Tiger Roar frontpage archive - 2008 Q1
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| Thursday March 27th 2008 |
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Alex Sykes
Netted Twice
Marcus Palmer
Parting Shot |
City did as much as they could to keep their playoff dreams alive with what was ultimately a comfortable win against Swindon Supermarine at the New Lawn.
The first half hour seemed to be a hangover from the Chippenham game as Supermarine strived to become the second Wiltshire team to slay the Tigers inside three days as Tim Harris' men struggled to test ex-City keeper Tom King in the Swindon goal. At the other end Kev Sawyer could consider himself lucky to escape a red card after he charged off his line and collided with an onrushing Swindon forward but the referee only cautioned the City keeper.
That was a real let off because Alex Sykes continued his rich vein of form when he opened the scoring with a right footed shot from just inside the box. He should've made it two in two minutes when a poorly executed tackle by defender Cedric Abraham on Tom Webb saw the Tigers awarded yet another penalty but King became the first goalkeeper to block a Syko spot kick in nine attempts.
Supermarine may as well've stayed in the changing room for the second half as they were ripped apart by the rampant Tigers. Jack Pitcher doubled the lead within four minutes when either ex-Tiger Chris Thompson or the City striker got the final touch to a low cross from Will Morford, needless to say Jack claimed the goal. Syko got his second and City's third when he was well positioned to place a shot into the bottom right hand corner from Lee Smith's cut back and Marcus Palmer made it four with an oh so cool finish to sign off from his month's loan. Jamie Reid put the cherry on the icing on the cake with the fifth in the last minute when he strode in unmarked to smash Jody Bevan's searching angled pass beyond the grasp of the now fed up King.
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| Marcus Palmer slams the ball into the empty net after Jamie Reid had scored City's fifth goal |
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| Monday March 24th 2008 |
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Will Morford
City scorer |
City's hopes of forcing their way back into the playoff reckoning pretty much died on it's ass at Hardenhuish Park this afternoon when they were humbled 1-4 by Chippenham Town.
Will Morford, reaplacing tghe sick Marcus Palmer gave the Tigers a ninth minute lead when he swept home a Matt Rose shot from close range but the Bluebirds forced their way back into the game when Ross Adams half volleyed high into the roof of the net from a free kick. The home team doubled their advantage just before the break when a long punt forward fell kindly for dangerous forward Sean Seavill who cooly slotted the ball past the outrushing Kev Sawyer.
In the second half City rode their luck as they looked for an equaliser but felt cheated when Chippenham scored their third from a supposedly mishit drop kick from goalkeeper Chris Snoddy. Left back Kevin Halliday lay injured in Snoddy's penalty box and as everyone appealed for him to kick it out he let rip with a long ball that Seavil chased, controlled and shot into the back of the net before running back the full length of the field to celebrate with the unsporting keeper and Halliday who made a miraculous recovery. The referee was as much to blame as he let play continue despite the ungentlemanly conduct on show. Disgraceful.
Chippenham scored a fourth in injury time but it doesn't matter because the cheating bastards had killed the spirit of the game with their third.
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| Will Morford taps home the opener for City is the 1-4 defeat against unsporting Chippenham |
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| Saturday March 15th 2008 |
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Jamie Reid
Equaliser |
It was raining, it was pouring but nobody was snoring as the Tigers and Banbury United battled out an entertaining draw at the Spencer Stadium today.
Tim Harris' men set up camp in their hosts half for large parts of the game as the Puritans relied on the pace of hotshot Nicky Gordon to pose a threat on the break and it paid dividends for them on twenty minutes when the striker opened the scoring but Jamie Reid eventually forced an equaliser midway through the second half with a far post shot after good work by Lee Smith, Jack Pitcher and Will Morford.
