 |
|
| Match Summaries : January 2006 |
|
| City 1-2 Salisbury City : Tuesday January 2nd 2006 |
City
1: Matt Bath
2: Adie Harris
(sub 76 mins)
3: Alex Sykes
(sub 76 mins)
4: Neil Griffiths
5: Lyndon Tompkins
(booked 40 mins)
6: Chris Thompson
(booked 36 mins)
7: Chris Burns
(booked 1 mins)
(sub 82 mins)
8: Tom Webb
9: Daryl Addis
10: Keith Knight
11: Dave Wilkinson
(goal 32 mins)
Substitutes
12: Richard Mansell
for Alex Sykes
14: Jamie Reid
15: Luke Corbett
for Chris Burns
16: Marvin Thompson
for Adie Harris
|
|
|
|
Salisbury City
1: Kevin Sawyer
2: Scott Bartlett
3: Jon Beswetherick
4: Aaron Cook
5: Tim Bond
6: Tommy Widdrington
7: Wayne Turk
(goal 67 mins)
8: Craig Davis
(goal 26 mins)
9: Paul Sales
(booked 89 mins)
10: Matthew Tubbs
(booked 59 mins)
(sub 87 mins)
11: Chris Ferret
(sub 68 mins)
Substitutes
12: Rene Regis
14: Simon Browne
for Chris Ferret
15: Matty Holmes
16: Robbie Matthews
for Matthew Tubbs
22: Simon Arthur
|
In October 1996 Chris Burns played his first game for The Tigers. Today, almost ten years later was his last game in a decade which he'd spent with the club give or take a season or two on top of a hill in Nailsworth.
Judging by his robust size Chris had always added a physical edge to the side and had picked up a good collection of red and yellow cards on the way. The first minute of his last game almost brought an early exit too as his elbow caught the eye of Salisbury's highly paid striker Paul Sales.
Talking of money it's ironic that the Whites are rumoured to be paying out as much as £8500 per week on their vast playing squad, pretty much the same amount that we were giving to the team when Chris first came to Meadow Park. Typically it was also the South Wiltshire side that spoiled it all on the last day of that season so what comes around, goes around!
Burnsy's last ever City team selection had seem him include himself and his assistant Keith Knight and much maligned midfielder Dave Wilkinson was moved up front to partner Daryl Addis, another player under the supporters microscope.
Surprisingly the Wiltshire Whites didn't impose themselves on the game the way that rivals Chippenham and Kings Lynn had when they visited Meadow Park. Even Aylesbury looked more of a threat.
The form book would've been torn up had Wilko's close range effort not had the power taken off it by a brave save from supersized keeper Kevin Sawyer. A defender dashed back to clear off the line and silence the impending City cheers.
Up at the T-End the side from the Ray Mac broke through but were denied by a superb double save from Matt Bath. Unfortunately though they did pierce his rearguard minutes later when the City keeper could only parry a direct free kick into the path of Craig Davis who sidefooted the ball into the empty net.
But within minutes Burns men had surprised their minted visitors with a goal straight out of the top drawer.
Alex Sykes, playing his last game of his loan spell wove a way through the defence on the left and dinked in a cross to the other side of the goal. Wilko's enthusistic burst had taken him too far but the striker for the day turned on a sixpience, raised his foot and guided the ball beyond the reach of Sawyer.
That goal made the scores even going into the break but further bookings for Chris Thompson and Lyndon Tompkins added to the early one from the gaffer to put City well ahead on the caution count.
£500 per week striker Matthew Tubbs got his name taken at the start of the second half when he led with his arm when he jumped for a header with Burnsy. Their pair of strikers did little to stand out and it was left to midfielder Wayne Turk to score the winner as he squeezed in a shot past Bath at the far post after he'd turned a City defender.
City had chances to pull level, mainly through Rich Mansell's stinging drive but Sawyer somehow got his bulk behind it and did well to block Wilko's rebound too.
