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This cracking rollercoaster of a match showed that
football can entertain, grip and take you to the verge of nervous
meltdown without the drama of the game always needing any great
individual skills. This contest had plenty of teeth gnashing gut
churning tension and without being lit up by any particular moments
of brilliance it is a match that those present won't forget in a
hurry. For Matt Bath it was
a fantastic night - as he ended up as a hero amongst a team of imperfect
heroes. Just a few weeks ago the City keeper carried the can for
our dismal departure from the FA Cup at Eastleigh, yet back in the
side he enjoyed the enthusiastic hugs of his manager having saved
two critical spot kicks to take Gloucester through this tie 4-2
on penalties.
City had started brightly with Aaron Wilson's cross
almost forcing a Tiverton defender to head into his own goal under
pressure from Tustain. Fowler had a snap shot whistle into the hoardings
and Wilson again unlocked a static looking Tiverton defence with
a pass that picked out Welsh's run, his shot pulled across goal
and narrowly wide of the far post. We seemed to be able to cause
their back four all sorts of problems by running from deep and a
fine City move finally carved them completely open. Wilson and Tustain
slid through midfield and found Fowler in space on the edge of the
box. He drew both the remaining defenders and unselfishly slipped
the ball inside for Jason Welsh
who kept his cool to slide the ball beneath Clapham in the Tivvy
goal. It was a fantastic slick move and a fine team goal.
It really looked as if City could go nand take control
of the match but Tiverton did manage to find some shape and force
their way back into the game. Our lead lasted barely five minutes
and Tiverton were level after we failed to deal with a free kick
on the left of the penalty area. The ball was drilled in low past
our defensive wall and Anthony Thomas was on hand to stab the ball
beyond Matt Bath from close range. Ironically the former Newport
County defender had been a player Tim Harris had been said to be
courting for a move to City just a few weeks ago.
It could have been worse for us as we were finding
former Exeter target man Steve Flack hard to handle, but for all
his height and strength he couldn't head any better than Charles
I, placing two free headers over the bar when we looked to have
lost him in the box. City were having their own problems in front
of goal. Hamblin flailed at an opportunity in the box after Robison
and Noakes had returned a half cleared City corner, and then Welsh
got under a header to put it over the bar as he reached a perfectly
flighted Mike Fowler free kick.
By the second half both sides were finding it hard
to keep the ball down for long periods and the match was far from
a great display, but for all of that was completely absorbing as
a hard fought scrap between two sides determined not to give up
despite the amount of things not working for them on the pitch.
There were moments when City's passing clicked and when it did the
route to goal didn't look complicated against a Tiverton defence
that always looked just a touch away from panic. Mustoe's ball was
flicked on by Welsh and Tustain couldn't quite connect fully to
get a firm shot. City came close again when with Hamblin climbed
all over by Flack the Tivvy defence were looking guiltily at the
ref, but missed Welsh whose scuffed volley ended up being clutched
onto his post by Clapham.
City were keeping up the pressure and Wilson even
tried a Luis Garcia style lob from distance, but it sailed well
wide. We were far closer in minutes though with another inch perfect
Neil Mustoe pass cleverly flicked
on by Wilson straight into the path of Welsh. The big man is deceptively
quick to turn and his swift strike from the edge of the box deserved
better than to bounce off the base of the post having beaten the
keeper at full stretch. Tiverton survived their scares and before
the final whistle it was City who were living on their nerves, first
seeing the cross bar rattled as a corner was met by a firm header
from Flack, then seeing Matt Bath make a fine low save to keep the
scores level. We then survived a real heart in the mouth moment
as Flack seemed to bundle through first Robison and then Bath to
put the ball into the net. It looked like a foul from the other
end, but the ref had been so poor at getting anything right it was
a huge relief to see him spot this one and scrub out the goal.
By extra time it was hard to see much of the hell
of what was going on. By now trying to watch the game was all but
impossible, it was too tense and too emotionally fraught for much
to make sense. It all became a bit more impressionistic, glimpses
of colour and a great deal of head holding aa another misplaced
pass or another dubious bit of refereeing. Both teams were tired,
and passing which had only rarely been accurate were now flying
into the stands with increasing frequency, even Fowler and Mustoe
were losing their range. When players went down now they often didn't
get back up, heavy legs and cramp taking their toll. The fans weren't
faring a whole lot better- strung out and hoarse, the world against
us and always that nagging fear that City would find the most gut
wrenching way possible of throwing it away.