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Despite suggestions on this website after the Halesowen game it has now been confirmed that goalkeeper Kev Sawyer will NOT face a ban after picking up a yellow card. The reason being that the slate is wiped clean after February so City's defence are now able to face their run-in with the knowledge that the best goalkeeper in the league is still behind them. |
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| Jamie Reid grabs City's equaliser against Banbury with a shot at the far post |
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| Tuesday March 11th 2008 |
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Kev Sawyer
Due a ban |
City fell to a controversial defeat at Halesowen tonight after Eldon Maquemba was given a free run on goal when the offside Ikechi Anya blocked Matt Sysum from tracking the striker to goal. The winning strike fifteen minutes from time angered the Tigers who had Kev Sawyer booked for dissent (and now faces a ban) and Manager Tim Harris ordered from the dugout in one of those pointless and pathetic displays from officials which makes them think they're powerful when we all know they're really just a bunch of tossers!
The Yeltz had taken the lead midway through the first half when Dean Brennan nodded in a goalbound header from a corner but Alex Sykes, who is now among the BGB Premier Division's top scorers bagged his thirteenth goal of the season from the penalty spot after Jack Pitcher had been fouled.
These two defeats on the spin make the playoffs seem more of a dream than a reality but there are still nine games to go so who knows what will happen!
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| Jack Pitcher's shot is agonisingly blocked on the goalline by Jamie Reid |
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| Saturday March 8th 2008 |
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Ashley Thomas
Should've cleared |
City's hopes of cementing a playoff place took a serious bash today with a 0-2 home defeat agains New Forest club Bashley.
Tim Harris' men struggled to recapture the form they'd shown against Tiverton on a slick surface at the New Lawn in the wind and rain as the experienced Hampshire side defended in numbers and looked to hit the Tigers on the break, something which they did successfully just before and after the interval.
Ryan Moss put the vistors one up when he got on Ashley Thomas' blind side to convert a left wing cross before Richard Gillespie made it two when City lost possession from a throw in and again Thomas was hesitant when he should've cleared leaving the Bashley striker to lift the ball over City keeper Kev Sawyer.
City boss Harris is adamant that his team can bounce back from this setback and still have a chance of the playoffs but it will be a big ask considering that he will have a weakened team for the trip to Halesowen on Tueday this week.
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| Bashley's Pete Castle blocks Jack Pitcher pass with his arm but the referee waved away penalty appeals |
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| Tuesday March 4th 2008 |
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Jack Pitcher
Two goal haul
Matt Rose
Broken Nose |
City continued to apply pressure on playoff rivals Bashley ahead of Saturday's six-pointer at the Lawn with a tremendous 4-1 victory over Tiverton Town thanks to a brace from in form striker Jack Pitcher plus goals from Marcus Palmer on his home debut and Alex Sykes with his fifth goal in five games.
Following an opening that saw Tiverton loan striker Phil Walsh (from Bath City) threaten to elbow heads clean off City players it was the Tigers who took the lead when Pitcher's flick from Neil Mustoe's free kick was blocked by the hind legs of Tivvy centre half Nathan Rudge back to City's top scorer to lash into the right side of an open net with keeper Martin Horsell stranded on his near post.
Five minutes later it was two when borrowed Hereford striker Palmer was found by a delightful Syko pass from the left hand side and the City hotshot showed great presence to hold off his marker before turning and arrowing a shot into the opposite corner.
The Ladysmead outfit pulled a goal back through Simon Bochenski when a lucky deflection fell kindly for him to have time and space to poke the ball past Kev Sawyer but Pitcher bagged his second two minutes later when Palmer played him in with a delightful through pass at an angle to goal but the City mans shot was hit with so much venom that Horsell couldn't even get a finger to as it whizzed past him on his near post.
The second half was a tighter affair but any hope that the Devon side had of getting back into the game was tempered when Tivvy captain Rudge was shown a straight red card when he elbowed City man of the match Matt Rose in an off the ball incident spotted by the referee.
With the game entering it's final throes the evergreen Sykes stole a march on the Tiverton defence at a throw in and made room to advance on goal before nonchelantly flicking a shot past debutant keeper Horsell with the outside of his left foot into the top right hand corner to score City's fourth goal of the game.
