City's long suffering fans will feel they're stuck
in some recurring nightmare as the team again allowed generous
defending help a visiting side to another three points at Meadow
Park. Few can complain at a lack of entertainment, but while we
continue to score goals you have the impression that we will always
contrive to ensure the opposition at least match us. Hemel's lively
strike force impressed in a match where they took the lead four
times, but with both sides looking fragile at the back in the
strong winds this was a match where goals were perhaps a cheapened
currency. If City cannot some how nail closed the wide open stable
doors left flapping around in the breeze here this afternoon then
the second half of this season could quickly become very awkward,
even if we carry on scoring with this regularity.
The match promised much in the opening minutes with
both teams attacking with great pace on a pitch that was heavy,
but given the recent rain and our problems with drainage, a pitch
that showed just how much impressive work had been done to make
it playable. Both sides are heavy scorers at worst though, and
on this surface and in the wind neither side's defenders were
ever going to get an easy ride. Hemel had the wind behind them
in the first half and didn't have to do much more than belt the
ball high and forward to put our back line under pressure. The
weather played a part in a rather flukey Hemel opener. Chris Herron's
corner was taken by the wind and forced Jason
Welsh to make a wild kick at it, only to see the ball fly
off and into his own net.
City weren't despairing though and were trying to
use the heavy win ahead of them too their advantage, and Cox was
able to plough his way onto a long ball with a brave determined
run only ended at the expense of a corner. Sykes took the corner
which hung up in the air for an age and was met by Dave
Wilkinson who crashed his header onto the bottom of the bar
and over the line, before Cox followed up to make sure.
We weren't level for long though and this time the
defence looked a little suspect, even allowing for the difficult
conditions. A long throw was allowed to travel far too deep across
the City box and when Hamblin got his head to it there was little
he could do to steer its direction. The ball fell to the impressive
Anthony Thomas who produced a wonderful curling shot to beat Matt
Bath and put Hemel back ahead.
The scoring was far from over though, and City were
allowed to take advantage of some smart refereeing (really, even
in the Southern League) when we were allowed to play advantage
after a Sykes run was halted by a trip from behind. The ball ran
on to Mustoe who sent Jimmy Cox
haring in on goal. You could see the years roll back as Cox suddenly
looked like the pacey predator we all hope he can become again
- and having outran the chasing defenders he slipped the ball
below Steve Smith to level and claim his first goal since returning
to the club.
Before the break though Mustoe turned from assist
hero to blunder villain. He tried to salvage things after Welsh
fluffed a pass but his clearance was thumped down in midfield
and fell straight to Anthony Thomas, and he simply squared the
ball past Hamblin to find skipper Paul Edgeworth who slammed the
ball into the net from 12 yards.
With the wind behind us in the second half control
of the game switched to City but even so Hemel seem a side well
set to play on the break and despite us having the ball largely
in and around their penalty box both Sippetts and Thomas had chances
to score but put them wide. Finally City forced a third equaliser,
and again the strong wind played a part. Alex
Sykes is a clever player and knew exactly the ball to put
in when we won a corner. Hemel keeper Steve Smith had looked poor
in the match at their ground and he looked lost as Syko's high
inswinging corner looped over him, eluded Jason Welsh and dropped
under the bar at the far post.
Syko almost added to the score but his wind assisted
dipping 25 yard drive was tipped over by Smith, partly redeeming
himself with an excellent save. City were starting to press to
take the lead for the first time, but were hit by a crucial sucker
punch. Sub Steve Sinclair broke out of defence with astonishing
pace and his clever pass cut out Welsh and found Thomas who again
produced a delicate accurate finish to find the net.
We did deserve to manage a fourth equaliser but
despite a lot of pressure and several chances it was a goal too
far for us. Tom Hamblin went close to his first Tigers goal but
his crashing header was cleared off the line. Skipper Chris Thompson
saw his long distance drive skim just over the bar thanks to the
slightest fingertip save from Smith. The best chance fell to Aaron
Wilson in the last moments of injury time with Matt Bath up
for another City corner, but this time the youngster couldn't
keep his head and put his shot narrowly wide of the post with
City fans holding their heads in their hands.
C.Thompson
©
J.Cox
Bookings:
Dismissals:
none
T-Ender City MotM: 
