| Having spent the last few weeks fretting about relegation and at one time there really did seem very little hope of pulling away, along came Hednesford and Bath and six points and suddenly everything seemed much rosier. Above us in the league were todays opponents Hitchin but alarmingly (for them, not us) they've sunk like a stone and now occupy the last safe position, the place that free spending Hemel are gunning for. |
| So the win for City will have done little to ease the fears of the pocketful of away fans that made the trip to watch their team get beaten all too easily. They might've been surpised when reading the programme to see that it had taken on a new layout, from back to front. I can assure them that it's not a usual occurance but then again neither was the sight of Tigers' Review editor Mike Dunstan throwing darts at a picture of the printer in the club bar. |
| What was surprising was that Chris Burns fielded a below par team, although not as weakened as the midweek talk of an injury epidemic might've suggested. Just serial sick note Lyndon Tompkins was ruled out meaning that Rugby away next week will be his last game of the season as he is banned for three games following his involvement in the Sam Bailey affair. |
| The Tigers lined up with Burns and the two Thompson's at the back, Webb and Harris as wing backs, Muzzie, Wilko and Knight in midfield and Smith up front alongside Daryl Addis. Of course things could've been different had Lee not changed his mind about moving to Chippenham on Thursday night but following advice from an unnamed source he opted to stay at City. |
| Hitchin seemed to field pretty much the same side as the one that were lucky to hold us to a draw at Top Field just before Christmas. Gone was striker Darren Hay, the experienced former Cambridge United and Woking man who'd resurfaced at Kings Lynn and scored the winner against us five weeks ago. But the big man at the back for Hitchin was Mark Smith, the man who feigned injury to get Adie Mings sent off whilst playing for Stevenage Borough in our FA Trophy replay at Meadow Park in 1998. |
Whilst Burnsy was reluctant to start youth teamer Andy Varnham for City Hitchin boss Darren Salton had no qualms about fielding his teenage hotshot Iuean Lewis. I think now's the time to 'blood' Varnham to see whether he is strong enough to make an impact next season because we've seen glimpses of a very promising player in the brief chances that he's had to impress.
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| But today he'd have to wait for his moment as youth took second stage to experience and it was one of the older heads who almost gifted the Canaries an opening. Keith Knight got in a tackle on the edge of the area but rather than clear the danger nicely laid the ball off for Jim Duffy who, from the edge of the area shot weakly with the outside of his boot when all that stood in between him and glory was Matt Bath. |
| City threatened briefly when a through ball from Adie Harris put in Daryl Addis but the finish from an ever widening angle didn't do justice to the pass. |
| But having soaked up the pressure as Hitchin dictated the play the Canaries and their fans would've felt that sickening feeling as City took the lead. An innoculous foul on the edge of the box saw Lee Smith tripped by Ayres even though he didn't have the ball and Burns calmly curled the ball around a poorly organised wall much to the delight of Trev King and his fellow Tigers. |
| So within a matter of minutes the last thing that the away side would want to do was concede another, especially in the fashion that they did. |
| A long kick up field from Matt Bath landed invitingly between Hitchin's Mark Smith and goalkeeper Richard Wilmot and with City's Lee Smith an interested observer both of his opponents hesitated and the City man nipped between them and around the keeper before slotting the ball into the empty net. |
The Hitchin defender briefly thought about dropping to the floor holding his head as if he'd been elbowed in the hope of getting the City forward sent off but he'd already pulled that stunt on a previous visit to Meadow Park and there was no chance of it paying off twice.
