| There's no mistake about it, the Ciren game was shite but todays game against leaders Merthyr Tydfil was a real ding dong dazzler. It's just a shame we couldn't hold on to the end. |
| It amazes me how the Martyr's sit on top of the league, especially having watched games against better sides who currently occupy less lofty positions. The 2-2 draw at Penydarren Park did little to show their championship credentials although they do have enough to make the playoffs. |
| Both Chris Bale and Ashley Morris are being watched by league sides with Bale, a midfielder who has flattered to deceive with the likes of Cinderford and Clevedon rumoured to be signing for Swansea City any time now. |
| Goalkeeper Morris on the other hand is a real hot prospect. With Gary Wager and Neil Thomas earning legendary and semi-legendary status at the heads of the Valleys club the youngster had big gloves to fill when he took over the number one shirt this season, but with Newcastle United keeping tabs on him as well as the likes of Graham Turner sat in the Meadow Park stand I think it's fair to say that he's been a success. |
| In fact Turner wasn't the only Conference personality in the ground, there was a party from Forest Green past and present. Chairman Trevor Horsley rolled in his monster truck whilst secretary Colin Peake turned up on his pushbike and ex-boss Tim Harris wandered around with a jacket that had the name of his company on every crease. |
| Chris Burns knew something had to be done to the City team following the awful display at Cirencester two days earlier, so he took drastic steps to make things better. Having always played with a big striker and a quick striker the loss of Andy Hoskins has been a big one. Daryl Addis has added a new dimension to the play but both he and Jimmy Cox have struggled in what is a rough and tumble league. So Burns himself played as a third forward between them and the midfield. It worked. |
The Welsh side, arguably the fifth biggest club in the country have ridden a rollercoaster over the past few seasons and not unlike ourselves, when successful, sometimes attract an element of support that they'd rather not have. Their previous match at Halesowen didn't go as smoothly as they might've liked, so City decided to segregate the crowd to prevent any incident arising, which although was a success it led to problems that may see the bond between our Supporters Trusts being weakened.
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| From the kick off, as shown against previous high flying visitors the Tigers showed scant regard for the oppositions league position. The first attack came down the left where Tom Webb, ineffective at Cirencester worked hard to get to the line and cross to Addis at the near post. Some good close control and a lay off to his strike partner Cox saw Jimmy's shot deflected to Dave Wilkinson who was denied a point blank shot with a last gasp clearance. |
| Lee Smith can be great when he attacks defenders with his simple but effective stepovers, shimmies and dummies but sometimes he can get caught out if he tries it too close to his own goal. This time Chris Holloway benefitted and chipped a shot over the advancing Matt Bath that passed within inches of the outside of the post. It was that close to the target that the Merthyr fans were celebrating a goal. I mustn't laugh. Oh go on then, tee hee hee, ha ha. |
| This was followed by more half assed defending when a terrible clearance from Bath found Craig Steins and with the whole goal to aim at the City keeper did well to scramble back and keep the ball out. |
| But having survived two squeaks, City upped the tempo and following a triangle of good work on the corner of the box between Burns, Addis and Mustoe the former Cinderford striker rifled in a shot that was blocked by a defender but the ball looped up where Jimmy Cox jumped to bravely head into the empty net that Morris had vacated in pursuit of the ball. |
| What with the segreagation it was hard to see what happened over in the corner near to Terry's Temporary Teabar, but a scrap took place which resulted in both Merthyr's Chris Holloway and Wilko receiving yellow cards. Although, people closer to the confrontation thought that the Welshman's hand in Wilko's face was worthy of stricter punishment. |
| Another chance for former Leeds United striker Steins, a sign of things to come maybe as he got on the end of a Morris goal kick and lashed a half volley narrowly wide of the far post. |
| City came forward again through Burns out on the left. He actually beat the offside trap before whipping in a cross from the touchline that was flicked out for a corner with Lee Smith breathing down the defenders neck. With Muzzie back on corner duty, I hate to say it but his set piece was a dreadful waste. |
Morris wasn't shy in coming off his line, a trait which had already cost a goal, but when called upon to clear the ball as both Jon Holloway and Cox closed in he did admirably well to prevent the City striker in what was a keenly contested race. However, his clearance fell to Lee Smith but the wing back's effort was so far off the target that there would be no need for any kind of Roy Carroll / Pedro Mendes controversy.
