| After last week's poor performance against Team Bath and then the aborted attempt at a replay on monday the City camp were looking for a good performance and a win at Bedworth today. Without trying to show disrespect to our opponents, City are a bigger and better side and should be hoovering the points up at venues like these. |
| The Miners Welfare Oval is a unique little ground, from the car park behind the top goal to the exclusive directors area perched up on top of the social club. The downside seems to be the home fans, many of whom are certainly old enough to know better but my goodness don't they know how to moan! |
The City eleven contained a surprise or two, Webby replaced Lee Smith on the right, Coxy was dropped and Lee went up front. Keith Knight started in midfield to complete the swap around. Personally I don't see the sense in dropping Jimmy as, even though he's struggling to find the net, even when he's playing badly he creates goals. Adam Hemming and Karl Bayliss were both on the bench (and unused) and I suspect that neither had any chance of seeing any action either.
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| The game didn't really get off to a flying start but Matt Bath had to have his wits about him when the Bedworth striker headed straight at him early doors. The home team tried again when Bath had to dive low to his left to push a shot around the post. Even though Bedworth had had the better of the chances, City hadn't really been stretched. |
| The most notable incident at the start of the game came when Andy Hoskins ran the ball from the wide left into the area before he was challenged. With two defenders vying for the loose ball Hosky seemed to jump in at the legs of the home player. How he got away without a yellow card only the referee knows. That said, the incident sparked the home 'seventy-somethings' from their excited state to their grumbling best! |
If the whistler thought he had to make up for Hosk's misgiving, then he seemed to do it by booking Chris Thompson. Beduth's big black striker was giving Thommo a hard time, not through his ability though, just by using him body as a barrier between the ball and the City man. It wasn't pleasant to watch and I'm glad I only have to see it twice a year. The caution came when both players went in for a loose ball and both seemed to bump each other but the striker went down. He sprung up and shoved Thommo to the ground with two hands in his chest. The outcome? A booking for Thommo and not a word for the other man!
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| The best chance for the Tigers came from a Keith Knight corner. It was partially cleared and Chris Burns had a shot from the edge of the box, he couldn't place it though and it flew well wide. As poor as that effort may have been, Hosk showed that he didn't even need to be facing the goal to give City the lead. Adie Harris was awarded a free kick, much to the annoyance of the old boys section of the home crowd and when Knight lobbed it in, Hosky scored with a back flicked header. |
| Lee Smith was trying his hardest to justify the decision to pick him ahead of Coxy and he made a roaming run into the box but couldn't find a shot. The home team responded with a free kick in a position that Stuart Pearce would've loved, sadly for them the outcome didn't match the opportunity. |
| The game then started to decline into a nasty affair. The home fans shouted for punishment when Smith collided with the defender after the ball had gone, although he was watching the ball and the incident looked innoculous enough. Wilko then joined in the fun and games with a typical Wilko-esque 'just' too late tackle on the Bedworth number seven. His reward? A booking and a smack in the mouth, although, quite why the violence from the home team was tolerated I don't know. |
Wilko, now a marked man and looking as though he might struggle to last the full ninety minutes had the perfect opportunity to really hurt Bedworth when he had a half volley from the edge of the penalty area, sadly for us he couldn't keep his shot down and it remained 1-0. It really should've been two moments later when Lee Smith forced his way to the edge of the box and crossed but Tom Webb could only head straight at Iyayi in the home goal.
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| Bedworth hit back with a smart shot but Matt Bath was equal to it. Smith broke out again for City and had a speculative shot from the corner of the area, the keeper dived to push it wide and it looked as though Hosk might have a chance. Unfortunately he took the ball wide and managed to foul the defender, again riling the Beduth fans. The last act of the half saw the keeper fumble Lee Smith's cross, but he was quick enough to dive on the ball before a yellow shirt could make anything of it. |
| The second half started five minutes late when all three officials failed to show as both teams waited to get back into the fray. The officials first task of the period was to cancel out a City chance by calling foul when the keeper again had failed to hold the ball under pressure. It mattered little though as none of our players seemed able to put the loose ball in the net! |
City, well in control had three chances to increase the lead. First Lee Smith shot from outside the box, but the keeper stood and watched it run wide. Then, on a break, Keith Knight wanted too much time when given an opening on the edge of the box. The third attempt came from a Tom Webb run. He cut inside from full back and found Smith (as he often does) but the ensuing shot was pushed wide by the keeper.
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| Bedworth found a way back into the game ten minutes into the second half from the penalty spot. Their striker and Matt Bath both went for a ball in the area, although the City keeper did seem to hesisitate and it was no surprise as the forward went down and the ref pointed to the spot. To make matters worse, after some deliberation, Burnsy was booked and Matty sent off. Bathy reacted by throwing his gloves to the ground. Wilko took over in goal and his first act was to pick the ball out of the net despite diving the right way. |
| I believe that the red card was totally unjust as the striker was well wide of the goal and would've needed to turn sharply to have a chance of scoring. Also the inconsistency bugs me because we've had penalties this season and the referee hasn't even spoken to the offender. Still, it was clear that this official was one of those who'd happily condone acts of violence but wouldn't handle being spoken to. |
| From the restart City tried to find a way back in front and should've been given a penalty of their own when Andy Hoskins was tugged down as he tried to get on the end of a cross. The ball did actually fall to a Lee Smith whose shot was cleared off the line. That was to be Smudger's last action as he was replaced by Jimmy Cox just after the hour mark. |
It had become a more even game now (what with it being twelve agianst ten!) and the Tigers were reduced to set pieces and counter attacks. On one such attack the keeper did well to push an Adie Harris cross behind when it looked like it was looping inside the far post. Added to that, Wilko showed that he was no mug inbetween the sticks when he made a superb low save which a regular keeper would've done well to keep out.
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| The aggresive nature of the home team reared it's ugly head again when Jimmy Cox was shoved in the chest right in front of the referee. Again, quite how this went unpunished is a mystery to me and fair play to Jimmy for not reacting. Neil Mustoe on the other hand was rather incensed and went to great lengths to tell the man in black. He wasn't booked but I wouldn't have been shocked had he been. |
| Knighters afternoon came to an end with little more than fifteen minutes remaining when he was replaced by Steve Jenkins. It was a composed performance from the ex-Ciren man in the middle of the park and if used there more often will go a long way to becoming a crowd favourite again. |
| Seemingly against all odds Neil Griffiths gave City the lead for a second time with a shade over ten minutes to go. Adie Harris had been cut down, much to the mirth of a home steward, despite my assurances that Adie only went down if he was hurt. From the ensuing free kick the ball wasn't properly cleared and Griff was in the right place to slam the ball home. It was the least that City had deserved. |
| Despite having the extra man, Bedworth showed how much they'll struggle this season as they failed to test Wilko and the final ten minutes of the game passed without any real incident. It was a well earned three points and a win that will put City in good heart for Mondays FA Cup replay at Bath. |
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