Tiverton started the extra period the stronger and
could have scored had they been sharper in the box. The new Tivvy
youngster Pepperill had impressed throughout the match and he some
how enjoyed a long run through on goal but as the City defenders
surrounded him his shot was straight at Matt Bath, Noakes and Robison
both on hand to help mop up the loose ball. Thomas could have done
more damage as he met a cross from a corner, but his header was
blocked on the line and cleared by Jonny
Miller. By the second period City had wrestled more control
of the match again and the game caught fire as Michael Noakes went
down in some pain after a collision with the keeper, all the rage
at the moment. During the lull in play the Tivvy players made the
mistake of exchanging insults with the T-End and suddenly the hostility
and noise went up a few notches, with Jason Welsh urging more and
more noise from the City fans. Perhaps over the years the T-End
has become a little fluffy, no longer quite the seething cauldron
of resentment and small-minded partisan fury that demands our own
players sweat blood and the opposition bowels' liquefy in front
of the righteous wrath. By the end of last night that a few vocal
fans can help change a match was back with us.
Steve Flack is an experienced player and he was stupid
at the resulting corner, his off the ball kick at Jason Welsh was
missed by the ref but not by many of the other players or the watching
T-End. He escaped without a red card and a penalty but was subbed
soon after. This wasn't a match for people losing their cool. City
seemed to be doing well at the back with both Miller and Noakes
doing well to close down attacks, and with Tivvy struggling against
the pace of Wilson we were going to create a chance. He won a free
kick which Miller fired into the box, leaving the Tivvy defenders
slow to respond as Noakes scrapped for it and then leaving Robison
to side foot his shot goalward. Two defenders were set to reach
it first, but Jason Welsh bundled
his way in to push it over the line and to set the T-End into absolute
apoplexy. What followed was bizarre - even by City standards. One
minute we were faced with a big, hairy excited Welshman enjoying
the moment, the next same man was a bundle on the grass is some
pain. Had he been hit by one too many celebrating colleagues, and
he been wrenched into the T-End moshpit? It wasn't clear, but when
you have an injury list like ours to see your top scorer leaving
the match clutching his shoulder knowing it was effectively a self-inflicted
injury - not good....
And it seemed set to get worse. Dave
'Boris' Mehew was thrown on as a late sub, the assistant manager
is more or less retired and his City debut shouldn't have been in
a match like this. As it was he and Aaron Wilson lost the ball on
the half-way line and Tiverton attacked. We had countless chances
to clear our lines, and twice clearances that should have been in
the stands were kept alive on the touchline by desperate Tiverton
players. Finally another deep cross cut out all of our defenders
and found Pepperell unmarked and he rifled his volley back across
goal and into the net. One minute left on the clock, and for the
third time in the tie we'd seen our lead cancelled out.
Penalties. City aren't by tradition great when the
pressure's on and the nerves are jangling. Tivvy are a side full
of solid ex-pros and experienced players, plus you felt they'd snatched
the draw and must have the mental edge now. In City's favour - a
vocal and now emotional overwrought bunch of fans, and something
about a City side that is often at it's best when most up against
it. The ref tossed his coin to decide ends - and what a surprise
it wasn't to be in front of the T-End, the Lee
Randall legend deepening with his frantic signals to the City
faithful - get to the other end. Whilst the players went clammy-palmed
the fans were scrambling to the car park end. First up was Robison,
the veteran always seems ice cool and was there any better way to
mark your debut than with an unhesitating spot kick. And then up
stepped Tivvy's Barry McConnell - he hadn't helped himself by having
a go at the T-End earlier and there was some inevitability that
he struggled to ignore the cat calls. His spot kick was sound, but
nowhere near good enough to beat Matt
Bath who saved well. Fowler's kick was accurate and into the
net, then came Tivvy left-back Darren Davies - his kick was low
and firm but Matt stood his ground and saved again. The City keeper
was throwing us a match winning life-line. Then up stepped skipper
Neil Mustoe. No player feels the yellow and black fires like this
man, and he's missed spot-kicks before. It's time to look away...
but the keeper follows his eyes and has gone the wrong way. 3-0
up. Then Mudge scores, then Joe Tustain - why is the youngster taking
this, perhaps the least experienced player in our side? His kick
is on target but too tame to beat the keeper, then Tivvy score again
through Pepperell. Suddenly at 3-2 the tie is no formality. Our
last kicker is Jamie Reid, last
season's youth skipper and in the dog house after his red card last
Saturday. What Reid isn't low on though is confidence - and his
kick is high into the side of the net. 4-2, an unassailable lead.
