H&B squeeze City out.

karthoarse · H&B squeeze City out.

Another cup defeat for City today at the hands of Holland and Blair, but they gave their Premier league opponents a tough test and were maybe unlucky not to at least force extra-time.

City started off slowly, and took some time to get to the pace of the game. Much of the first 20 minutes or so was played in the City half as H&B forced them onto the defensive. An early chance fell to H&B but from a good cross the ball was woefully skied over the bar. City defended well, but struggled for a while to get their usual passing game going, relying on the long ball over the top for Royston Gough to run onto. Gough, had the first chance for City when he broke free of his markers and attempted to lift the ball over the keeper only for it to be deflected out for a corner. From the resultant corner, Sam Baker had a shooting chance but his fierce effort was charged down to safety by a H&B defender. Soon after Baker went off injured, on came Ashley Tuite into midfield, with James Brooke moving to right -back. This meant City were now without any established full-backs, as they already had Luke Jackson playing at left-back as cover for Tony Jackson who encountered a problem in the warm up. City were then indebted to Luke Lockhart, as he cleared the ball off the line. Half-time arrived, 0-0, but you felt maybe City were only just about coping with their opponents.

Slightly different second half though, City now playing better and matching H&B. Gough almost latched onto a through ball but was narrowly beaten to the ball by the keeper who greatfully hoofed it away. On about 55 minutes City fell behind, a free-kick was awarded just outside the box, and as they were organising their defence and the wall, the referee, made a somewhat belated decision to let H&B have the 'quick' free-kick, the ball was played across, and scuffed in for 0-1 as the City defence failed to react quick enough, a strange decisioon by the ref, who had seemed to be getting involved with the position of the wall and then suddenly let the kick be taken without the whistle. City then had the ball in the net, when Lockhart headed home a free-kick, but was adjudged offside. Gough then had a run into the area, and appeared to be impeded at least twice before losing the ball, his protestations and those of his team mates and supporters falling on deaf referee's ears! I don't often criticise match officials, it's a difficult job and I wouldn't want to do it, but it did seem today that we failed to get the rub of the green with several decisions, especially several pushes on our players in attacking positions. However, City did manage to equalise, a long and precise ball from midfield by Ben Smith, who had another good game and a bit unlucky with the booking this time, found Wayne Fittall down the left and as he cut inside beat the keeper with a cross shot that appeared to be going wide of the far post, before the speedy Gough came steaming in and fired home for 1-1. H&B were not looking so good now, but as City pressed for a winner, a breakaway down the H&B right left Jackson appearing to tread water, as he was beaten by the attacker who centred, Danny Wrench saved the first shot that then came in but he could not hold onto the ball or stop the second shot from going in, 1-2. Plenty of late pressure by City created some more half chances, and one from Fittall in particular that was well saved. The very late substitutions of Dave Read and Dan Bonnywell coming on for Scott Lawford and Jackson, seemed to up the tempo and the urgency, but with only 5 minutes left, neither really had the chance to change the game.

A good performance from City, even if at times they gave their opponents just a bit too much space and time on the ball, and I suspect H&B were relieved to get through.