FA Trophy 2nd Round - 12th January 2008
At KitKat Crescent - Att 1,351 (55 Grays)
Report
It wasn't vintage stuff from either side in Saturday's FA Trophy
2nd round fixture at KitKat
Crescent and, as a result, we have to do it all over again
in Essex on Tuesday night. A dour first half gave way to a much
livelier second with Craig
Farrell's penalty levelling matters after Aaron O'Connor's
deflected opener.
The opening 45 minutes didn't really have a lot going for it.
The most notable thing was the early substitution of Martyn
Woolford, just 23 minutes into the game. Woolford has been
struggling with illness of late and, as the boss admitted after
the game "it was a gamble and it didn't pay off, but he's
a player we want on the field".
Chances were few and far between. City's best fell to Woolford's
replacement, Paul Brayson,
who chipped from 20 yards and had Grays' on-loan Spurs keeper,
the exceptionally tall David Button, back-pedalling. Button
did well to deny Onome
Sodje in the closing moments of the half as the City front
man couldn't quite lift it far enough over the young stopper.
Best chance of the half was in Grays' favour when Alan Power's
low cross caused problems for the City defence, but no Grays
player could get a telling touch. When the shot eventually came,
it was high, wide and not particularly handsome.
In stark contrast to the opening period, City came out all guns
blazing after the break. Nicky
Wroe was very good once again in midfield and his deflected
15-yard strike brought a top save out of Button. Brayson played
Sodje in down the left channel with a superbly weighted ball
to leave the latter one-on-one with Button. With enough time
to pick his spot, clean his boots and re-pot a couple of houseplants,
Sodje ended up firing a weak shot right at the keeper. On a
rare foray upfield, Danny
Parslow finally beat the young goalkeeper thanks to a deflection
that saw his shot loop high towards the back post, but it drifted
narrowly wide.
Grays were dominating the centre ground, but for all the possession
they enjoyed, there seemed little threat to the City goal. Michael
Standing's curling shot couldn't bend in enough to truly trouble
Tom Evans while Power
shot straight at Evans when well placed. The breakthrough came
with more than a hint of good fortune. O'Connor wasn't really
going anywhere as he meandered towards the byeline with Parslow
shadowing his every move. The shot looked harmless, but it took
a wicked deflection off Parslow that took the ball over Evans'
shoulder and into the net.
City went three up top after Phil
Turnbull made his belated debut in place of Parslow and
Farrell immediately reaped the benefits. After a snap shot that
went well wide, he drew Jamie Stuart into giving away a needless
foul in the box after Wroe had put Ben
Purkiss away with a slide rule pass. Farrell dusted himself
down and blasted the spot-kick down the middle to bring it back
level. Turnbull never wasted a ball in his cameo and put Farrell
through for another chance, but, like Sodje in the first half,
dithered too long and Button saved well. As the clock ticked
onwards, neither side could fashion a chance that might spare
us all a replay.
"We were poor first half", admitted Colin
Walker in his post-match comments. "They stifled us
in midfield and we weren't at the races. It was a lot brighter
in the second half". After giving away what he described
as an "awful goal" to end up going one behind, the
undefeated manager thought his charges were lucky to get back
level. "It wasn't a pen for me. From where I was looking
it looked a good tackle", but he was quick to praise the
character of his side as they once again got a result having
been behind in the game. "The positives are that we're
still in the tie and still undefeated. We live to fight another
day".
The replay follows quickly, but after being down to the last
17 players at the club - only Ross
Greenwood could have provided another option for the bench
today - Stuart Elliott
will be available after suspension and Richard Brodie should
be fit. Jimmy Beadle might have his clearance through and could
bolster the squad for the long trip down to Essex. The half
hour for Phil Turnbull will have helped too. "It was a
bit quick for Phil today", said Walker, "but it's
another half hour under his belt and it'll do him and us good".
Grays will have regular keeper Ross Flitney and Simon Downer
back from suspension for the re-run, though Flitney will have
a job getting by the excellent Button.
Kick off at the New Recreation Ground is 7.45pm on Tuesday.
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