| This has been a funny season for City, not in a way that we've had loads of laughs but how we've played some teams home and away but have had to wait until the season is two thirds over before we faced others. Aylesbury came and went in three weeks, then if it wasn't for the FA Trophy we wouldn't have met Kings Lynn yet and now, in February we face up to Hednesford. |
| The Pitmen are a club that used to cross swords with the Tigers on a regular basis back in the day. When John Murphy was at the helm we had a real ding dong battle against John Baldwin's Staffordshire team, although it was the John Otway loving Brummies that took the honours that year. |
| They went from strength to strength and enjoyed their time in the Conference having a great impact at first but season upon season finished lower and lower before getting relegated just after the turn of the century. During that time they came to Meadow Park for a pre-season friendly and with a convicted killer up front absolutely murdered us, 7-1 I think. |
| Last year saw them fail to make the cut for the Conference North, but by way of compensation they picked up the FA Trophy with an against all odds 3-2 win against Canvey Island, a result which made me a tidy profit at Bet365! |
| Rolling onto the present day now and Hednesford came to Meadow Park with a seven game unbeaten run under their belt and a squad of players largely unheard of in this neck of the woods. Just Chris Brindley and Lee Williams stood out, the former, who is now player manager at Keys Park because he's been around for years and is that good in the air that most strikers need a leg up to beat him and Williams because he played for the scum. |
| After the poor show at Aylesbury on Saturday there had to be changes among the City ranks with the most notable being the ineffective Jimmy Cox being dropped to the bench. Lee Smith took his place in attack but in the past has always struggled to make an impact when asked to lead the line. |
| Keith Knight and Marvin Thompson were also brought in to fill the respective wing back positions whilst Lyndon Tompkins continued at the heart of the defence and the side was only weakened through the absence of Chris Burns, who was suffering from sciatica, a pain I know all too well. Ouch! |
| As you might expect with a 'weakened' front line there was nothing much to report on the attacking front as City were built from the back in an attempt to plug the holes that Hednesford would be looking to exploit. Of course, all the hard work can be undone by giving away silly fouls in dangerous areas and thats exactly what Dave Wilkinson did but Matt Bath flew to his top right hand corner to keep out Leon McSweeney's free kick. |
| More last ditch defending followed as like you'd expect by a team run by a powerful defender they had the big guns up for the corner, one of which headed the ball towards the far post. Good job that Tom Webb was there though as he was able to knock the ball away, but not clear and Bath had to scramble down to block another shot out for a corner. |
That wasn't it for heart-stopping defending though as Neil Griffiths sliced the ball over his own bar when he got to a cross from the left ahead of McSweeney. In fact the away team were dictating the play that much that when my mate rang and asked for the latest score I told him that it was Hednesford nil, Hednesford nil.
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| We had to get a chance sooner or later and I suppose we ought to be grateful that it fell to Dave Wilkinson, the unlikely top scorer, but he couldn't add to his haul when he headed a cross from a half cleared corner over instead of under the bar. |
| Again the Pits took control, albeit without any serious threat on Matt Bath's goal but as these things happen (and usually against us) we scored! |
| Marvin Thompson was played into space in the corner and he sent in a left footed cross to the far post, something of the quality that I haven't seen since John McGrath did it back in 1997, and Lee Smith appeared on the end of it at the far post to head the ball down and into the corner of the net. |
| A moment of madness ensued because even though it seemed quite late in the half Mr Tannoy read out the goal time as thirty-three minutes and I ripped open both of my golden goal tickets to reveal times of thirty-two and thirty-four minutes. Just my luck I thought until it was pointed out that the goal was actually scored ten minutes later! |
| One for the statto's now that Smith's header was the first goal that the Pitmen had conceeded in 688 minutes of football. An impressive record, but then so was 'Shaddapa Your Face' by Joe Dolce. |
| And as the half time whistle approached Smith should've made it two when he was allowed to make one of his mazy runs into the six yard box but with Daryl Addis to his left he went for goal instead and the keeper rushed off of his line to get a hand to his shot. |
| When the ref blew up for the interval I'd have been much happier had it been the full time whistle! |
| It was as you were at the start of the second half with Hednesford dictating the rhythm of the play whilst City sat back and played second fiddle. They almost squeezed one in at the far post when a free kick was half cleared only to be hooked back towards the far post by one of their forwards where a shot was smothered out for a corner. When the set piece was delivered it was headed over the bar but it was clear to see that if the Tigers wanted all three points they'd have to work hard for them. |
| Passages of play without any threat were well received as it mean't that there was no danger to Matt Bath's goal. Play continued in this manner until Keith Knight was withdrawn and Smith dropped into his slot at wing back whilst Jimmy Cox came on to partner Addis up front. I was pleased to see Knight on at the start because I hoped that he might give us a bit more footballing know how in the middle of the park but ultimately it didn't work out. |
City continued to defend like heroes but a slight rick by Chris Thompson showed why we're in the lowly position that we currently occupy. His weak pass back to Matt Bath was seized upon by Andy Bell and the Hednesford striker made a beeline for goal, but Griff steamed in and forced him wide thus preventing a free shot on goal and Thommo's blushes were spared.
