| A new season, a new kit, a new league, a new hope maybe? |
| After running the rule over several new players during the pre-season friendlies it was quite disappointing to see just the one of them feature, and that was Ben Wood who was only along for the ride. The only action he saw was a brief run out during the warm up alongside the 'is he or isn't he injured' Jimmy Cox and the banned and knackered looking Hosky. |
| Before we left Meadow Park rumours were abound that promising striker Kenny Stiles had been deemed not good enough by Chris Burns and had been discarded in favour of loanee's Lee Davis (from the League Two Losers) and Matt Aubrey from Conference relegation hopefuls Forest Green. However, these fears were later allayed as it was revealed that he was actually on holiday. Although, why footballers book their annual breaks any time other than between May and early July is a mystery to me! |
| Bedford are a club that have risen like a phoenix from the flames after going bust in the early eighties before reforming a decade later. Their ground, the New Eyrie bears a striking resemblance to the home of our FA Cup conquerers from last season Bishops Stortford. There are so many Portakabin's there that even the pitch is raised up and supported by breeze blocks! |
| The Tigers are never the most defensively assured unit so our back line looked as fragile as ever with Neil Griffiths and Chris Burns linking up with new boy Marvin Thompson. Lee Smith and Chris Thompson (no relation) patrolled either flank while Wilko, Webby and Mustoe filled the hole in the middle. |
| Bedford had a new team bar two or three players who'd remained from last season. The majority had jumped ship when the club narrowly failed to make the step up into the Conference South following the 4-5 play off defeat at home to Dr Albans City in May. |
| City should've taken the lead as early as the second minute when a sublime cross from the Football League bound Lee Smith found Davis unmarked at the far post. The Cheltenham man, with enough time and space to even control it headed the ball down onto the hard surface and agonisingy over the bar. However, at Cheltenham where times are so hard that would've been deemed good enough for a goal so the young strikers head didn't drop. |
Fellow debutant striker Aubrey had a good chance to go one better than Davis but could only find the side netting when he was first to Tom Webb's low cross following another gut-busting surge from midfield. Webb looked as though he was enjoying himself in the middle of the park and will be keen to impress this season following an indifferent campaign last year.
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| The young midfielder played the part of the provider again as he linked up with Lee Smith to send in a low ball behind the retreating line of defenders to left wing back Chris Thompson, but the versatile City man's drive didn't have enough zip as the keeper gathered it all too easily. |
| The home team woke up and almost profited from a right wing free kick as the ball fizzed across the penalty area avoiding the runs of two of their players. They followed this with a good low free kick which Matt Bath had to be alert to as he stooped forward to gather it. |
| It was as if both teams were taking it in turns to have three chances, with both being guilty of missing a sitter. Neil Griffiths, the most experienced of the City defenders (other than Burnsy of course) was guilty of a woeful back header when he nodded the ball straight to Bedford's Chris Dillon, but the Eagle's striker made a mess of the simple task of lobbing the ball over Matt Bath and we were glad to see it clear the crossbar. |
| At the other end a City free kick fell nicely for Lee Smith to volley wide for the only chance as the game settled down to a more sedate pace for a while. |
| For some strange reason the home fans behind Matt Bath's goal then started to chant that "Number Four is Micheal Barrymore", although what Griff had done to earn such an accolade is beyond me. If we had an entertaining defender, so did they as their right back, Ashley Blake, kicked air instead of the ball and also tried to head it clear with his fifty pence shaped head. |
| Smith was finding lots of room along the right wing and had the beating of the strangely named Derwayne Stupple, whose only answer was to cynically nudge him over. For that he received the first yellow card of the game much to the disdain of the home supporters. |
Bedford might've taken a lead into half time but for Tommy Hayes' inability to get a touch to a near post free kick. City replied with a half chance from Aubrey when Lee Davis threaded an inviting ball through but a strong challenge from the centre back did enough to put off the loan striker.
