| After the last two results, one an effortless surrender of a defeat and another where luck and officials conspired to condemn us, Solihull's Damson Park was the last place to go to look for a light at the end of the tunnel. |
| I've never seen us win at their new ground, although when they were tenants at Moor Green we often used to come away with all three points. In the last two seasons we've succumbed to the Warwickshire side by 0-4 and 1-2, not forgetting this season's 2-2 league draw at Meadow Park and the 1-4 reverse at home in the League Cup. |
| Damson Park really has it's ups and downs though. Built on the edge of the Borough of Solihull, the posh part of Birmingham we're told, during night games the lack of surrounding really gives the football fan a feeling of isolation, with the lights from aircraft landing at the nearby airport the only sign of life. Also lacking are proper toilet facilities, the use of a portakabin after three seasons isn't good enough. |
| The plusses come from a superb playing surface, well lit by floodlights only rivalled by those on the runway at Birmingham International. The clubhouse is also something special, they could've left the swiss chalet style roof bare but instead chose to decorate it with a bewildering array of football shirts and pennants from around Europe. So engrossing that you could end up suffered the same kind of neck strain as a Cheltenham midfielder after a match. |
| The City side seems to have a usual look to it for midweek games with Keith Knight rested onto the bench. Also missing were Chris Burns and Adam Hemming with Steve Jenkins being dropped to the bench. Andy Hoskins made a surprising return to first team action after reports of a recurring back injury and Dave Wilkinson and Tom Webb were recalled to the midfield. |
| For Solihull, fortunes seem to be on the downturn. four players who'd already scored six goals against City this season, Adam Cooper, Paul Hunter, Martin Hier and Niki Preston all started. For once there were no ex-City players in the opposition but in goal was Mark Gayle, a big keeper who'd featured for Worcester City at the start of the nineties before a move into the Football League included a career high of being Liverpool's reserve keeper on a number of occasions. Tonight was something of a low point as he pranced around a freezing goalmouth wearing ill-fitting skin tight tracksuit bottoms that made him look as though he'd done a whoopsie! |
| Never a happy hunting ground for City fans, it was rather ominous that Borough seemed to press forward at the outset and they looked dangerous as they forced two early corners. It didn't get much better as a strong run through the City midfield ended with a shot flashing wide for a goal kick, even though it looked as though Matt Bath had gotten a touch to it. |
| The Tigers responded when Andy Hoskins flicked a long ball into the path of Jimmy Cox whose shot was blocked into Tom Webb's path, but the midfielder wasn't quick enough to seize the opportunity and the ball was cleared. There was a real chance for City as an Adie Harris cross found Lee Smith. He headed to Hosk, who laid the ball back to Smith but the wing back's shot just cleared the crossbar and flew into the darkness, never to be seen again. |
| Wilko was then found guilty of a similar miss from pretty much the same distance as Smith when he controlled a Muzzie cross and shot all in one movement. Jethro completed the trio of misses when his poor effort from a free header at the far post went over. Just to remind us it wasn't all one way traffic, Solihull's Hunter went on a dangerous run before shooting wide. |
| A sweeping City move saw the ball passed out wide to Smith and Gayle showed his strength when he gathered the cross under pressure from Hosk. Following a corner, the City striker clashed with the experienced goalkeeper after Hosk had been penalised for fouling Gayle, this led to handbags which the female referee would've been well suited to dealing with. |
| We were lucky that the previous incident hadn't seen a booking so Dave Wilkinson went one better after he was penalised for fouling. After the kick was awarded to Borough, the City midfielder walked away from the scene like Stevie Wonder on a bouncy castle, pushing and shoving at least two of his opponents. A daft and unnecessary caution for our man. |
| At half time, City didn't deserve to go in goalless considering they'd had the lions share of the action. Still it was time to wander round and visit the toilet with great views for the public. |
| Early pressure from a Jimmy Cox cross after he'd done well to rob the defender who was 'shepherding the ball out of play' saw the keeper do well to claim the cross. Wilko followed that with a header that just cleared the bar from Neil Mustoe's free kick. |
| A brief glimpsed of Solihull's attacking prowess came next as Matt Bath had to be alert to push a glancing header over the crossbar. Back on the attack, City won a corner which Neil Griffiths was unlucky to head over, then the defender could've settled it for us as he turned Lee Smith's cross just behind although his position mean't that he could've easily sliced it in. |
| Griff was unlucky again when he saw his header cleared off the line. Time seemed to stop as the ball just sat there and the City fans behind the goal despaired as the the defender cleared it. Adie Harris then came in for some unwarranted attention as he was left in a heap on the floor whilst the Solihull defender's name was taken by the referee-ess. |
| More City pressure followed as a Beckham style free kick from Neil Mustoe was palmed away by Mark Gayle, it makes you wonder why Neil doesn't shoot every time he gets a sight on goal. Griff then put another header over the bar, incredibly he only has the one goal this season and that wasn't even from a header. Last season he scored seven goals. |
| Solihull tested Bath again when he saved a flicked shot at his near post, then Muzzie was booked for a bizarre outburst which no-one can fathom a reason for. He seemed to be like a mini tornado spinning around the middle of the pitch and his protest even prompted one of his team mates to shout to the bench to take him off. He was booked. |
| Jimmy Cox was knocked off his feet as he ran into the area but the ref didn't want to know and then as a City free kick was cleared to Tom Webb, the midfielder volleyed straight at the keeper. Adie Harris then went for a rest as he was replaced at left wing back by Steve Jenkins for the final few minutes. |
| City's last chance again fell to Neil Griffiths, but his desperate attempt to connect with a corner that had gone loose saw him spoon a shot wide. Gone were City's chances of three points but it was a great improvement on the last two showings and City were back! |
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