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| Jack Pitcher scores his second and City's third against Tiverton Town |
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| Tuesday January 29th 2008 |
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Alex Allard
Scored for City |
City's tremendous unbeaten run has finally come to an end and inevitably it was against the pub team from Yate!
The game started well enough for the Tigers as Alex Allard headed home a superbly placed cross from Tom Webb and Neil Mustoe had the chance to make it two from the penalty spot after Jack Pitcher had been fouled by Yate keeper Tony Court but he telegraphed his spot kick and it became one of the countless chances where Tim Harris' men were denied as they should've gone it at half time at least four goals to the good.
The Bluebells took full advantage of City's wasted opportunities and equalised through Craig Davidge when he touched home Lee Jeffries' header from a corner before Aaron Blakemore ghosted in at the far post to connect with a deep cross and beat Kev Sawyer from close range.
David Anyinsah looked to have put the game beyond doubt with a third after Webb had been caught in possession leading to a quick break that saw the ex-Mangotsfield striker shoot under Sawyer but Webb himself got on the scoresheet deep into injury time when he stabbed home a chipped cross after good work on the right wing by Pitcher.
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| Jack Pitcher heads goalwards but it was saved |
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| Saturday January 26th 2008 |
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Alex Sykes
Awesome Strike |
City continued their incredible unbeaten run with a hard working 3-1 victory at Brackley Town this afternoon.
Jamie Reid gave the Tigers a first half lead when he volleyed home at the far post after Alex Allard's free kick was flicked on to him but the home team forced their way back into the game in the second half when Jerome Anderson seized on the loose ball after Kev Sawyer had parried a shot from a free kick. However, City didn't let their heads drop and Alex Sykes restored the lead with a tremendous twenty yard shot from Reid's quickly taken free kick before Lee Smith grabbed the third with five minutes remaining when his shot was deflected in off a defenders arm.
On Tuesday the Tigers are at home for the first time since New Years Day when they take on Yate Town (k/o 7.45pm). Be there and bring a friend!
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Three dates for your diaries, Feb 5th, Halesowen Town (A), Wednesday Feb 13th Bedford Town (H) and Feb 27th Rugby Town (A). All midweek games with 7.45pm kick off's.
Kudos to Chairman Dave Phillips who, along with his Halesowen Town counterpart has arranged with the Yeltz to reduce prices for the replayed game at the Grove. Adults get in for £5 and concessions are £2. |
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| Coming soon to Facebook - Jamie Reid celebrates his goal |
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| Saturday January 15th 2008 |
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Kev Sawyer
Rare Mistake |
City's game away at Halesowen Town tonight was abandoned at half time with the score at 1-1 due to a waterlogged pitch.
Referee James Cox of Evesham, who'd travelled north up the M5 along with a decent number of City fans and the mother of all rainstorms decided that the game should start despite the pitch being very wet and knowing that the weather was only going to get worse.
The home side took the lead when Kev Sawyer made an uncharacteristic mistake by allowing Dean Brennan's shot to slip through his grasp at his near post but Jack Pitcher made amends by scooping in a shot from close range despite having lost his footing in the quagmire of a goalmouth.
Interestingly, despite the game officially having never taken place neither goal stood, players appearances don't count either but the booking that Tom Webb picked up does and Neil Mustoe will now have to sit out Saturday's game at Rugby for his one game ban as well.
Among the substitutes for City was striker Jody Taylor who has returned to the club after a short spell at the Causeway with Cinderford Town.
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| Tom Webb and Matt Walsh fail to prevent Halesowen's Shane Paul from clearing the ball |
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| Saturday January 12th 2008 |
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Will Morford
Two more goals
Jody Bevan
Hammer Time! |
City continued their impressive unbeaten streak, now upto ten league matches with this amazing 5-2 over Corby Town at the Rockingham Triangle.
Will Morford scored on the stroke of half time when he robbed a defender before shooting low past the Steelmen's debutant keeper Martin Davies but an equaliser from Darren Lynch five minutes into the second half and a lob by Steve Diggin with fifteen minutes remaining made it look as if City's recent good run would come to an end.
