| It's been a while since the travelling Tigers faithful have been treated to such a comprehensive victory, so today was a real joy to watch. Jimmy Cox showed his doubters that he could still score and rare goals from Adam Hemming and Tom Webb added to those already scored by Hosky and Wilko. |
| The elements have played a major part in both games against Shepshed this season. In December the home game was played with Meadow Park shrouded in thick fog and today The Dovecote was heavily saturated thanks to the midweek snow thawing out as quickly as it had arrived. |
| Both games have also seen City record impressive goal tallies with five at home and six away. With Andy Hoskins (four), Jimmy Cox and Dave Wilkinson (two each) being particularly pleased with their contributions against the Leicestershire side this term. |
Tucked away among the traffic calmed streets of Shepshed, a small town alongside the M1 lies the Dovecote, cruelly located in Butthole Lane. The ground is better than many, with cover on three sides and enough seats for the crowd of 157 to stretch out and lie down. The only downside was the foul stench by the stand, and it wasn't coming from the 'Dynamo Diner' either!
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| Shepshed aren't as well supported as they might be but usually make up for numbers with the noise they generate. I finally got to meet Leicestershire's answer to Danny West, none other than Andy Mac himself! |
| In hindsight and against stronger opposition the City team would've been somewhat weakened thanks to missing centre backs Lee Jeffries and Adam Howarth. It seems as though Jethro may not be as badly injured as previously thought and may well put in an appearance at Bromsgrove or Evesham and Howarth, the impressive recent signing was missing with flu. |
| With Matt Bath in goal, Chris Thompson, Neil Griffiths and the gaffer across the back the defence was capable of shutting out most teams. Keith Knight came in at left wing back despite his early season failure there, Lee Smith was on the other side. In midfield Neil Mustoe continued alongside Wilko and Webby with the latter two looking to break into the Shepshed box at will. Up front was the forty-eight goal partnership of Cox and Hoskins. |
Shepshed's trouble stems from the sheer volume of players that have appeared in their black and white shirts so far this season, before the game the count stood at fifty-one. There have also been three managers and their only saving grace is that there is unlikely to be any relegation and they may well go north and play in the Unibond League for the next campaign.
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| City started the game on the front foot and never really looked back. An attack in the first minute through Jimmy Cox saw the ball cut back into the path of Tom Webb but the midfielder's shot took a heavy deflection and looped up into the keepers arms. With any luck it could've gone in. |
| Webby and Lee Smith were combining well down the right hand side and a nice cross from the wing back had to be cleared for a corner with Andy Hoskins waiting at the far post to tap it in. Although, complacency was always a danger because as the corner was cleared Neil Mustoe slipped and it took a strong run and challenge from Webb to clear what was a very good chance. From their corner, a near post header was beaten away by Matt Bath. Little did they realise but Dynamo's best chances were gone. |
| A long clearance by Dave Wilkinson from deep inside his own half found Jimmy Cox in acres of space. With the home fans shouting for offside, the flag stayed down and the City man calmly rounded the keeper and slotted the ball into the empty net for a much deserved lead. |
| It should've been two minutes later when Knight's cross was flicked in by a looping header from Wilko, but the linesman had flagged Hosky offside. The ball was nowhere near the City striker and Wilko can feel aggrieved that his goal was chalked off due to the combined ineptitude of both officials. |
More chances were coming City's way but were being denied by a combination of the woodwork and the woodentop on the far touchline waving his flag at will. One chance came when a corner was flicked onto Cox at the far post who directed a header goalwards, the effort was well blocked by a man on the line but the ball bounced up, hit the bar and was cleared to safety.
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| A rare attack followed for the home team when it seemed as though City simply couldn't clear their lines and Matt Bath was called upon to make a save at his far post. This was followed by an inswinging free kick that evaded everyone and ended up going out safely for a goal kick. |
| Jimmy Cox had a chance for an all too rare headed goal when Lee Smith found him with a deep cross but to quote Ron Atkinson, the City man didn't get enough purchase on the ball and it was easily claimed by the keeper. Andy Hoskins showed him how it was done when he beat the offside trap and without a defender in sight planted a header into the far corner. |
| The game was over as a contest a few minutes later when goal kick was flicked on by Hosk, Coxy controlled the ball and passed to Wilko who surged into the area and slid a shot under the advancing keeper. |
| Three goals to the good but Shepshed hadn't quite given up when their striker held firm to nod a cross into the path of one of their men who was unlucky to see his shot touched wide by Matt Bath. |
At half time City walked off the pitch all smiles.
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| When teams take big leads into the break all too often the second half yields nothing yet the way that City started out it seemed that today wasn't going to be one of those days. Wilko made another strong run forward and it was only interrupted by a kick in the head. It was still on his mind when he went in for a tackle looking for retribution and earned himself a booking in the process. |
| A good passing move down the middle saw Hosky spot Jimmy Cox's run out wide and a nicely weighted ball presented the striker with a chance which he took by stroking the ball inside the far post. It was Dynamo's turn to get a man booked after a Smith run was halted by an embarrasingly late tackle. |
| The goal count was increased further as Tom Webb drifted unmarked onto the far post to tap in Neil Griffiths' header from a Burns free kick. It was just the second goal of the yound midfielder's season but hopefully there'll be more in the run up to May 1st. |
| City made their first change as the hour mark approached when veteren Adie Harris replaced not quite as veteran Keith Knight at left wing back. |
Chris Burns might've had his first goal of the season when he headed in a Harris cross from the aftermath of a free kick, but the linesman took pity on the Dynamo goal difference and flagged for offside.
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| Heads were down in the homecamp and more so on the bench as their subs warming up complained to each other about being brought on at 0-5 down. They may have had something to smile about as they had a rare excursion into the City box but no-one found room to shoot and the ball was cleared. |
| The game was almost being played as a pre-season friendly now as City started to try to walk the ball in. Coxy was denied the chance to complete his hat-trick when he was replaced by Adam Hemming and a few minutes later the transplant of the strikeforce was complete when Baylo came on for Hosky. |
| Youngster Hemming was in the right place at the right time as the goalkeeper made a mess of a clearance and he slotted the ball into the empty net for City's sixth and final goal. This brought shouts of "what a load of rubbish" from the unusually subdued home fans. |
| It should've been seven when Lee Smith found Tom Webb on the edge of the box and with two more City players in attendance and unmarked the midfielder opted to shoot, over. That was the last chance, and aside from the odd adventure forward, Shepshed were finished too. |
| The victory was as comfortable as the six goal drubbing at Racing Club Warwick last year and the three points lift us back up to fifth place. Tuesday see's us travel to Bromsgrove where a win will be priceless. |
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