No luck for City as they went down to the big spenders. Oh how Chris Burns would've wished he'd had that kind of money to play with as he walked away from the T-End for the final time....
|
 |
|
|
| City 4-5 Tiverton Town : Saturday January 7th 2006 |
City
1: Matt Bath
(own goal 83 mins)
2: Marvin Thompson
3: Richard Mansell
(goal 73 mins)
4: Neil Griffiths
5: Lyndon Tompkins
(booked 76 mins)
6: Chris Thompson
7: Adie Harris
8: Tom Webb
9: Daryl Addis
10: Luke Corbett
(goal 42 mins)
11: Dave Wilkinson
(goal 74 mins)
Substitutes
12: Lee Randall
14: Jamie Reid
15: Eddie Rimmer
16: Neil Mustoe
|
|
|
|
Tiverton Town
1: Mark Ovendale
(booked 60 mins)
2: Steve Winter
(own goal 79 mins)
3: Shaun Goff
(sub 81 mins)
4: Danny Clay
5: Tom Gardner
6: Mike Booth
7: Kwame Ampadu
8: Chris Bale
(goals 46 & 87 mins)
9: Richard Pears
(sub 84 mins)
10: Chris Holloway
(booked 41 mins)
11: Jamie Mudge
(goals 10 & 18 mins)
(sub 88 mins)
Substitutes
12: Kurt Nogan
for Jamie Mudge
14: Dave Hambly
for Shaun Goff
15: Sam Croft
16: Paul Milsom
for Richard Pears
|
Just imagine winning the lottery and then losing your ticket before you had the chance to claim the prize. That's just how City felt after coming from 1-3 down to lead 4-3 before conceding two more goals and going home empty handed.
New boss Neil Mustoe couldn't have had a worse start to his managerial career seeing his defence twice pierced by through balls from Richard Pears that were expertly finished by Tivvy hotshot Jamie Mudge.
A desolute looking City were thrown a lifeline a few minutes before the break when Dave Wilkinson and Chris Holloway tangled after a cross had been cleared and the Tiverton player manhandled Wilko as they both tried to get up. Referee Les Sinclair spotted the infringement and awarded a penalty which was calmly converted by Luke Corbett.
However our defence couldn't hold out for the next few minutes as the Devon side restored their two goal cushion when Welshman Chris Bale stood unmarked at the far post to plant a header past Matt Bath into the far corner. The octogenarian army went wild whilst City were left to rue their inability to repel a simple cross.
Our opponents approached the second half as though the game was won and to be fair it seemed that way until just twenty minutes were left to play. City had been asking questions of the team in red but hadn't looked like scoring until Richard Mansell's shot stung Mark Ovendale so hard that his eyebrows fell off. Corbett was first to the rebound and his center was cleared from Wilko but presented nicely for Manse to sweep in his first goal for the club.
From the restart Dave Wilkinson won possession and ran at the Tiverton defence before dropping his left shoulder and easily beating any resistance from the Tivvy rearguard before unleashing a cannonball that Ovendale just stood and watched. The cheers from Mansell's goal had hardly died down as the City man celebrated his equaliser.
Five minutes later, unbelievably Mustoe's men were in front. A free kick from the left wing was met by an untidy header which saw the ball drop down on the edge of the penalty area. Steve Winter turned to lash it clear but amazingly planted it into the corner of his own net. City were in front.
No longer had City held the lead than they'd thrown it away as a corner was headed goalwards and then off the line by Adie Harris, but the assistant managers clearance hit Matt Bath and rolled over the line. Then the Devon team stole all three points when Bale tapped in his second of the game after Bath had parried a shot from another Tiverton forward.
