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Saturday
20 October 2007
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FA
Trophy
1st Qualifying Round |
at War
Memorial Athletic Ground, Stourbridge.
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Stourbridge
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1-1
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Gloucester City
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| Scorers: |
M.Bellingham
(74) |
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Scorers: |
A.Sykes
(85 pen)
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| L.Solly |
1. |
K.Sawyer |
| A.Wells |
2. |
J.Reid |
| L.Dimmock |
3. |
A.Allard |
 R.Collins
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4. |
N.Mustoe ©
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| J.Rogers |
5. |
T.Hamblin |
M.Brookes |
6. |
M.Richards |
| © C.Slater |
7. |
M.Rose  |
| L.Broadhurst |
8. |
T.Webb |
M.Bellingham |
9. |
M.Whittington |
| R.Mahon |
10. |
W.Morford |
| S.Rock |
11. |
L.Smith |
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Subs |
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| (for 7, 68) M.Jones |
12. |
A.Harris |
| (for 9, 88) K.Hadley
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14. |
A.Sykes (for 8, 80) |
| (for 3, 35) O.O'Connell |
15. |
J.Bevan (for 10, 84)
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| J.Dyson |
16. |
J.Pitcher (for 9, HT) |
J.Ford |
17. |
L.Tomkins |
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 Bookings:
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Stourbridge:
M.Brookes (foul tackle 88)
City: M.Richards (foul tackle 82)
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| Dismissals:
Stourbridge: R.Collins
(deliberate handball blocking shot 85)
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T-Ender City MotM: This
wasn't a game where any player sparkled, but Matt
Rose at least showed a more combative edge to his play.
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City huffed and puffed to little effect in another uninspiring
footballing display at Stourbridge, but can take some comfort
that having again fallen behind our Tigers did at least show some
grit to equalise and stay in the FA Trophy. Despite a good start
our tactical innovations only partly succeeded and our defensive
frailties threatened to see our Trophy hopes still-born when former
Ch#!tenham striker Mark Bellingham put the home team ahead with
just quarter of an hour remaining. Thankfully City exerted enough
pressure to force a desperate handball from a defender in the
box and Alex Sykes showed ice-cool composure to net our first
goal in five games to take the tie to a Wednesday night replay
at the New Lawn.
At least City did not this time let their heads
drop having fallen behind, but the City attack was still misfiring
and disjointed as one might expect from a side that can hardly
recall their last success in front of goal. When City did get
close through Lee Smith the danger was snuffed out by Brookes
who crudely flattened the winger inside the box, but the ref wasn't
interested. Then, for the first time in what seems an ice age,
City were handed a bit of luck by the opposition. Syko had done
well since coming on and he kept the ball alive, flicking it inside
to Marc Richards who smacked a fierce drive towards the goal only
to see it charged down by the outstretched arms of Richard Collins.
It was a shot in target and a clear handball inside the area,
it was hard to see what the big Stourbridge number four was so
angry about, he'd left the ref with an easy decision. If the defender
wasn't already getting sent off for blocking a scoring chance
his hysteronics made sure of it. Amidst all the turmoil around
the ref it still couldn't distract from what an important penalty
kick this was for our club on its current run, not only to stay
in the Trophy but also to end our terrible goal drought. Alex
Sykes looked the calmest person associated with yellow and black,
and he used every ounce of his experience to smoothly stroke his
spot kick past the keeper as he tumbled the wrong way. A goal
- and what relief. Syko headed for the fans, clenching his City
badge. It might still not feel like our badge, but right now we
need those gestures that show recent weeks have been hurting our
players as much as they have hurt us.
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T-Ender Match Snaps
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| Smith slides in with an early cross |
Morford tries to beat his man - and
the leaves. |
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| Webb tries to force the ball through
to sub Jack Pitcher. |
...and perhaps we should all have spent
our time by the canal |
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Team Selection:
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TBBM Said:
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Tactics Board:
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Anorak Corner:
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T-Ender Verdict
You can make a strong argument that Syko's late penalty more
than slightly papered over the cracks, cracks all too apparent
to long suffering City fans. We were well dealt with by a Stourbridge
side that themselves looked fairly pedestrain and utterly beatable,
and in the end were perhaps fortunate to stay in the competition.
Sadly we just looked like a side down on our luck and subdued
in spirit, even when something worked for us we looked incapable
of repeating it. We looked short on ideas and without many players
to take an extra touch and try and get the ball under control,
never mind weight a pass to a team mate.
That may be a rather gloomy assessment though. There wasn't much
to take from the game - but in cup football sometimes it can just
be about staying alive and we just managed that. Despite going
behind and looking close to complete capitulation we avoided our
frequent habit of completely throwing the game away. We did hang
in there, and having got the penalty we had at least one player
able to keep their head and actually find the net. And if the
players are finding it hard to show their passion with crisp clinical
football, at least that goal still visibly meant something to
some of them. These may be very thin silver glints to some rather
ominous looking thunder clouds, but right now we at City need
to hang together and hope for better in the future.
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Highlights Elsewhere:
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Other Match Reports:
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Further Reading:
BGB
Southern League Premier Results & Website
Stourbridge
FC website
FA
Trophy competition website
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| Referee: |
L.Blackwood (Walsall) |
City League
Pos: |
n/a |
City Form: |
DLDLLL |
Ref Watch: |
6 - some
odd decisions but kept things going and got the pen right. |
Attendance: |
176 |
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| Conditions: |
bright low autumn
sunshine |
Lorry Score: |
3 |
Match Report: |
by t-towel |
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