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| To prove how even the game was, Merthyr took the ball straight down the other end for a similar incident, this time with Matt Bath being the victor. |
| The Welshman were taking the incentive now and only Smith fulfilling his defensive duties prevented a Keddle far post header from hitting the target. |
| Having a great game up front, Burnsy even gave the T-End a glimpse of the skill that he possesses with a wonderful shimmy and change of feet the fooled Jon Holloway but the player boss didn't have enough left to ping in a shot and saw his effort deflected over by a defenders block. |
| But all of City's hard work was undone when the Martyr's equalised with a real 'route one' effort. A Morris goal kick was flicked on and a poor back header from Neil Griffiths caught Bath in no mans land. With a sense of dread the view from the T-End as Steins took the ball around the stranded keeper and slotted the ball into the empty net was one of despair. |
| However, the goal wasn't without controversy. It started from a free kick for offside against Addis as he rounded the defender who had been shepherding (ironic for a Welshie) the ball out of play. Quite when or how the City forward had become offside is unclear and was a real talking point during the break. |
| A tentative start to the second half was interrupted by a great breakaway attack that should've reaped a goal for the Tigers. Marvin Thompson cut out a cross in the penalty area and fed Smith who set off along the right wing. His pace on the counter attack, so often a vital cog in the City machine gave us three on two and Lee's cross bypassed both Daryl Addis and Jimmy Cox before falling at the feet of Burnsy. With just the keeper to beat the City boss steadied and drilled in a shot, but a defender got back to clear off the line. |
| This was followed by a shot from Addis which went just wide at the near post. |
Defender Gethin Jones brought the ball out of the Merthyr defence and was allowed to go all the way until he had a sight of target, but luckily for City he dragged his effort across the goal and wide.
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| Now looking like their league standing our opponents took the lead to silence the bank of Tigers fans on the T-End. A disputed free kick, given against Cox for a challenge on the edge of the area where the Merthyr player seemed to have just lost his balance, was played short to Chris Holloway at the side of the defensive wall. The blonde midfielder pinged in an angled drive which took a deflection and nestled into the far corner to produce a rowdy reaction from the ninety odd travelling fans. |
| City were rocked but not to the point where Merthyr could kill the game. A neat lay off from Burns saw Lee Smith's thunderbolt from the right corner of the penalty box well pushed over by Morris, but watching Hereford boss Graham Turner had already left. |
| Thanks to the segregation policy and my desire to change ends I missed Chris Burns' set piece spectacular, but the sound of the Tigers Roar from behind the clubhouse was incredible. For the record the gaffer drove the ball low around the Merthyr wall and into the far corner, although I'd prefer to imagine it like the Roberto Carlos banana shot against France in a meaningless friendly tournament a few years ago. |
| Although disappointed not to see the goal, I can't remember the last City goal at Meadow Park that I didn't see, Burns had a chance to recreate his strike minutes later when Lee Smith was chopped down by Jon Holloway in a similar position. Sadly this time the Tigers legend drilled his shot into the wall. |
| It was time for change for the Martyrs and in between a poor goal kick that fell for Addis to shoot over the bar, ex-Scummer Lee Howells came on for Chris Holloway and Gethin Jones was replaced by Steve Williams. |
| A Merthyr shot looped over the City bar before Jimmy Cox showed them how it was done by notching his second of the game. Good interplay between Addis and Smith on the right and the latter did his marker Keddle with a nutmeg through the legs before firing a cross to the far post where Tom Webb rose magnificently to nod the ball down where Cox stuck out a foot and poked the ball home. City fans jumped for joy! |
Three more changes followed, a real talking point in the City camp was replacing first Burns, then minutes later Cox with the relative inexperience of Jamie Reid and Lee Davis. Merthyr sacrificed a defender, Captain Andrew York for striker Richard French.
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| As the clock ticked down, Lee Smith took the ball into the corner to keep it away from danger but was penalised by the linesman when pressured by two Merthyr players. Quite what the City man had done to cause the assistant to raise his flag is unclear but remember, he was the one that gave the offside that lead to the equaliser. |
| The free kick went airborne and as far up the pitch as possible and it resulted in City giving away a corner and Jon Holloway, who I can only ever remember scoring from the penalty spot whilst a Tiger stooped at the near post to head home. That was sickening. |
| However, it wasn't all over yet and another swift attack from the Martyrs saw the ball fly past the City defence and fall invitingly for substitute French to shoot wide when those closer to the action suggested it would've been easier to hit a horses ass with a banjo. |
| Another sub made his mark, this time it was the City youngster Reid who earned himself a booking by not only pulling down his opponent who was making great strides to get away from him but also wellying the loose ball as far away as possible. Chris Burns, now sat in the dugout was heard to murmur, "That's my boy"! |
| It finished a draw. A good point against the league leaders some might say but it was another draw. We're almost two-thirds of the way through the season and we've drawn half of our games. You might think thats alarming but Stamford have drawn more! |
| With Rugby United, perennial 0-1 winners against us coming to Meadow Park on Saturday, a string of wins is needed to stop the freefall. |
| Come on Burnsy, sort em out. |
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| Tiger Roar Man of the Match - Chris Burns |
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Chris Burns
Star Man |
Talk about leading from the front, this was a great game for Burnsy. Having sat out the bore draw at Ciren he played as a big striker to successfully provide service for both Jimmy Cox and Darryl Addis. He also scored his first goal of the season with a direct free kick from just outside the box.
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