Posted by ChrisB on September 2, 2007, 3:11 pm ALEX STEWART PUTS CITY 3-0 UP FROM THE PENALTY SPOT So the start of another FA cup campaign arrives for City. Will it be an early dismissal or another run to the First Round? Certainly the two pre-drawn rounds have not been kind to the club but morale is high at the moment and we seem to be among the goals. HALF-TIME: ANDOVER 0-1 CITY City started strongly coming down the hill in the second period and Jermaine McSporran lashed a shot just beyond Hook’s left-hand post before having another shot pushed behind five minutes into the half. A good delivery from the corner found an unmarked Justin Merritt near the penalty spot with plenty of time to plant his header firmly between the keeper and the defender on the post. At this point City looked to have the game comfortably in their pockets as Davis robbed a defender and put in a good cross that just eluded his team-mates; Pond chased what looked a lost cause to the goal line but, again, the cross found only red shirts; and, from a neat cross from Jones, Liam Malone headed just beyond the post. FULL TIME: ANDOVER 3-4 OXFORD CITY Andover: Hook, Keogh, Martin, Damen, Morse (Andrews 45), Davies, Chudy, Swayne (Cooper 81), Heath, Styles, Asker. An amazing game! Any neutrals watching must have enjoyed what they saw, but committed supporters couldn’t cope with too many games like that in a season! With all those injuries it was as well City hung on for the victory, giving a week rather than three days for the physios to work their magic before the next match. TOO LATE ... ANDOVER DEFENDERS SPOT JUSTIN MERRITT AS HE ARRIVES TO HEAD CITY'S SECOND A FAULKNER CROSS IS ALMOST CONVERTED BY McSPORRAN EARLY ON
Andover attacked from the start, needing to show their supporters that there is no ‘hangover’ from last week’s home mauling at the hands of Bridgwater, and forced two early corners which City scrambled away, while Adam Heath went close with a shot as the Oxford defence backed off.
City’s first attack came on ten minutes as James Faulkner latched on to a ball down the right and fired in a good cross that Jermaine McSporran was only just unable to convert, and, almost immediately, a well-flighted free kick from Mark Jones caused a few nervous moments in the Lions’ defence.
With only 15 minutes gone City were forced into an early substitution as Faulkner limped off to be replaced by Ikechi Anya, and almost immediately a pained Andy Gunn was forced to follow him towards the dugout, bringing manager Merritt into the action. With Mark Avery already an absentee this left City with a back four with a very makeshift look about it – and a long time to play - so a good time to score to settle the nerves. Pete Weirich put a good ball over the top on the City left and Anya sped past the last defender into the area and calmly placed his shot beyond Hook’s dive on 22 minutes.
Andover came back down the hill and twice in as many minutes ex-Wallingford mid-fielder Lee Chudy went close to levelling the scores, the second effort bringing a particularly good save from Gareth Tucker.
Around the half-hour mark City had an extended spell of pressure: Steve Davis’ run took him into the box but his near-post shot found the side-netting; and Mark Jones’ free-kick was flicked on to George Redknap in a good position but just offside.
With ten minutes of the half left the City’s injury list reached ridiculous proportions as Ikechi Anya hit the ground in full flight clutching the back of his unstrapped leg and, although he attempted to continue after some lengthy physio work, he joined the walking wounded on the bench and Alex Stewart made an earlier than expected entrance.
The final exchanges of the half saw a full-blooded dipping shot by Darren Pond pushed over by Hook at full stretch, and Matt Styles break through dangerously at the lower end only to be pulled back by a raised flag.
On 65 minutes City deservedly stretched their lead when, after a mazy run, McSporran was fouled by Damen and, after a brief consultation between referee and assistant, a penalty was confirmed, though the foul was arguably just outside the box. Hook guessed correctly about the direction of Stewart’s no-nonsense spot-kick but it had more than enough power to increase the lead. Two minutes later and it looked as though City had the result sewn up as Stewart crashed a header against the bar from a corner and Mat Davies in attempt to clear the danger could only fire the ball into the roof of his own net. So, four-nil and coasting, and perhaps the new-look City defence thought their job was over for the day. Andover, however, 0-4 down for the second successive Saturday, showed great character and produced a fight-back that almost produced the impossible.
On 71 minutes a Keogh free-kick from the City right was taken well by Phil Andrews in the area and he turned and shot cleanly beyond Tucker’s dive for what many might have thought would be merely a consolation goal. A minute later in the next attack, though, Swayne found himself unmarked on the edge of the box and shot home. City supporters were becoming a little jittery now, and nervousness turned to full-blown panic two minutes later when Matt Styles had time and space to fire across Tucker and into the far corner. Could City snatch a draw from the jaws of victory?!
Certainly it was a very uncomfortable final fifteen minutes as Andover threw everything forward scenting all was not lost. With everyone committed to attack it was not surprising that City had two or three chances against a depleted home defence as the clock ticked down, and Stewart should, perhaps, have made the tie certain when McSporran squared the ball to him in a good position, but his first-time strike lacked power and Hook saved easily.
The final whistle came after four minutes of extra time as a free-kick taken by the Andover keeper was just held by his opposite number in the City goal, and adrenaline levels and blood pressures could finally drop back to something nearer normal.
City: Tucker, Redknap, Weirich, Gunn (Merritt 18), Pond, Saulsbury, Jones, Malone, McSporran, Faulkner (Anya 15 (Stewart 38)), Davis.
Message Thread:
« Back to thread