City through, players and fans weak kneed but delighted, Tim Harris
hugging the keeper he dropped just a few weeks ago, Jody punching
the air with his crutches. A magic night at Meadow Park. It was
a night where no player could fail to think of a crucial mistake
they'd made, but a night where they all made a heroic contribution
to a fantastic result for a side left running on sheer guts and
determination and nothing else left in the tank.
We now go on to face Margate of the Ryman Isthmian
Premier at home in the 2nd Qualifying Round, it should be an interesting
game but not one we should fear - although no-one would much fancy
a midweek replay trip to North Kent. City have already managed to
accumulate £1,350 prize money from this victory. Tim Harris
must be tempted to see if he could use the cash to get in a forward
on loan - the cupboard looks bare if Welsh is ruled out to sit alongside
Jody Bevan. With Corbett released and Whittington back at Whaddon
Road our striking options are limited to the hard-working but still
raw Joe Tustain and who ever else get's pressed into service as
a makeshift forward. We'll need more....
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T-Ender Match Snaps
The camera don't do night
time - donations towards better kit always gratefully received.
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Team Selection:
Down to his last 12
fit and available players Tim Harris sprung a few surprises, not
least the return of Darren Robison. The two must have managed to
patch up whatever differences that led to Robison leaving in September
and the return of the veteran centre-back couldn't have come at
a better time, his reassuring presence crucial to seeing us through
the game. The additional personnel also meant Tim Harris could make
a point, so Jamie Reid found himself on the bench after his red
card for dissent in the Saturday |
TBBM Said:
"Is that you linesman?"
In response to a lone cry of "come on you whites" from
the cow shed behind the assistant. The Tivvy fans were so quiet
you wondered why they'd bothered. The hapless linesman couldn't
even tell the difference between a corner and a throw-in, or give
them to the right side, never mind complicated stuff like pushing
and fouls. |
Tactics Board:
Aaron Wilson was given
an almost free reign to attack from midfield poistions and Tiverton
never got close to him although he didn't enjoy one of his better
games with the final ball often eluding him. As City tired and the
mdifield became more withdrawn the strength, height and willingness
of Jason Welsh to chase the ball over the top became even more essential. |
Anorak Corner:
Perhaps we're getting
better at penalties. This was our first shoot-out since February
1998 when we finally despatched Burton Albion 6-5 on penalties after
the FA Trophy 2nd Round replay at their ground ended in a 2-2 draw.
Prior to that we lost on spot kicks in the County Cup three times:
in the 1996 Final at Ch#*tenham, at home to then tenants Newport
in the 1994/5 semis, and at home to Ch#*tenham in the 1989/90 semi-finals.
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T-Ender Verdict
City won't worry at
all that we rarely managed to play much football for long periods
of the match. The manager had few options when it came to selection
and after twice surrendering the lead it would have been all too
easy for the players to crumble. They showed great spirit to go
on and win the shoot out, and to win this tie with so many key players
missing. They were challenged to show their character tonight and
the club can be very proud of them. |
Highlights Elsewhere:
Did it matter what was happening elsewhere? Little to compare
with this - but the City youth team ended up on the rubbish end
of a 7-0 mauling in the FA Youth Cup against Exeter City. The
pro side's daily training and greater fitness really told as the
match wore on, six of the goals coming in the second half.
There was little more of direct interest to us but big replay
wins for Banbury United, who beat Taunton 5-1 at home, and for
Chippenham who couldn't find the net in 90 minutes but then ended
up 3-0 winners over Hillingdon Borough after extra time. Halesowen
also went on to the 2nd Qualifying Round with a good 2-1 win and
second half come back against Unibond Premier side Hednesford.
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D.Wilkinson
Bookings:
Dismissals:
none
T-Ender City MotM: