Blue
Square Premier - 24th November 2007
At Wessex Stadium - Att 1,566
Report
Colin Walker's
reign in charge of the Minstermen got off to a flyer at Weymouth
as City emerged from a decent clash with all three points. On
a bitterly cold and blustery day down on the south coast, Walker's
troops dominated large portions of the game before building
up a two goal lead, though Weymouth made it a nervy ending after
pulling one back late on. But City held out for a third consecutive
away win.
Walker had promised changes, but in personnel terms it was only
Danny Parslow
in for Stuart Elliott
as a difference to the prvious week. What that one change did
mean was that Parslow would join David
McGurk and Darren Kelly in a back three with Darren
Craddock and Mark
Robinson given license to get forward up the flanks with
usual left winger Martyn
Woolford playing in behind the front two of Craig
Farrell and Paul
Brayson. And it was Woolford who carved out an early chance
for the effervescent Brayson only to see the shot blocked by
Scott Doe.
The first half hour was all City. Chance after chance was created,
but turning chances into goals proved a harder task. Brayson
had two further opportunities - one a tame shot that was blocked
with Farrell unable to turn home the rebound and the other scrambled
clear by some last-ditch defending. Brayson also set a glorious
opening up for Craddock which brought out the best of Weymouth
keeper Jason Matthews. Manny
Panther found himself in shooting range on the half hour,
but blazed over the top. Weymouth did have chances too. Tom
Evans saved well as Stuart Beavon fired a point-blank range
header right at him and McGurk cleared a curling Danny Phillips
effort off the far post.
After Farrell had a shot diverted wide, Weymouth switched
to a 3-5-2 to match City and it began to pay dividends immediately.
Evans got down well to a Nick Crittenden effort after Beavon
had released him on the right before what was possibly the
pivotal moment in the game. As Weymouth piled crosses into
the box, Craddock handled inexplicably under little pressure
and the referee had no option but to award the penalty and
book Craddock. Jefferson Louis stepped up to take it, but
Evans guessed right and got a firm hand on it to divert it
away for a corner. Even then, Weymouth continued to pile forward
and Crittenden should have done better with a great chance
in the last minute of the half. It could well have been about
three apiece by this stage, but the players went in to the
break at 0-0.
Unusually, Walker had the players out of the dressing rooms
early and put them through some stretches before the Weymouth
team came onto the pitch. After an early foray from Weymouth
which saw Evans divert a Louis free-kick wide, City began to
reassert the authority they had in the early part of the game.
With seven minutes of the half played, Matthews again saved
well from Farrell, turning his shot onto the post and out for
a corner. Nicky Wroe
swung the ball in and found Kelly unmarked near the penalty
spot and his looping header found the far corner of the net
to open the scoring, though Kelly got himself booked for over-egging
the celebration. Weymouth came roaring back as the pace of the
game lifted and could have levelled things just seven minutes
later. A Jason Coutts free-kick was spilled by Evans and, as
the players fought over the ball like a group of post-pub diners
fighting over the last poppadom on the table, it appeared from
some angles to have gone over the line, but McGurk hacked it
clear and the referee waved play on.
City weren't about to argue. Just a further two minutes had
elapsed when City broke quickly with some nice one-touch football.
Panther found Robinson who played Farrell in with a glorious
pass and it took just one touch and in from the striker to
double the advantage and, seemingly, seal the points. Weymouth
caused some nerves among City ranks with a goal seven minutes
from time from substitute Gavin McCallum. As City were arguing
over whose throw-in it was, Weymouth got on with it and McCallum
lashed a fierce volley from 20 yards past Evans who had precious
little chance of getting near it. Two Woolford chances aside
- both blocked by home side man of the match Matthews - City
shored things up to ensure they made the long trip back north
with the three points secure.
What a great start for Colin Walker. Formations have been
a hot topic of late, but the three-at-the-back really seemed
to work and brought the best out of Mark Robinson out wide
on the left who had his best game in a City shirt, securing
this writer's man of the match nomination. Martyn Woolford
was again a constant thorn in the opposition's side while
Tom Evans was back to the form of the previous season - it
was a superb save from the penalty - and there was some solid
defensive work from David McGurk who twice cleared danger
away with Evans stranded. The key now is backing up this performance
with a home win next week.
Ref: A Turner (Devon)
The Teams
Weymouth: Matthews; Doe, Young, Kitamirike
(Roberts 64), Bernard (Coutts 36); Crittenden, Phillips, Vernazza,
Platt; Beavon, Louis (McCallum 56)
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