| As early as January this game was billed as a relegation six pointer. |
| Despite beating us at Meadow Park in September Solihull have retained a constant berth in the bottom four all through the campaign, but with the recent arrival of a couple of Hinckley players and a few decent results, this wasn't the best time for City to visit Damson Parkway. |
| This was the Tigers' third attempt at winning at Boro's new ground. Previous encounters had finished favourably for the Brummies with 0-4, 1-2 and 0-0 scorelines. The only goal for the Tigers, an effort deep into injury time by Jimmy Cox was scored after I'd left to make time to get back to work in Gloucester so I'd never actually seen a City goal at Damson Park. |
| Having won three out of their last four games to close the gap and evapourate the comfort zone between ourselves and the gaggle of strugglers including Boro, Hemel, Team Bath and Dunstable a win today would've gone a long way to easing the pressure on City. As it turned out the draw had stopped them making ground on us but also would've disappointed Burnsy who has expressed a desire to win six more games to attain safety. |
| His team selection included a surprise at left back with youngster Micheal Noakes picked ahead of Marvin Thompson. The rest of the team picked itself although it was concerning to see Lyndon Tompkins sitting on the bench again when his defensive edge is needed on the field. |
| A familiar face lined up for Solihull in the number two shirt. Andy Smith, the short, bald headed defender had been a target for City in the close season following many impressive performances for his club Evesham but had opted to stay at Common Road instead of becoming a Tiger. I didn't realise he'd made the switch to Damson Park though. |
The rest of the team was picked from the travelling circus of players that often frequent the West Midlands clubs, among them former Redditch United duo Scott Voice and Mark Shepherd. Voice, who had to be content with a place on the bench had been signed by the now Conference North side with a view to spearheading their attack during this campaign. How the mighty hath fallen!
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| Away fans visiting Damson Parkway can't fail but to stare in awe at the vast array of club shirts, pennants and badges on display of the Swiss Chalet style roof of the club bar. It's a sight to behold and certainly the high point for fans new to the club because they let themselves down with the portakabin toilet where it's easily possible to expose yourself to supporters and players alike, the matchday programme which is below par and the fast food bar which does little for the cholesterol levels in that part of the West Midlands. |
| Onto the small matter of the game though. |
| In pretty much a re-run of the away day at Hemel Hempstead, Tom Webb had a glorious chance to give the Tigers and early lead when he played a one-two with Jimmy Cox before heading for goal. Again though his indecision gave Solihull keeper Mark Gayle the opportunity to race off of his line and cut the angle with his massive frame. |
| The following corner gave us the first glimpse of Gayle's extraordinary tactic of pushing attackers out of his way as they lined up for a corner. As one City voice let the referee know, it would be a foul if a forward did that to a defender so why didn't we get a penalty? As with most appeals to the officials, it fell on deaf ears. |
| For a team that had been in impressive form over the past month Solihull were having great trouble breaking down City's suspect back line and it was the Yellows who were doing all of the talking. |
| A run in from the wing from Jimmy Cox came to nothing after having beaten three or four players he waited for them to catch up to take them on again rather than lay the ball off to a teammate to shoot. It did go behind though and from the corner it was the Gaffer who aimed a lob from the edge of the box on target but not past the ageless Gayle. |
However the pressure had to tell and City eventually took the lead midway through the first half. Daryl Addis won a challenge for the ball out on the flank and on another day with another ref might've been penalised for his efforts, but play continued and he centred the ball where it was met by a combination of Jimmy Cox and Solihull defender Pete Barry at the far post. Under pressure the Boro man bundled the ball into the back of the net.
