Cheltenham were both missing having finished their spells at Meadow Park. |
| For Taunton, one familiar face was that of Dave Mogg. He'd played for City more than a decade ago and he was in his thirties then, so now with as much hair as John Shaw, the man whose gloves he'd taken at City, he was facing his former employer. Also lining up for the Somerset team were Grantley Dicks, also ex-City and brother of ex-Liverpool and West Ham defender Julian. Continuing the Scouse theme, captain Alex Watson had started his career at Anfield before he moved south and joined Bournemouth at the same time as Ian Hedges, this is turning into a real trip down memory lane! |
| City might've taken an early lead after Jimmy Cox was fouled on the edge of the box, Neil Mustoe took a quick free kick that Mogg had to be alert to push away from danger. A few minutes later, a dangerous Taunton cross from the right was cleared back to where it came from, then crossed in again to the far post where Adrian Foster headed home unmarked. |
| A glimmer of hope for the Tigers came in the shape of a free kick on the edge of the box which was lofted onto the penalty spot with Mogg rooted to his line. However, three City players managed to get in each others way and the ball was hoofed clear into the Somerset sky. |
| It was a real sucker punch for City, having started the game in a sprightly manner only to be pegged back by a fortunate goal. Our performance didn't really merit much but it didn't help that the officials were Taunton friendly too. Coxy and Watson both chased a long ball and as they met the defender went to ground and held the ball between his legs right in front of the linesman. Jimmy put his foot in to get it and the lino flagged for a foul against the City man (even though it was technically obstruction) and the Taunton defender stood up and headbutted Cox. The result? Yellow for Jimmy and not even a talking to for Watson! |
| The warning signs were there for all to see as a sweeping move to the far post ended with a shot being screwed high and wide but on twenty minutes it was two. A nice jinking run through midfield on a pitch where if a player could keep upright, he'd easily wrongfoot a defender, saw a shot parried by Matt Bath right into the path of Taunton's prolific striker Antony Lynch. He made no mistake from twelve yards out. |
| Moggy was called into action again as he had to keep his wits about him to ensure that Mustoe's deep free kick was denied a route into the goal at the far post. As City were forced to defend again Lee Jeffries was caught late and the Taunton man saw yellow. That was swiftly followed by another caution, this time Andy Hoskins being the recipient of unwanted attention. |
| A goal before half time would've been a fair reflection on the half and would've given City a stepping stone to launch an assault in the second period, but it didn't come and the City fans were left to rue an awful forty-five minutes. Little did they know what was coming... |
| A change of style for City then with Adie Harris replacing youngster Adam Hemming on the left, even though Adam had done well in the first half. |
| Maybe now, with the wind swirling in a different direction and City playing uphill we may have had a change of luck. That theory lasted twenty-eight seconds as Chris Thompson was caught in posession by Antony Lynch on the edge of the box, he shot inside the post and Matt Bath let it run believing it was going wide. It wasn't. |
| Harris drifted into midfield and managed a shot on target although it somewhat died in the mud before it reached Mogg. Then Hoskins, largely anonymous in the first half and obviously unfit was replaced by Karl Bayliss. At the bottom of the slope there could've been another but for a last ditch block from Thompson and from the corner a header was cleared off the line. |
| It wasn't long however before the fourth went in. The City defence was opened up again and Heath nipped in to pass the ball into the far corner. City response was immiediate through Adie Harris, a nice cross whipped across the six yard box and Lee Smith slid in just too late for a touch. |
| City made their final change with more than half an hour to go when Steve Jenkins completed his return from injury to join in the embarrasment, although with him slotting in at the back at least Thommo was free to go into midfield. The ex-Northampton man may have had a nose bleed as he made his first charge into the box for an age and lost his footing in the mud when trying to feed Jimmy Cox, typical of our luck. |
| The referee then delighted the City fans with his 'play on, play on, look my arms are scissors' impression when Lee Smith was crudely bundled off the ball as he ran into the area, not like we were going to get anything off of him. Just to compound the misery, Foster grabbed his second by chipping the ball over Bath into the far corner. |
| More high jinks from the officials followed when Adie Harris ran the ball to the goalline before cutting a cross back for Cox, who was given offside, despite being behind the ball at all times. Then a rare moment of action from Tom Webb saw his cross just evade Baylo's stretch. Taunton resumed normal service in the far corner and easily passed Steve Jenkins who tugged back their player to earn a yellow card. |
| Never giving up, City's best player on the night Jimmy Cox forced a goalline clearance and a double save from Mogg, followed by the mocking laughter of the Wurzel supporters. Again City looked for a consolation and again Smith was fouled in the box and again referee scissorhands did his denial thing. Coxy had City's last chance, but again Mogg rolled back the years to even deny the City fans an ironic cheer. |
| An awful night, an embarrassing defeat, a slap in the face for the fans that had travelled, certain players simply not trying yet happily taking money for it. Tonight was the kind of performance that stops people coming and makes it hard for present fans to encourage more people to Meadow Park. |
| Sort it out, and quick. |
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