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| It was a little harsh on Hitchin but to be fair City had taken their chances against a team who had perfected the art of relegation haunting defending. |
| It could've been three minutes later when Addis leapt in to win a header on the edge of the box before one-twoing it with Neil Mustoe and setting up the skipper with a shot from an angle which the keeper did well to hold. |
| In reply Hitchin's Aaron Cavill almost halved the defecit when he fired in a shot despite Keith Knight's best efforts to block it, but Matt Bath flew across his goal in pretty much the same way that Ciren's keeper had against Lee Smith five days earlier and pulled off a superb save. |
| Another chance for City came with a quick throw from Harris to Smith and the City striker turned and pushed through a perfectly weighted ball for Dave Wilkinson but the effects of the injury that he was carrying slowed the already paceless midfielder and he was unable to reach the pass before Wilmot rushed off his line to clear. |
| Wilmot finished a half to forget when despite shouting for Knight's cross he lost it in the air and would've been happy to see the ball fall to a Canary and not a menacing Tiger. |
Having limped off at the end of the first half City boss Chris Burns tried to run off his injury at the start of the second but his efforts proved futile and he replaced himself with Jamie Reid. This mean't that the formation changed around again like the balls in a bingo machine and Wilko found himself at the back alongside the Thompsons.
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| City continued where they'd left off though and Smith combined well with Addis before being denied by a brave dive by the keeper. However Hitchin showed that they weren't just going to lie down and die when Sozzo smacked in a rebound after City had failed to clear a corner. Other than his whineing it was all that the strangely monikered striker contributed to the game. |
| Chances at both ends followed as City looked more likely to concede their advantage than strengthen it. Jamie Reid set up Mustoe for a shot that was blocked en route to goal whilst Bath had to show lightning reflexes with his feet at his near post to deflect a neat flick around the upright. |
| More changes followed for the Tigers as Harris departed and Varnham eventually got his chance. This mean't that Lee Smith filled his position on the left and the young striker went up front alongside Addis. Hitchin made a change too with defender Glen Lamacraft making way for Ryan Jenner. |
| The switch seemed to trigger something in Hitchin as they pressed forward for their best period of the game but were unable to turn their possession into the equaliser that they desperately craved. On the other hand Varnham did well to get to the goalline for City but his good work was let down by Tom Webb who couldn't get a touch on his low cross. |
| That was disappointing but it wasn't long before the T-End were off their feet when Keith Knight profited from more hesitant defending by the Canaries as Ayres seemed to stand and allow the City assistant boss to pick up possession, change feet and rifle a shot beyond Wilmot into the top corner. |
That goal totally knocked the wind out of their sails and even the introduction of a striker (Mark Bridge, for Mills) couldn't help as all they seemed to do was foul the Tigers. Lee Smith became the first victim when he was felled by Jenner who earned himself a yellow card.
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| Hitchin made their third and final change when the ginger winger Duffy had his place taken by Bilal Hassan but the fresh legs didn't stop them fouling and Cavill became the third man to be booked for an illegal challenge on Smith. Maybe Mr White had offered them a bonus following his midweek snubbing. |
| A big yelp from Neil Mustoe preceeded the fourth yellow card for Hitchin as Bridge tried to tunnel under the City skipper and even though Mark Smith stood there making diving hand signals their man was booked whilst the ref was heard to say "I know what you did to Adie Mings Smith now put your hands down you cheating ...." |
| So with all of the ill discipline on show it was easy to forget there was a football match going on but Jamie Reid tried his luck from distance but his shot was more of a flick than a threat. Maybe Knighter should take him to one side at training and show him how it's done! |
| Matt Bath could be excused for getting his gameboy out whilst the ball remained at the other end but he showed good awareness to race off his line to force Sozzo out wide and out of play for a goal kick. |
| The game almost finished with a first goal for Varnham when he linked well with Addis and flew in at the far post where he was inches away from getting his head to the Forester's cross. Take note, this boy's a good 'un and could well make a huge impact for Gloucester City next season. |
| But it's this campaign that we're still interested in and with four game to go there is still a mathematical possibility that we could go down although it looks a lot less likely than it has done at times over the past few months. A win and a draw should be enough but all eyes will be on Creasey Park in Dunstable on Tuesday night where a defeat for the home side will see them almost certainly relegated to the Cockney League. |
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| Tiger Roar Man of the Match - Lee Smith |
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Lee Smith
Star Man |
Having turned down a move away from Meadow Park in the week Lee showed Chippenham what they'd missed out on with a skillful display both up front and from left wing back position. He also scored his eight goal of the season after getting between the defence and the keeper to slot home City's second.
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