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| Despite what Joe Green said (he had Cox in the goalden goal) it was an OG! |
| But you need to remember that we're in a perilous position in the lower reaches of the league table and over the course of the season we've had no-one to blame bar ourselves. Within minutes Barry, the Solihull man, had made amends when the City defence just couldn't clear a corner despite two hacks out of the six yard box and it was third time lucky for the hapless defender who angled a half volley past Matt Bath. |
| Things got worse following the equaliser when Micheal Noakes, making his first start for the first team seemed to twist as he went down and after a lengthy delay was stretchered off with an ankle injury. At first it was feared he may have broken a bone but x-ray's later confirmed that it was just a strain and he's likely to be missing for the next month. |
| To add insult to injury, with their third chance of the game the home side scored their second goal. Another corner and forward Matt Hawker rose unopposed at the far post to direct a good header in off the crossbar. |
| That sick feeling developed in the pits of our stomachs and it didn't get any better as on the stroke of half time Cox, trying to make room for himself in the penalty area turned his man and was sent tumbling as ball was passed invitingly to him. No spot kick for City, but when do we ever get any? |
The second period might've started well for the Tigers had Solihull's shout to get a man on the post for City's first corner been ignored. Sadly it wasn't and Chris Burns' header found the exact spot that had seconds earlier been filled by said defender.
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| But it wasn't long before we found the net and it was a combination of hesitant defending and bravery from Daryl Addis that created the chance. A long punt forward landed in a perilous zone for the home side as the keeper was in two minds about coming for it after the back line had left it for him. The City striker didn't give up and was rewarded for his efforts by being freight-trained by the tardy Gayle but he won the ball and Wilko was on hand to hook it into the empty net to take his season's goal tally into double figures. Daryl took the accolades but spent the next few minutes seeing stars. |
| There could've been more glory for City minutes later when the same two players linked up but with the ball, goal and Dave Wilkinson all within spitting distance of each other the City man lost sight of it following an awkward bounce and frustratingly for the Tigers, it was cleared. |
| All of the hard work was almost undone though with some green defending by City that left two Solihull forwards, Matt Bath and the ball all alone to play their own game in the six yard box. All we could see from the other end was a ball roll towards the post, bounce off it and the City keeper clutch the rebound with both hands. And we wonder why we're "dans la merde"!! |
| Addis almost got his goal when City broke away with swift interplay between Jimmy Cox and Lee Smith before a pass to Daryl and a shot on the turn was touched inches wide of the far post by Mark Gayle. No corner though. |
| It was time for a change and Mark Shepherd made way for Borough as Hinckley loanee Chris Smith took his place. |
Another chance for Wilko, this time when his far post slide was a nano-second too slow to connect with Cox's cross but City were on top and the goal that they were looking for finally came from a corner. The ball was swung to the far post where Griff headed it goalwards and Addis diverted it over the line, even though Andy Smith did his best volleyball impression to keep it out.
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| That was to be it for Smith, the former City target as he limped off with a bruised pride and was replaced by Derek Stevenson. |
| But just when we thought that City might notch their first away win for three months Boro striker Hawker bagged his second when, with his back to goal he collected a pass and turned, shot and scored in one movement. What was particularly galling for the City fans though was that the ball passed through a gap on Bath's near post of little more than a metre and the City keeper didn't move. After the game he did say that the shot took a deflection but even so it was a very soft goal to concede. |
| Following their equaliser Solihull made their third and final change with Mark Faulds replacing Jamie Petty. |
| But then City had a great chance to win the game when a corner was cleared to Cox on the halfway line and with players either side he made the mistake of picking out the out of form Lee Smith overlapping on his right. With Cox himself making a beeline for the near post and Wilko and Addis going to the far the winger opted to shoot. It went well over. |
| I don't know whats going on in his head but during the last few games Smith has been between wasteful and woeful in the ratings. Now would be a good time to drop him because he's adding nothing to the team so we won't miss him if he isn't there. |
| Other than a hopeful shot from Chris Thompson there was nothing else as the game petered out into the fourteenth draw of the season for City. Can anyone see a light at the end of the tunnel because I can't. |
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| Tiger Roar Man of the Match - Daryl Addis |
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Daryl Addis
Star Man |
MOM must go to Daryl Addis because he set up two goals (taking a nasty knock for the second), scored another and came within a whisker of giving City all three points. However, Tom Webb deserves a mention for not only his tireless running but also the edge that he added to his game that caused the Solihull boss to label him a "f**king headcase".
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