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| The Tiger Roar sponsored winger Smith found himself victim of more desperate 'defending' again when he was upended on the edge of the box, however the short free kick for a Mustoe shot over the bar came to nothing. It seemed as though set piece practice was bottom of the list of priorities during pre-season training if yesterday was anything to go by. |
| Just before the goalless first half came to an end Bedford made a change with Micheal McKenzie coming on for Noel Quinn. |
| The second half could've started well for City when the slight Davis surprisingly won a flick on to set up Aubrey, but the FGR man in his already trademark 'back-to-goal' pose shot narrowly over on the turn. |
| It wasn't just the new signings up front that caught the eye though. Young Marvin Thompson, the Coney Hill teenager discarded by Cheltenham put in an awesome display and read the game like Rio Ferdinand. At the start of the second half he recovered well to make up ground on a breakaway and calmly nick the ball off the attackers toe. Let's just hope he has a better memory than the Manchester Utd & England star! |
| City had two half chances from headers (through Aubrey and Wilkinson) before Chris Burns called it a day for the afternoon as he was replaced by Keith Knight. There weren't too many options of the bench thanks to injury, suspension and unavailability so the three replacements of Knight, Adie Harris and Karl Bayliss had a combined age of over a hundred. |
| With Burns off it caused great concern when Thommo took a nasty kick in the head when the Bedford forward attempted an overhead kick in the crowded penalty area. The City man was helped off and eventually ruled out of the game but why such a careless act often goes without a caution puzzles me. |
| Aubrey had another chance when Lee Smith got to the line and cut back to him but it took him an age to get the ball under control and by the time he squeezed off his shot the defender had slid in to block. |
City's lack of depth became apparent as Thompson, playing at left wing back was replaced by Baylo. Lee Davis was forced to move into the space left by Thommo and the veteran striker went up front to little effect.
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| There was a close call for the stretched City defence when a deep cross found the Bedford man unmarked but Matt Bath was equal to his header and kept it out. More concern followed when a Neil Mustoe backpass under pressure evaded Bath and rolled alarmingly towards the City goal where it struck the upright before the Tigers' keeper clutched it from the reach of Tommy Hayes, the marauding Eagle's striker. |
| A seemingly innoculous challenge then brought an early end to the game for Bedworth's Stupple. The ever industrious Webb was simply too quick for him as the City man skipped around his challenge on the ground, but Webby was brought down and after a mysterious booking for Neil Griffiths, the Bedford man was shown his second yellow and sent off. Nicky Platnauer, the Bedford boss complained to the referee that his man was just tired and it did seem a little harsh but it was a just penalty for his cynicism against Lee Smith earlier. |
| Another change for the home team as Challinor was replaced by Dean McElroy but City were still looking good going forward and came close when Aubrey sent another effort over the bar. |
| It looked as though it was going to be ten players each when Keith Knight brought down a Bedford forward en route to goal but the close proximity of other defenders probably saved his bacon. The ensuing free kick was beautifully curled over the wall and smacked the crossbar only to bounce down and out without a hint of the linesman awarding a goal. |
| City did have a final chance of their own when Lee Smith strode infield on a run from the halfway line and was surprised to see defenders back off all the way to the edge of the box where he shot, but the keeper was equal to the effort and no-one seemed able to capitalise on the rebound. |
| A goalless draw was probably a fair result and one that both sides should be happy with. The crowd of over five hundred, with about eighty from City would've gone home content seeing an end to end game on such a hot day. |
| There were two outstanding results of the day. Kings Lynn won 5-0 at Claverton Down against the students of Team Bath while Dunstable were hit for six on their own pitch by Chippenham. The other results only added weight to the long running "Southern League is stronger than the Isthmian" argument with just Hitchin's win over Hednesford being the exception. |
| Hopefully Team Bath are in the same generous mood when they visit Meadow Park for our first home game of the season on Tuesday! |
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| Tiger Roar Man of the Match - Marvin Thompson |
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Marvin Thompson
Star Man |
Marvin Thompson is the first TR MoM for the new season thanks to the assured display that he put in at the back this afternoon. Burnsy is struggling for cover in the back four and is down to just himself, Griff, Marvin, Thommo and Dan Avery. With Adam Howarth away Marvin has been asked to step in and fill a gap with no assurances for the future if Howarth does return from the Isle of Wight to City.
In todays game he showed that the ex-Bath defender may not be needed as he produced a defensive display far beyond his tender years and that was despite taking a whack on the knee midway through the first half. In the second period he made light work of tracking back to nick the ball of the goalbound striker's toe as City kept a clean sheet against one of the fancied outfits. |
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