| If ever City needed a reality check of their current status then the two results against Yate Town in the last two weeks will go a long way to providing it. |
| A fortnight ago, the Bristol(ish) team came to Meadow Park and rode their luck as City had none and left with all three points. Today they just ground us down to leave City with just four points from a possible fifteen in the last five games. January has been something of a jinx. |
| It's almost a decade since the Tigers last graced the Lodge Road ground. It's location is rather similar to that of Meadow Park with it being hidden on the edge of town among the cold surrounds of a trading estate. The lack of atmosphere and character doesn't add any warmth for the fans so it's little wonder that the crowd of almost three hundred was well received by Yate. |
| The ground has 'Hellenic League' stamped all over it and you can't help but feel that people waiting for a bus on a local road have been deprived of cover from the elements to help Yate progress up the Pyramid. This, Bristol Manor Farm's ground and also Team Bath may well be the reason why Mangotsfield fans think their ground is superior to many, and who can blame them? |
| Among the local dignitaries present were Ciren Pylonsider and Bristol football legend Danny West, although the latter remainded hidden among the shadows to protect his anonymity. With the journey from Gloucester being less than an hour for law abiding motorists many had given up their afternoon at Tesco's to populate Lodge Road and help the away support match the home fans in numbers. |
Normally the City team has a familiar feel to it but the arrival of Adie Mings brought a surprise to the starting line-up. Many expected the burly striker to replace Andy Hoskins, but instead it was three up front with both starting alongside Jimmy Cox. Suspension free Lee Jeffries had to make do with a place on the bench with Thompson, Thompson and Griffiths at the back. Wing backs were Adie Harris and Keith Knight and Wilko and Muzzie made up the midfield. For many it was a system that didn't click.
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| The Yate team hadn't changed from a fortnight ago. |
| It took Adie Mings less than ten seconds to produce one of his trademark challenges when from the kick off the ball was headed back to Tony Court in the Yate goal and the keeper dropped the ball under pressure from the City striker. The opening came to nothing. |
| The first chance fell to the home team when Steve Campbell, an attacking midfielder who had a spell at Forest Green shot over from a Mike Wyatt cross. He might've scored then but it was City who took the lead when Court dropped the ball, again under pressure from Mings and Andy Hoskins was in the right place to poke home his twenty-sixth goal of the season. |
| Hosky was in the thick of the action again a minute later when the striker played off a nice little back heel into the path of Dave Wilkinson who was on one of his searching runs from midfield. The ten-goal man burst into the box and as he took aim the ball bobbled and his shot went wide. |
Adie Mings was attracting special attention from former City man Dave Elsey and having already conceded a number of fouls against the on-loan striker the Yate captain was easily brushed off as Mings got to the line and crossed for Hosky to head at goal. However, a good low save from Court denied him.
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| The referee brandished a yellow card just once today and surprisingly it wasn't at a City player. Yate's Andy Neal went in for a fifty-fifty ball with Neil Griffith's but the Bluebell midfielder went in over the ball to earn his caution. |
| Matt Bath was called into action to block a header from Mike Wyatt, just two weeks earlier the former City winger had beaten him with his swede but this afternoon he was equal to the effort. |
| Then came the incident that probably cost City the game. Jimmy Cox had made a great run down the wing, got to the goalline and swept a ball across the goal where an unmarked Andy Hoskins inexplicably guided the ball the wrong side of the near post with an open goal gaping. He'd missed a similar sitter on Tuesday at Gresley but this one was on a plate. |
| Yate's Neal could've punished Hosky's poor effort straight away but he shot over the bar much to the Tigers' relief. At the other end Cox's run into the penalty area was crudely blocked by Elsey but as ever the man in black waved away the City striker's appeals for a spot kick. |
As the game went into first half injury time a poor defensive header by Marvin Thompson gave Steve Campbell the whole goal to aim at and with just Matt Bath to beat made no mistake. 3-1 to City would've been a fair reflection but we had to settle for a draw at the interval.
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| Straight from the kick off City were looking for a way back into the game and Neil Mustoe found himself the recipient of a through pass from Cox, but as ever the former Manchester United midfielder did his jigsaw thing and went to pieces in the box. In English, he shot straight at the keeper. |
| It started to become apparent that the Town defence had City's three pronged attack more or less weighed up and more often than not there was a defender between the City shot and the Yate goal. If the home team had their defending down to a fine art, ours looked like an explosion in a paint factory as a corner wasn't cleared and one time Tigers centre forward Matt Rawlins headed in what proved to be the winner. |
| As Yate were beginning to dictate play they looked like they could easily bag a third without any real danger at their end. Adie Harris, save one or two runs had been ineffective and was replaced by youngster Adam Hemming. |
| If City were going to score it was unlikely that it would come from open play and Keith Knight showed why as his free kick after Wilko had been fouled was pawed away by Court. It looked a goal all the way but the Yate keeper had pulled off similar heroics at Meadow Park two weeks earlier and must've sensed cameras in the crowd then as well as now. |
The foul on Dave Wilkinson was his last act as he was replaced by Lee Jeffries and Chris Thompson was pushed up into midfield. City couldn't be faulted for effort but when it came down to shooting neither luck nor judgement were there. A Mustoe free kick fell to Coxy but there were just too many legs blocking his route to goal and the ball was hoofed clear.
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| The nearest we came to scoring in open play was from a superb diving header from Andy Hoskins. He met Cox's cross with aplomb but the ball flew inches wide of the post, much to the disdain of the hundred or so City fans. |
| Lack of match practice mean't that Mings was withdrawn with ten minutes to go as he was replaced by Karl Bayliss. The ever impressive Steve Campbell shot through a gap at Matt Bath as Yate counter attacked and in reply an Andy Hoskins shot was well blocked at the near post. |
| Chris Thompson was floored by a nasty late tackle, yet the offender escaped without a booking as Yate started to make time wasting changes. |
| Deep into injury time a bizarrely worked free kick by Baylo (which looked suspiciously like a bad shot) ended up at the feet of Adam Hemming near the goalline, but the youngster was unable to control it and the ball went out for a goal kick. City's luck was summed up then as a long throw was flicked on to Jethro and his shot was blocked en route to goal by Marvin Thompson. |
| It wasn't our day, but most of the results at the top of the league went our way and we hang on to fourth place. The City players now have a rare week off and hopefully can put the last few games behind them when Clevedon Town come to Meadow Park next Saturday. |
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