City will feel unlucky
to have crashed out of the Trophy despite being faced by
one of the form sides in the Conference. Gloucester
welcomed back striker Andy Mainwaring from his knee
cartilage operation and with him back in the side looked
a much better team than that which had lost so
disappointingly against Tamworth and Crawley.
Gloucester started
well with Hemmings particularly lively and obviously
relishing the chance to prove his mettle against higher
class opponents. In the early minutes Hemmo twice sent
over difficult crosses that had the visitors defence at
full stretch. City forced a series of corners but despite
sending up both Kemp and Fergusson city couldn't quite
get the vital touch. Kingstonian were penned back in
their own half and Pitcher wasted there best early
opportunity by firing his free kick into the T-End.
despite their lack
of chances it was Kingstonian who took the lead by
showing a glimpse of class and perhaps demonstrating the
difference between the Conference and the Southern
League. Mainwaring lost the ball deep in the K's half,
and Wilgrass sent a long ball over the City back line.
Akuamoah raced past the floundering Kemp and powered an
outstanding clinical drive past Mokler. Taking the lead
opened a spell of sustained Kingstonian pressure but the
city defence held out well, with Holloway exacting some
revenge for the goal with a bruising challenge on the
goalscorer that earnt him a booking.
City weathered that
storm and were able to pull themselves back into the tie
before half time. Fergusson alarmed the K's keeper with a
curling long range drive and then Mainwaring stretched
his legs to run onto a Holloway pass but cracked his shot
just beyond the far post. However all the home pressure
deserved reward which they received when a deep Wyatt was
met by a thumping far post header by the hard working
Andy Tucker.
With Kingstonian
obviously alarmed by the forward play of City in the
first half they reverted to the tried and tested
Conference tactic of constant tumbling and exaggerated
dives that brought to mind last season's encounter with
Stevenage. Their defenders constantly fell to the floor
under the attentions of Callinan, Burns and Hemmings,
often so ludicrously late their falls were largely
ignored by the referee but the occasional successful
deception still interrupted play and frustrated the
Tigers.
Subsequent
decisions were to only harden the T-End's feelings of
injustice. A galloping run by Burns down the left ended
with a curling cross met by the head of Andy Mainwaring
who should have been able to celebrate his return to
fitness with a goal, only to have it disallowed quite
wrongly for offside. Still muttering curses City were
further angered when a penalty was given for Gary
Thorne's trip on Pitcher. Luckett put the penalty in the
net with Moks only able to push it on into the goal. City
had further chances to get the replay they certainly
deserved, with Hemmings denied a clear penalty down by
the touchline. However despite good efforts by substitute
Mings, Kemp and Burns City were left ruing some poor
refereeing decisions as they went out of the competition.
Mokler