A defeat snatched from the jaws of victory. Gutted. |
|
|
|
| Grantham Town 2-1 City : Saturday January 14th 2006 |
Grantham Town
1: Mario Zicardi
2: Tom Wilkinson
(sub 43 mins)
3: Richard Weale
4: Adrian Speed
(sub 65 mins)
5: Steve Julian
6: Grant Brown
(goal 27 mins)
7: Richard Challenor
8: Adam Sturgess
9: Micheal Sneddon
(goal 73 mins)
10: Jason Turner
(sub 88 mins)
11: Martin Matthews
Substitutes
12: Chris Bacon
for Adrian Speed
14: Sean Popple
for Tom Wilkinson
15: Daniel Maddison
for Jason Turner
16: Lenell John-Lewis
17: Lee Glover
|
|
|
|
City
1: Matt Bath
2: Marvin Thompson
(sub 81 mins)
3: Richard Mansell
4: Neil Griffiths
5: Lyndon Tompkins
6: Neil Mustoe
(sub 45 mins)
7: Chris Thompson
8: Tom Webb
9: Daryl Addis
(sub 87 mins)
10: Luke Corbett
11: Adie Harris
(goal 12 mins)
Substitutes
12: Lee Davis
for Neil Mustoe
14: Micheal Noakes
15: Lee Randall
for Marvin Thompson
16: Eddie Rimmer
for Daryl Addis
|
This was the day one of a new era for the Tigers as Tim Harris took charge of the side for the first time. The former Merthyr boss had only met his new team as a group forty-eight hours earlier so he will have to think and act quickly to halt the alarming run of defeats which is now upto five.
Grantham is one of those grounds with a dreaded running track which gives terrible views for supporters so it was just rubbing it in when their Mr Tannoy boomed out with a welcome to the officials and players of Gloucester City.
What about the fans asshead?
Hopes of victory were raised for the twenty or so who'd made the longish journey when Daryl Addis found Adie Harris and the veteran winger shot through Adrian Speed's legs on the edge of the area to beat Mario Zicardi on his near post. Luke Corbett came close to doubling the lead when he dropped his shoulder and went for goal but his shot was deflected behind by a last gasp lunge by the defender.
The lead didn't last though and after a couple of 'practice' corners the home side got one right when Grant Brown rose unmarked at the back stick to firmly head past Matt Bath.
There was a change at half time as Neil Mustoe made way for Lee Davis, so one half-fit player replaced another. Gaffer Harris couldn't have had a much smaller squad to pick from with both Jamie Reid and Dave Wilkinson sat in the stand serving out suspensions.
Grantham had a great chance to go ahead when their striker beat a static City defence and was one on one with Bath but he tried too hard to place his shot and ended up arrowing it wide of the upright.
The Gingerbreads veteran defender Adrian Speed was replaced by new signing Chris Bacon but not before he'd disgracefully gouged Corbett's eyes going for a high ball. The Grantham man had his fingers in Luke's face for a good three seconds and it's criminal how this cowardly act wasn't spotted by any of the three officials.
But when you're on a losing run nothing seems to go your way and so it was that the Lincolnshire side stole all three points when Micheal Sneddon's shot was deflected past Bath with fifteen minutes to go. City weren't likely to find a way back into the game though as they'd failed to test Zicardi in the second period.
Harris made two more changes; Lee Randall for Marvin and Eddie Rimmer for the goal shy Addis. Congratulations to the few home fans spread around the 'terrace' for their predictable abuse of Randall. If thats the best you can come up with you deserve to be labelled "in-bred". You boys need some fresh intelligence in your local bloodline. |
|
|
|
| City 0-2 Bath City : Saturday January 21st 2006 |
City
1: Matt Bath
2: Jon Miller
(sub 70 mins)
3: Richard Mansell
4: Mark Preece
5: Jorge Ferro
6: Neil Mustoe
7: Chris Thompson
8: Tom Webb
9: Jody Bevan
10: Michael Whittington
11: Dave Wilkinson
Substitutes
12: Eddie Rimmer
14: Michael Noakes
15: Daryl Addis
for Jon Miller
16: Lee Randall
17: Lyndon Tompkins
|
|
|
|
Bath City
1: Paul Evans
2: Jim Rollo
(sub 45 mins)
3: Steve Jones
4: Matt Coupe
5: Gethin Jones
6: Adie Harris
7: Tony Bird
8: Dean Clarke
9: Phil Walsh
(sub 85 mins)
10: Scott Partridge
(goal 27 mins)
11: Alex Sykes
(goal 22 mins)
(sub 72 mins)
Substitutes
12: Jon Holloway
for Jim Rollo
14: Graeme Power
for Alex Sykes
15: Chris Holland
for Phil Walsh
16: Craig Davidge
17: Andrew York
|
Even though City had lost five games in succession things were actually looking up at Meadow Park.
