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This match lived up to all the pre-match expectation that there
would be plenty of goals. A 3-3 scoreline tells at least part of
the story with both sides looking likely to score every time defenders
were put under pressure. A point away from home is rarely a disaster,
and there are plenty of positive things for City to take from the
match. Hemel created chances and could have scored more, but had
City shown just a little more discipline in defence and a bit more
composure around the opposition penalty box then the sizeable traveling
Gloucester support could easily have been celebrating more than
three away goals and a point.
The match had barely got under way when City were gifted a chance
to open the scoring, a low Fowler cross judged to have been handled
by Hemel winger Steve Sinclair on the edge of the penalty area.
Fans may have been surprised that Whittington didn't pick up the
ball after scoring from the spot against Margate last saturday,
but Mike Fowler's penalty was
just as confident and left the Hemel keeper wrong footed. Hemel
came straight back into the game and enjoyed some immediate pressure
and Mustoe did well to block a turn and shot by Leon Hibbert. A
similar move a few minutes later caught us out again, Mustoe managed
to block a Robbie Kean drive, but this time the ball spun off the
City player and found Gary Sippetts hovering in front of the City
goal where he drove home an equaliser.
City came close to taking back the lead when the impressive Mustoe
won possession and Sykes sent over a great pass over the top of
the Hemel defence and into the path of Michael Whittington. He slipped
beyond the defender and lifted the ball over the keeper as he rushed
out, it looked the kind of effortless finish of a confident striker
but the ball bounced off the top of the crossbar. Whilst Kean fired
in another fierce shot from the edge of the box and Tomkins again
did well with a strong tackle, City were looking the more menacing
side. Hemel's Leon Hibbert was booked for tripping Whittington and
Mike Fowler's free kick beat the wall, but lacked enough pace to
get beyond the Hemel keeper who saved comfortably.
City lived dangerously when Matt Bath seemed to drop a corner and
escape after a goalmouth scramble, but City soon had the lead with
the best goal of the game. Whittington had won a corner and the
Hemel defence made a mess of clearing it, leaving the ball to skid
out to the opposite wing. Whittington was first to react and brought
the ball back in from the left, cutting inside and delivering a
perfect low cross towards the penalty spot. Lyndon
Tomkins should always be a threat in the air but he showed a
forward's instinct to get across the defender and stoop down to
deliver a perfectly executed flicked header that sent the ball flying
into the far corner of the net.
If that goal was high quality City's third a few minutes later
had a good bit of luck about it. Alex
Sykes made a good run down the left to pick up the ball in space
after some good movement from Mustoe and Noakes, but faced with
few passing options his 20 yard shot seemed more speculative than
threatening. However, it was too much for Smith in the Hemel goal
who made a complete mess of picking up the flight of the ball and
rather tamely allowed the ball to bounce from him and behind into
the net.
With just a few minutes until the break City would have done well
just to close up and leave Hemel glumly contemplating a two goal
deficit over their half-time cuppa. Instead we seemed to decide
t defend from on our own goal line and when the cross came in from
our left it was left to bounce in the goalmouth and despite plenty
of yellow shirts in the area we couldn't get it clear. Instead it
was Sippetts who again got hold of it first and somehow was allowed
to turn in our six yard box before crashing the ball high into the
roof of the net from close range for his second of the game.
The second half was always going to struggle to match a goal laden
first 45 minutes, but there was actually no reduction in chances
or attacking play from either team - just a little less fortune
in finishing. By low recent standards today's ref did OK - he at
least seemed to be trying to let the game flow - but he did City
a great disservice early on in the second half by failing to give
a free kick after an advantage failed to emerge. City broke out
of defence with a wonderful Fowler pass picking out Michael
Noakes in full flight. The youngster charged down the centre
of the pitch with a defender trailing behind him, the tackle took
out his legs but Noakes stumbled on but was off balance as he poked
a weakened effort at the keeper. The ref may have let the initial
foul go to see if Noakes recovered, but City should have been given
the free kick and the Hemel's Rob Gould should have been left very
worried about what colour card the ref pulled out.
City's lead finally disappeared when Hemel were given a rather
soft penalty as Alex Sykes
handled a deep cross as it dropped over his shoulder beyond the
far post. The ball seemed to have gone beyond the danger area and
Sykes protested his innocence vehemently to the linesman but it
was too late for that. From the other end Sykes certainly had lifted
his arm, but it was hard to tell if his protests were because the
ref had got it wrong or because he couldn't believe he'd done something
that daft. It made no odds though as John Lawford made no mistake
with his spot kick to pull the home team level.
Both sides could have taken all the points but between improved
defending and some wayward shooting from both teams neither could
find a seventh and crucial goal. Fowler and Mustoe were combining
well in the City midfield while both Webb and Whittington produced
rasping low shots from the edge of the box that were saved and just
wide respectively. For Hemel winger Steve Sinclair looked particularly
dangerous down the right and he was supplemented by top scorer Anthony
Thomas who came off the bench and almost immediately drew a fine
save from Matt Bath who was forced to rush off his line and save
at the striker's feet. City's best chance came when Fowler and Webb
exchanged passes before an excellent cross shot split the Hemel
defence, only to just elude Sykes rushing in at the far post.
The last few moments saw City desperately pressure
the Hemel goal. Jason Welsh came on, his troublesome shoulder well
strapped, but he only had a few minutes to make an impact and couldn't
get close to either of the late Gloucester corners. City could have
been given a penalty as Troy Wood was shoved as he tried to reach
Fowler's corner, but the Worcester forward did still manage a near
post flick that fell to Lyndon Tomkins
who stretched to reach it but could only hammer a shot high and
wide. However the big centre-back was left in a heap on the floor
and City fans will have been concerned to see Lyndon being helped
off the pitch holding his knee. After all his injury problems seemed
behind him it would be dreadful if he was to be back on the injured
list.
If that was bad it could have got worse as danger
man Anthony Thomas cut in from the right and shot from the edge
of the area. Matt Bath looked
confident but if he still was as it clanged onto the bar only he
will know. As it was the final whistle finally came and ended a
real end to end contest with what was probably a deserved result
on an afternoon neither team deserved to lose.
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T-Ender Match Snaps
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| Sykes gets down on the left. |
Lyndon gets Welshied
after scoring City's second. |
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City
chase another cross into the Hemel penalty area. |
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Hemel
keeper Steve Smith gets down to meet a Mike Fowler free
kick. |
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Team Selection:
Harris was forced
to reshuffle after Aaron Wilson
reported a muscle strain from midweek training, bringing Michael
Noakes back into the team on the left. As expected Wood and Whittington
formed an on loan little and littler double act up front, while
crocked striker Jason Welsh made it to the sub's bench after his
dislocated shoulder. |
TBBM Said:
"I've seen better keepers than you in the Sunday League."
"I've seen better keepers than you dropped in the Sunday
League."
Hemel keeper Stave 'can't catch, can't kick' Smith establishes
a Gloucester branch of his fan club.
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Tactics Board:
If Tim Harris was worried
about how deep the City defence fell into their own penalty area
at Eastleigh in September then the Tigers boss but being doing his
nut tonight that those lessons don't seem to have been learnt. This
was not a comparable collective surrender, but you could make an
argument that all of the Hemel goals came because we were too deep
and too slow to push our defensive line back out. That was certainly
true of their second, and you can't help but feel taking a two goal
lead in to the half-time break could have been crucial. |
Anorak Corner:
One for real fact fans
out there: this was Tom Webb's
200th start in a City shirt. |
T-Ender Verdict
Defeat would have been harsh on either side and sometimes you
just have to begrudgingly accept that this was a fair result and
just a good entertaining football match. For all of that 'football
was the winner' tree-hugging we need to find a way to close out
matches and make draws into wins, stuff the entertainment we want
victory!
We did well going forward but perhaps not well enough. Hemel
were a good attacking side and you could argue we did quite well
to limit their shooting chances as much as we diid. But Hemel's
defensive frailties left them looking vulnerable every time we
went forward. We just lacked a bit of composure in the final third
where despite all the high octane commitment we didn't quite pick
out the right pass, get our heads up or find the corner of the
net when a little more quality would have been enough to get a
fourth vital goal.
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Highlights Elsewhere:
Managerless King's Lynn are the toast of the Southern League
as the Linnets progressed to the 2nd Round of the FA Cup having
enjoyed the better of a high scoring game at Conference South
side Bishop's Stortford. Both Adam Smith and Michael Frew scored
a brace each with Matt O`Halloran also on target in a remarkable
5-3 win. Maidenhead United also go into the draw after forcing
a replay with a 1-1 draw at Conference North side Stafford Rangers.
Recently signed goalkeeper Francisco Ramos saved a penalty as
the Magpies held on despite being reduced to nine men with Dwane
Lee equlaising after Craig O'Connor had been dismissed. Clevedon
Town's Cup dreams ended with League Two side Chester City scoring
three second-half goals in a 4-1 win, although an injury time
Jack Pitcher consolation at least gave the home fans in an impressive
2,261 crowd at The Hand Stadium something to cheer.
Both Bath City and Merthyr Tydfil took advantage of King's Lynn's
absence from league action to move within ap oint of the Norfolk
side at the top of the British Gas Business Southern League Premier
Division table. Merthyr needed a last-minute winner from Craig
Lima to take all the points at home to bottom club Cheshunt, while
Bath City also won at home beating Wealdstone 2-1 with former
City loan defender Chris Holland opening the scoring. Rugby Town
could have gone top had Billy Jeffery's side won at home against
his former club Stamford - so he must have been pretty gutted
as the visitors thumped his current side 6-2 at Butlin Road with
Gareth Pritchard grabbing a hatrick in just four second-half minutes.
Ciren ensured Tiverton's poor start to the campaign continues
with a 4-1 win which saw Scott Griffin claim two goals.
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S.Sinclair
Bookings:
Dismissals:
none
T-Ender City MotM: 
