| Thirteen years ago City went into their final game of the season needing to win at Bromsgrove and hoping that Farnborough wouldn't get a result at Atherstone. We all know how that finished. |
| Seven years ago City went into their final game of the season needing to win at home to Salisbury to claim second place and promotion to the Conference. We all know how that finished. |
| Today they went into the game needing to beat Ilkeston Town and hoping that Cirencester would beat long time leaders Redditch United. Would it be a case of third time lucky? Not with Stockport based City fan Andy Birchley in the crowd it wouldn't. The Jonah of the Tigers has now failed to see City win at Meadow Park since that fateful Salisbury season. |
| A bumper crowd showed up to get behind City, although sadly not quite into four figures. The attendance of 902 helped push up City's average crowd for the season into third place behind Bromsgrove Rovers and Halesowen Town. |
The Robins, led by ex-Football League journeyman striker Phil Stant are somewhat out on a limb in the Southern League, Western Division. Surely the re-organisation can't come soon enough for a team based near Sherwood Forest but dumped in with teams from the Forest of Dean.
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| Personnel wise, up front is Chris Freestone, a former Middlesborough striker who threw his hat in the ring at both Forest Green and Cheltenham Town but saw it thrown out again quickly. He was also known for criticising Ilson fans who'd travelled on the team coach to help pay for it. His quip of "If you people weren't on here, we could have a coach with tables on it" was not only arrogant and ignorant but also showed him up as a stupid man! |
| City were again without Jimmy Cox, and it showed. Lee Smith filled in for him up front but with Andy Hoskins running on petrol fumes the Tigers struggled up front for the second game in succession. Adie Harris was also out for what, at his age could be his last game for the Tigers, his place was taken by young protege Adam Hemming. |
| Weather wise, this Saturday and last couldn't have been more different. The nervous victory at Redditch was played out in scorching sunshine but today was dank and miserable. Sadly the outcome matched the conditions. |
| Proceedings started off in the right spirit as a shot was cleared off of the line following a Neil Griffiths long throw. However, that was it for what seemed a long time as the tired looking City attack struggled to get behind the well organised Ilson back line. |
The Derbyshire side showed that they weren't here to make up the numbers when they sent in a shot the just cleared the crossbar, although Matt Bath seemed to have it covered.
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| City could've got the goal that they needed when a long pass from Chris Burns picked out Dave Wilkinson but his shot, which beat the keeper was always going wide and would've been cleared before it reached the goal. |
| David Jervis, who'd shown himself up during the game at New Manor Park by taking a series of dives and claiming Hosky had elbowed him should've scored, or at least tested Bath when he easily got around Jeffries in a wide position. He closed in on the City goal from an angle and incredibly sent in a cross for Freestone in the middle instead of shooting. Sadly for Ilson, the cross was more of a poor shot and went out for a goal kick. |
| Lee Smith came close when the keeper dropped a long ball but his shot was smothered, Hosky headed over and Wilko volleyed wide from a Chris Burns cross. It was desperate stuff and seemed as though it wasn't going to be our day as half time came surprisingly quickly. |
| Now attacking the T-End, in front of it's biggest attendance this season, surely it wouldn't be long before we scored? |
Again Smith was on his toes as the keeper couldn't hold a Wilko header but the Ilson number one recovered in time to smother the strikers' hopeful attempt. A defender then headed behind under pressure and the following corner was just put wide by Hosky.
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| The desperation showed as Hosky got in a tangle and appeared to kick out at his opponent, however, the referee didn't see it and no action was taken. The game continue and seconds afterwards Smith slid in to win the ball and a melee erupted for a moment of fun and games between both teams. |
| As ever, complacency had a danger of setting in and Ilkeston came close when a shot on the break was deflected just wide of the far post. |
| Word got around that Redditch had taken a two-goal lead at Cirencester and it was confirmed with a mobile phone call to an apologetic sounding Pylonsider. Whatever happened at Meadow Park would now have no bearing on the final destination of the Championship trophy. |
| City made their first change just after the hour as Adam Hemming, not enjoying the best of games going forward was replaced by Keith Knight. Thommo switched to the left while Knight went into the right wing back position. |
Ilkeston had a player booked for a foul on Dave Wilkinson and then striker Chris Freestone was replaced by Andy Evans. This seemed to add some spark as they might've scored on the break but for a good save from Matt Bath.
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| Lee Smith made a good run behind the defence and tried to latch onto a though ball before the keeper, however he'd already been flagged offside, but he wasn't to know that as he hurt himself going for the challenge. |
| His last act was a run through on goal that was pulled back for use of the hand before he was replaced by Karl Bayliss and Tom Webb came on for Wilko. |
| Chris Burns led from the front when he got forward to get on the end of a Baylo cut back, but his shot was screwed that far wide that it went out for a throw-in. The downside to the cavailier, yet desperate attacking were the holes being left at the back. Ilkeston broke again and headed a cross wide. |
| Lee Jeffries, so impressive throughout the season had a nightmare final ten minutes. With City pushing men forward he was caught out by the pace of winger Ryan Hindley and booked for bringing him down on the halfway line. It got worse for the ex-Clevedon man as he gifted the afro-headed Laws the only goal of the game with a weak back header that the Ilson man seized upon and slammed past Bath. |
Ilkeston made a final throw of the dice with a double substitution; their own Chris Thompson replaced Paul Eshelby and the impressive Hindley came off for Aaron O'Connor.
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| Neil Mustoe might've equalised with his stinging shot from the edge of the area but it was blocked on the line by a defender's knee. With his ability shooting-wise it's a wonder why he doesn't do it more often. |
| With the news that Redditch had gone 3-0 up at Cirencester the final whistle went and so did City's Championship dreams. However, being Runners-Up is a great achievement and only underlines the progress that this club has made in the past two seasons. |
| There was some consolation for City striker Hoskins as even though he failed to score in his previous two games he took the league's golden boot for his twenty-eight goal haul this season. However, it wasn't without a last day scare as Mangotsfield had hammered Shepshed Dynamo 9-0 at the Dovecote and Antipodean striker Dave Seal bagged a hat-trick to close the gap. |
| Thanks for a great season City! |
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