| From Hempsted to Hemel Hempstead. It may be a reasonably short trip in terms of mileage, yet it's a bloody awkward journey if you're not a crow. |
| Neatly situated between the Towns End and Gasworks Termini, Hemel's Vauxhall Road ground is one of the best that we've visited out of the ex-Isthmian bunch. With plentiful raised terracing and cover behind both goals we were pleasantly surprised having had to endure the hospitality offered by the likes of Dunstable, Hitchin, Chesham and Bedford already this season. Cirencester take note. |
| The area surrounding the ground was a cross between Swindon and 'On The Buses' land in a part of the country that exists in a built up capacity purely because London has grown too big for it's boots. |
| Considering that it was our first visit to Vauxhall Road, and not being too familiar with the Hertfordshire town fellow fan Matt Clift delved into the depths of my boot to retrieve the Non-League Directory for ground directions. I kid you not, but the only assistance that it offered was what bus to catch from the train station. |
| And how wonderful it was to reaquaint myself with the dulcet tones of the 'off-cockney' accent again. It reminded me of the time when, as a boy and a Watford FC fan, for a birthday treat we went to Vicarage Road for a game. |
| I wanted a Watford hat, so we found the Hornets shop located in town and I asked the geezer whether he had any caps. He pointed to the corner of his Eastgate Market style stall but I couldn't see any, so I repeated the question. Again, he pointed to the same area and still not being able to see a cap I said "I must be going blind" before it dawned on me that he was in fact motioning towards CUPS! |
| But hey, enough of the memory lane stuff, we were here for a game, a game which on paper looked a comfortable win for City. Especially following last weeks mauling of Rugby and Hemel's continual run of poor form. There were scores to settle too as the Tudors had visited Meadow Park in September and left with all three points thanks to a generous referee. |
| Things had changed for the home side, boss Tony Kelly no longer had hold of the managerial reins and new man Nicky Ironton had taken over. One or two new faces had joined including goliath defender Mark Burrows from Corby Town and hotshot striker Grant Carney from Dunstable. |
| Carney, or Carnage as he likes to be known has a fantastic scoring record of almost a goal-a-game mainly as the west of Luton team climbed up through the pyramid over the last six seasons, but his goals per game ration is crap compared to City's own Helen Wood! |
| Chris Burns kept the same team that wiped the floor with Rugby United, but there was a change on the bench with the welcome return of Lyndon Tompkins from injury. Youth teamers Eddie Rimmer and Jamie Reid kept their places alongside the burly defender as Burns and Kenny Blackburn make good use of the talented under-eighteen set up. |
Thankfully the teams were written up on the side of the stand in public view, something that should be done at all grounds. That was a godsend because their public address system was pumping out ten a penny pop stars like Natasha Bedingfield on their local 'Hot FM' instead.
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| But in good TR tradition, we're now onto the twelfth paragraph before the first mention of the game is made. |
| City should've scored in the first minute when Lee Smith played a weighted pass ahead of Jimmy Cox and the striker rolled the ball wide to his left where all Tom Webb had to do was stroke a first time shot towards goal. But the out of position midfielder delayed and allowed a defender to block his sight before dragging his effort wide. A real wasted opportunity. |
| In our car we run a competiton for the away games with two golden nuggets buying each person four players with the winner being the one who has the first City scorer. I get no luck and usually pick out the likes of Matt Bath, Adie Harris, Kenny Blackburn and Phil Gough. But today was different as I drew Jimmy Cox (the rest didn't matter) and the City striker almost returned me a decent profit when a clearance slammed the back of a defender and landed at his feet, but Coxy's shot flew inches wide of the post. |
| Carney, a tall and athletic looking striker showed what a threat he could be by outmuscling Neil Griffiths before setting up his strike parter Argyris Petrou who arrowed in a shot that flew just wide. It might've been different had Burnsy not pulled his foot away at the last minute though because the slightest of touches would've deflected it into the corner of the net. |
| Petrou followed up that effort with a more succesful one that finished in the back of the net, but the cheers were short lived as the linesman had listened to Phil Warren's instructions to raise his flag. |
| Cox was at his menacing best again as he took on the whole of the Hemel defence, going left then going right, with the red shirts backtracking at speed. His shot was palmed away by the impressive Martin Patching in the home goal and cleared by the full back from under the gaze of Tom Webb as he looked to atone for his early wasted chance. |
| It was the turn of the home side next when pacy winger George Fowler made unchecked progress from his wide berth into the area before sending in what looked like an overhit cross to the far post where it was headed back into the mixer. City kept the ball out with some slapstick defending before the ball fell nicely for Carney to shoot from six yards and produce a fantastic block from Matt Bath. |
| The ball was cleared out wide before being blocked en route to goal amid claims of handball by a City defender. Nothing was given, much to the dismay of the home crowd and dugout where the Hemel manager spent the afternoon whingeing like Blakey the Inspector and at one point even had the audacity to shout across the pitch to someone to "Stop moaning"! |
| In the end to end style of the game the ball was soon returned to the loftier end of the pitch where Daryl Addis whipped in a far post cross that just eluded the slide of Lee Smith. |
| But the first goal of the game came from the penalty spot when Chris Thompson fouled Jack Midson for what looked like from our position the softest penalty ever as the Hemel man was going nowhere but towards the corner flag. However, those closer to the incident suggested that Thommo had been done and that Midson had tripped over the City man in a fashion that convinced the man in black to point to the spot. |
Considering that midfielder Bryan Hammatt had scored two penalties at Meadow Park it was a surprise to see Grant Carney claim the ball. But it was no surprise that he sent Bath the wrong way to put the Tudors in front.