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| A change for the away team saw Paul McMahon come on ifor Mark Branch but there was no change in the dominant force of the game as the Pitmen continued to press. A free kick was well claimed by Bath but he put too much arm into his quick throw to Addis and before he knew it he was in action again, tipping over a dipping shot that only came about due to his error. |
| Mistakes like these cost points and Premier Division membership. |
| But for all of their pressure the Pitmen were the pits when it came to shooting and were always open to counter attacks. Clever play between Lee Smith and Daryl Addis saw the latter make his way square into the area where he fed a ball across the face of the goal to Jimmy Cox who was unable to divert his shot in and watched it go agonisingly wide of the far post. |
| Neil Mustoe caused the referee to take his yellow card out for the first and only time of the match when he managed to bring down his opponent at the second attempt. His first was a desperate flick of the ankles as he bolted away but the Pitman stayed vertical and continued then the City captain caught up with him on the halfway line and finished the job that he'd started twenty-five yards down the pitch. It was Mustoe's third caution in three games and will no doubt now be facing a holiday very soon. |
| The danger signs were still there as the opposition had the ball in the net from a free kick but the eagle eyed among us would've spotted the linesmans flag get raised before they thought they had scored, but of course, they were wrong. |
| Another change for the Pitmen, Beckett off and Turner on as they persisted with the notion that they could get at least a point but then things went from bad to worse for the black and white bedecked Brummies. Lyndon Tompkins saw his goalbound header cleared but only as far as Chris Thompson who wove a path through midfield and spotted Lee Smith in space out on the right, a defender could only get a flick onto Thommo's lofted pass and it sat up nicely for Smith to rifle in his and City's second of the night. |
| It was one of those goals that was in as soon as it left his foot and those Tigers fans on the T-End directly behind it were starting to celebrate well before it rasped against the back of the net. Thommo led the charge of celebrations and it was amusing to see the Hednesford defender caught up among the City players, although I'm sure that Smithy didn't appreciate the hand in his throat! |
| Like his first goal, Lee could've followed his second strike with one for his hat-trick after an Addis backheel on the touchline gave him a free run on goal but a last ditch lunge saw the ball wide for a corner. |
| After a competant nights work Marvin Thompson made way for Adie Harris to enjoy more rehabiliation following his four month spell on the sidelines but all the diminutive winger had the chance to do was run the ball into the corner as City looked forward to the sound of the victory bell. |
| The referee didn't seem to add a minute over the ninety and he blew up and City celebrated a well earned and desperately needed three points. More of the same on Saturday against Bath please you Tigers. |
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| Tiger Roar Man of the Match - Lee Smith |
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Lee Smith
Star Man |
Tonight we saw the Lee Smith that we haven't seen enough of this season. Lately he's been in and out of games, more often the latter but tonight, in place of the out of form Jimmy Cox he was immense. Two goals, either side of half time and one as a striker and the other as a wing back gave the Tigers a much needed three points.
It has to be said that hardly anyone put a foot out of place tonight and special mentions go to Marvin Thompson, more of the same please and Tom Webb who can go home and put his feet up now!
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