| For many, this was a dreadful defeat, but for those City fans that travelled to Taunton on Wednesday it was a breath of fresh air. |
| Yate, having already visited Meadow Park for a game that was abandoned due to floodlight failure, are David compared to the Goliath that is City, so to lose them is incredibly humbling. Among their numbers are four former City players. At the helm is Richard Thompson, a striker with massive presence yet little talent who played a handful of games around 1990. Mike Wyatt plays on the right wing, Matthew Rawlins up front and David Elsey is a centre back as well as the captain. Only Wyatt really stood out. |
| Chris Burns had promised changes after the Taunton debacle, one was his own inclusion but the other most notable was the lack of Andy Hoskins, with suggestions of a long term layoff due to a serious back problem. Adding to the experience of the Gaffer were Adie Harris and Keith Knight, with Adam Hemming, Tom Webb and Dave Wilkinson on the bench. Steve Jenkins also started his first game since October as the reshuffle was completed. |
The game could've started where we'd left off against Taunton when a first minute free kick was headed just wide by Wyatt, something that provoked an angry reaction from Chris Burns. Despite a lone shout to the contrary from the T-End later in the game, the gaffer added much needed guts and spirit into the midfield, something that was sadly lacking in midweek.
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| One of the players who came out of the Taunton defeat with his pride intact was Jimmy Cox, he didn't have much luck in front of goal in Somerset and it seemed to continue to haunt him against Yate. Despite claims for offside from the Town defenders, Jimmy latched onto a Keith Knight lob and just guided the ball wide of the far post when he really ought to have scored. |
| Much was made of David Elsey's left foot during the build up to the game and an early free kick just outside the City box gave him chance to show us what he could do, but a well organised wall saw his shot deflected wide for a corner. City had another great chance next when Chris Thompson, goal less this season, stabbed wide at the near post whilst trying to place a shot in when a fuller blooded attempt might've been better. |
| On twenty minutes Yate opened the scoring with a goal reminiscent to the one that gave their Bristol neighbours Mangotsfield the advantage on Boxing Day. A good run and cross from Wyatt was half blocked by Neil Mustoe, but his clearance went goalwards where Bennett made no mistake. |
Five minutes later the scores should have been even when a superb shot from Mustoe, destined for the bottom corner was well parried by Tony Court in the Yate goal. Lee Smith, playing up front in place of Hoskins was first to the rebound and Court hauled him down as he got the ball. The keeper was harshly booked, but was let off when Chris Burns mis-hit the penalty to allow him to save comfortably to his left.
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| City continued to dictate the play and were unlucky to see a shot cleared off the line, but Burns' enthusiam became too much for the referee who booked him for his reaction to a free kick given against the player manager. Jimmy Cox was unlucky when his header just failed to connect to Adie Harris' cross. |
| The City star came closer still when following Keith Knight's free kick that was saved by the keeper, Cox saw his shot hit the post and roll along the line before being cleared to safety. |
| A goal down at half time was harsh on the Tigers. |
| The Tigers continued to press at the start of the second period. Two crosses into dangerous areas were well cleared. First Lee Smith was just beaten to the ball from Cox's centre, then Chris Thompson put one over that was well turned away under pressure by the retreating Yate defender. |
That would be Thommo's last action as he was replaced by youngster Lee Davis just before the hour mark. That was the first of a couple of changes and a booking for Yate's Iain Harvey. Dave Wilkinson came on for Burns and almost scored straight away when he touched Cox's pass over the bar.
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| It was also revealed that the reason for his recent goalscoring feats was the continued use of his lucky red underpants, I just hope he's washed them inbetween games! Yate's second booking soon followed as their huge defender Phil Ward was booked for slyly kicking the ball away after City were awarded a free kick, not sly enough eh too-tall. |
| City were then rocked by Yate's second goal, one which many Tigers fans in the vicinity claimed was offside. Mike Wyatt was unmarked as he ran into the area and flicked a header into the far post as Matt Bath stood and watched. Hopefully Bath didn't react because he thought he was offside and not because of his indifferent form in recent weeks. |
| City's last throw of the dice came with fifteen minutes to go when Adie Harris came off and the younger legs of Tom Webb replaced him. |
Then came the moment that angered many City fans. Lee Jeffries had been pushed up front and made a superb run, chested the ball down and was bundled over as he ran into the area. There was no hesitation as the referee pointed to the spot for City's second penalty, or so we thought, but the jobsworth linesman flagged like a demented gorilla and insisted that it was a free kick. In the confusion, the last defender who should've seen red was let off. The free kick amounted to nothing.
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| Wilko then had the ball in the net but the same linesman controversially ruled that the ball had crossed the line and City had to make do with a corner instead. It wasn't long however before the lucky red pants struck as he prodded home amid confusion in the box following a corner. |
| Before the game restarted, the other linesman flagged and Lee Smith was shown the red card. It was later suggested that he spat as he ran back and it hit an opponent, the dismissal sounds harsh but we don't know the full story. |
| City continued to press in search of a late, late equaliser and were denied another penalty when Lee Davis was blatantly barged off the ball by the Yate goalkeeper. It wasn't to be and the three points went south. |
| To be fair, although we lost, it wasn't all that bad. This weeks two defeats however have seen us drop from fourth to seventh in the league and with tough games against Solihull, Bromsgrove and Gresley coming up City will need to try harder than ever to ensure that a comfortable place in the top eight isn't lost as the competition hots up. |
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