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| It should've been two when a clever dummy by a Hemel man saw Griff accidentally handle the ball outside the area and the free kick found Matt Corbould unmarked at the far post, but the big defender could only head over the bar with the whole target to aim at. |
| The pressure was on City now as the home team looked to double their advantage. A harsh free kick was awarded against Dave Wilkinson and Matt Bath would've been pleased to see Tom Neill's drive fly wide of his far post. |
| Sometimes players never learn and Wilko was guilty of a lunge on Paul Kelly after he'd laid a ball off in the area, but the referee ignored protests to deny the home side a second penalty kick. |
| We might've had luck in our own area but we had none where we really wanted as Cox's run and low cross evaded everyone on a rare City attack. |
| Chris Burns, annoyed at the lack of passion being shown by his players was the first to receive a caution following his show of dissent when he was penalised for taking a free kick with the ball in motion. The Tigers' boss threw the ball to the ground in exasperation and the referee called him over and said "You're taking a right diabolical liberty, what's your name saaahn". |
| The half ended, thankfully with Hemel having just the one goal to show for their efforts. Any more and the game would've been beyond City. Burnsy made his teamtalk short and sweet and were back on the field in good time, but curiously the home team took longer than necessary and required a reminder from the referee to get their asses out onto the pitch. |
| Maybe the extra rest did Hemel good as they almost scored right at the start of the second half. Good work down the wing and a zinging shot by Petrou produced a reaction save from Bath that prevented the ball going in but could only loop the ball up and away from his grasp. Neil Griffiths though was in the right place at the right time to retreat and head off the line under pressure from a Hemel player. |
| City calmed things down and following a spell of possession football Chris Burns lobbed a pass forward to meet a run by Dave Wilkinson but the top scorers touch deserted him and he could only flick the ball meekly at the keeper who had been drawn off of his line. |
| It was time for a change and regular fall guy Marvin Thompson was the man to make way as Keith Knight entered the fray. |
| Mystery surrounds why but Marvin's namesake Chris Thompson went into the book as the home side were awarded a free kick yet there seemed to be no apparent foul. Following that Hemel made their first change with the dangerous Petrou making way for Richard Pringle. |
City were threatening now and how they didn't score when a Lee Smith cross was headed towards goal by a defender I'll never know. Hemel keeper Patchin showed lightening reflexes to divert the ball away from the target and just behind the run of Jimmy Cox to keep his sheet clean.
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| But it wasn't to last and what looked like a mishit corner from Knight found Neil Griffiths at the far post and the City defender bundled the ball down where Cox finally lashed the ball into the net and eight quid into my pocket. The keeper wasn't happy though and vented his frustration at the linesman. |
| With City two up on the booking count the defecit was halved when Corbould had his name taken for halting Smith's progress with a well timed trip. The free kick went out for a corner that was played to the near post where Burnsy cleverly held the ball up before flicking the ball goalwards, but no-one could capitalise and nothing came of the Gaffers efforts. |
| Unfortunately Burns' good work was undone in a moment of madness when he tried to play the ball back to Matt Bath, and having had nothing of the game for a good ten minutes Fowler seized the loose ball to fire past Bath and give Hemel a scarcely deserved lead. The City fans were sickened and it was made worse by a toothless teenage tearaway with a high pitched voice annoying us as we watched the game. |
| Neil Mustoe became the third City man cautioned when he was beaten by Fowler so he used his body as a buffer to half the wingers run. And another slip by Burns almost let in Pringle, but the linesman spared the City bosses blushes by flagging for handball against the Hemel substitute. |
| Youth teamer Jamie Reid came on for the ineffective Wilko and added spice to the Tigers' midfield. Not saying that Dave Wilkinson should be dropped but Reid has impressed whenever he's been thrown on and I think it's time to give youth a chance from the start. |
| With the City fans in good voice Daryl Addis gave us more to shout about when he timed his run along the defensive line and latched onto a lofted through ball before cutting in from an acute angle and firing a shot into the corner of the net for his third goal in two games. |
| It was the least that City deserved but it was almost undone when up at the other end a cross found it's way to the far post where it was headed back from whence it came and looked to go just wide of Bath's far post. |
| With the game approaching it's final throes Lee Smith can count himself lucky not to have been booked after he overran his own pass and went in over the top of the ball, leaving the Hemel man in a heap on the floor. |
| The last chance of the game fell for Griff when he rose high at a free kick to loop a header to the far post where Patchin flew to push the ball wide. The Hemel number one was, alongside Banbury's Simon Tricker one of the best opposition keepers that we've faced this season. |
| When we attacked avoiding the tall pair of defenders in the middle we looked quite threatening, but without Chris Burns to counter those large centre halves and too many balls going straight to the cumbersome pair we did ourselves no justice. |
| However, this was a point gained and not two lost as we match Stamford in our challenge to see who can draw the most games this season. It's no coincidence that we're being sucked into the relegation mire so we need to start turning these draws into wins. |
| That was it and everyone was on the bus and back to Gloucester. |
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| Tiger Roar Man of the Match - Neil Griffiths |
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Neil Griffiths
Star Man |
Former captain Neil Griffiths had a great game today by not only keeping dangerman Grant Carney quiet but also setting up City's first goal, clearing one off the line with a Hemel man ready to pounce and almost squeezing in a header to net all three points.
A honourable mention goes to Neil Mustoe who was only just edged out for the vote by Griff.
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