But in the most amazing finish to a football match that I think I've ever seen City managed to score four goals in five minutes to turn the scoreline on it's head and strike fear into the hearts of many of our Southern League rivals.
Morford bagged his second when he collected a cross from Lee Smith and shot under the keeper before Matt Walsh raced onto a crossfield pass from Pitcher and rifled an unstoppable shot past Davis for two goals in two minutes.
Just as some supporters were thinking that if we held on we'd have a great victory the Tigers grabbed another two goals in two minutes!
Both times Jack Pitcher beat the Corby offside trap, on the first occasion he squared for Jody Bevan to tap in and the second time he raced clear of the defender and poked home. Both goals were celebrated with an athletic theme, Bevan with a and Pitcher with a into the sand!
After the game Corby manager Kevin Wilson was sacked.
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| Jack Pitcher celebrates in the most appropriate way after scoring City's fifth in the 5-2 win at Corby |
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| Saturday January 5th 2008 |
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Ray Johnston
Man of the Match |
City extended their unbeaten run to nine games with a goalless draw at Tiverton mainly due to a solid performance from last seasons keeper Ray Johnston and a woeful miss by Tivvy midfielder Matty Bye deep into injury time.
Skipper Neil Mustoe was notable by his abscense having injured his lateral knee ligaments and may well be on the sidelines for a few weeks but Matt Rose cooly slotted into his role and had a good game as the home team were restricted to counter attacks.
After a spell of dominance in the first half without really troubling Razor too much City's best two chances came in the second period when first Jack Pitcher had an air shot in the six yard box when Will Morford put the ball on a plate for him and then Morford himself delayed long enough for Johnston to smother his shot after he'd powered his way past the last defender.
The home team threatened too after the interval and Kev Sawyer pulled off the save of the match when he backpeddalled and touched over a lob from James Fraser yet he couldn't have done abything about Bye's gilt edged last gasp chance had it been on target.
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| Will Morford wastes a great chance to win the game for the Tigers |
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| Tuesday January 1st 2008 |
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Marc Richards
Opened the scoring
Matt Walsh
Looping header |
Gloucester City rang in the New Year with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Chippenham Town at the New Lawn to record their fourth successive league victory and extend their unbeaten run to eight games.
The Tigers just about edged a first half that saw them fail to recapture the fluency shown at Merthyr Tydfil but that was more down to the calibre of oppostion than effort from City. Chippenham should've taken the lead midway through the half when Aaron Cornwall did Neil Mustoe before he was tripped by Lee Smith, but Super Kev Sawyer was more than a match for Sam Allison's weak penalty kick. It was the fourth that Sawyer had saved this season.
City did eventually take the lead just after the half hour when Jamie Reid was the victim of a wild lunge and Tim Harris' men were awarded a free kick. The set piece was driven deep into the box where Ashley Thomas flicked on to Jack Pitcher who beat Chris Snoddy in the Chippenham goal and his goalbound header was touched home by Marc Richards.
If the Tigers just shaded the first half then they got the crayons out and totally coloured in the second!
With concerns that we may need a second goal arising our hopes were realised when Smith, having a field day on the right wing against the team that has courted him in the past sent in a cross that was just too high for the shaky Snoddy who palmed it up nicely for Will Morford to poke into the back of the net as it fell for him.
Ten minutes later Morford turned provider when he controlled a short throw in from Smith on the right and turned to send in a weighted cross to the back of the penalty area where young Matt Walsh rose with a defender and sent in a looping header that craftily found the gap between the crossbar and Snoddy's outstretched fingertips.
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Take note of the recent fixtures changes with previously postponed matches now re-arranged for the next few weeks. All games to be played at the New Lawn; January 9th Cheshunt, January 29th Yate Town, February 20th Team Bath, March 4th Tiverton Town. |
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| Get In! - Marc Richards sidefoots the ball into an empty net to give City the lead |
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Tiger Roar news streams from Oct, Nov & December 2007 can be found
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