Keyway had sent down a JCB and dug out the T-End goalmouth replacing a sea of mud with a vastly improved but sandy penalty box. New boss Tim Harris had prepared for his first home match by adding five new faces to his squad after one or two of those who hadn't defected to Cinderford had pulled or tweaked something after they'd actually trained instead of honing their social skills in the Whitesmiths. Bring on the new era!
However it's never easy for at team with new faces to gel instantly, especially when faced with a team on a roll as visitors Bath City were. I don't think there was ever any doubt that the Romans were going to bury their hoodoo of not getting favourable results on their visits to Gloucester over the past decade.
Lining up for the Tigers were new boys Jon Miller, Mark Preece, Jorge Ferro, Jody Bevan and Michael Whittington. Room had to be made in the squad for the new players so following the departure of Burns, Knight and Neil Griffiths both Marvin Thompson and Lee Davis were told they could leave before the game.
At Twerton Park Bath's South African goalkeeper Paul Evans was extremely lucky to escape with a yellow card after he'd ran thirty-five yards out of his goal to foul Daryl Addis. The giant stopper seems to have his way with officials as after he refused to allow Dave Wilkinson to have the ball for a corner he booted it away right under the referees nose. Incredibly he wasn't booked!
Winger Alex Sykes had recently spent a month on loan with the Tigers and we'd got him fit enough to be in the Bath side replacing the injured Andy Sandell. Although he tried a few pot shots in his time with City he didn't find the net so it was typical that his angled drive beat Matt Bath to awaken the yawning masses of away fans who had grouped on the T-End.
Less than ten minutes later Bath doubled their lead when Moby lookalike Scott Partridge fired home a half volley from six yards after City's new defence had failed to clear under pressure from the impressive Phil Walsh.
City's new front pairing of Bevan and Whittington looked lively and the latter should've scored when put in by his partner but he dragged his shot across the face of goal with Evans beaten.
During the interval former City favourite Jon Holloway replaced Jim Rollo, a player who had done little in the first half other than hold his finger up to his lips. A Tigers fan had tried to tap Holloway up as he warmed up in the first half but with eighteen months left on his deal at Twerton Park we'll have to wait until the 2007/08 season to see him in a City shirt again!
Harris earned his corn at half time because his charges came out and took the game to their opponents, but Bath are a well built side from the back, through the middle and up front and it would take something special to come back from two goals down. Something that we didn't have.
There were half chances though, namely a good shot on the turn from outside the area by Bevan but Evans flung himself across goal to palm it away. City could've had two penalties too, one when Mark Preece's cross was beaten away by a defenders hands and the other when Whittington was tripped as he bamboozled Matt Coupe but the lucky heather must've done the trick for the gyppo as the referee penalised the City man for diving.
Relish's men seemed happy to protect their lead and the game petered out into a midfield batter. In fact the best point of the game came when a helicopter landed on an adjacent field and created a whining sound that made the Bath fans think they were at a home game!
At least this game finished with handshakes and no punches were thrown or necks wrung. It's a shame that we had to lose for Bath to win like gentlemen! |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
| Page last updated : 22nd January 2006 |
|
|
| Tiger Roar is an unofficial, independant production. It has nothing to do with Gloucester City AFC 1980 Ltd, Gloucester City Ladies FC or the Gloucester City Supporters Trust. All comments expressed on here (unless stated) are those of the author and not those of the football club. |
| All content on this site is copyright of the site owner and must not be reproduced without prior permission (unless waived by the author). Please do not use or remotely link to any of the images or videos on this site. Images used without permission will be subject to a £50.00 charge. |
| I would like to express thanks to everyone who has helped make this website possible through donations, images, video clips and information. If you feel I have used your own copyrighted material and would like it removed, please do not hesitate to to discuss it's removal. |
| Above all, enjoy the website and please come back for more! |
 |
|
|
