Posted by ChrisB on September 22, 2007, 8:04 pm HALF-TIME: CITY 2-1 WINDSOR & ETON The first minutes of the second period saw both sides have good chances. For the visitors Roche yet again found room for a shot from close in and, as Tucker saved the ball it squirmed out of his grasp but just the wrong (or right) side of the post. Almost immediately a high bounce over the defence gave Faulkner a chance and it was only a quick recovery and challenge from Mark Burgess that caused the striker to pull his shot just beyond the far post. FULL TIME: OXFORD CITY 2-2 WINDSOR & ETON City: Tucker, Saulsbury, Davis (Weirich 63), Gunn, Pond, Avery, Gardner (Jones 79), Redknap, McSporran, Faulkner (Anya 69), Malone. City still unbeaten then, but, as the Manager said in the match programme, we need to find a way of keeping the lead once we’re ahead. Windsor & Eton certainly played well, looked the stronger in the closing exchanges, and seemed to cause problems with their long, deep crosses from the flanks. City produced plenty of chances too, however, and, whilst it would have been great to have hung on to the lead for those few extra minutes and taken three points, it would have been hard on the Royalists to have left empty-handed.
Sandwiched between the two FA Cup matches it was back to league fare for supporters this afternoon.
George Redknap put in a surging run on the right early on and his cross slid along the bar before dropping on the top of the net, and in reply Royalist’s captain Steve Butler released Jon Case on their right to put in one of the many teasing crosses he provided during the afternoon.
Jermaine McSporran went close to opening the City account after 7 minutes when he got in a dipping shot from the edge of the area which Mazurek watched with a surprising amount of confidence (or tremendous judgement) as it sped within inches of his right hand post. Within two minutes, however, it was the visitors who scored the afternoon’s first goal as summer-signing Jermaine Roche on the edge of the City area, and with room to manoeuvre, lifted a neat shot towards goal that Tucker, off his line, could reach but could not deflect high enough to save the goal.
City stormed back and Darren Pond had an awkward cross/shot just turned behind by Mazurek, and McSporran took on the defence with a strong run but his cross from the goal-line led to nothing. Another deep cross from Case caused problems in the City goalmouth until the pressure was relieved by a Saulsbury header at the expense of a corner; whilst a timely tackle from Andy Gunn dispossessed Jermaine Roche as he broke through.
Around the half-hour mark James Faulkner had a trio of his trademark bustling runs. The first looked promising until the ball ran just too far ahead; the second ended with a powerful shot that was marginally too high; but it was third time lucky as he stayed on his feet despite the close attentions of Ryan Parsons and put in a fine shot with a wicked bounce that helped the ball elude Mazurek’s dive. He was close to getting a second ten minutes later when a delicately cushioned pass from McSporran got him behind Butler but the ball was scrambled clear. Andy Gunn was also close to extending the lead when his goalbound header from a corner was just bundled away by the defender standing on the line.
It was not all City by any means. Tucker had to be quick off his line to save at the feet of Roche; Case headed across goal but just beyond the far post with Tucker a spectator; and Roche should have doubled his tally when he shot high over an open goal after Tucker had failed to hold a cross.
With two minutes left of the half, though, it was City who edged in front. An in-swinging corner from Steve Davis was dropped by Mazurek under pressure from Mark Avery and Jon Gardner made no mistake from fifteen yards.
An accurate pass from Faulkner put Gardner away on the left and McSporran was only inches away from beating Mazurek to the low cross; and a few minutes later Gardner curled a free kick not far from the target after McSporran had been upended twenty five yards out.
Ikechi Anya came on for Faulkner and his pace caused some extra problems for the visitors, but gradually the Royalists, unbeaten away from home this season, raised the pace and the home defence came under more and more pressure as the game entered the final ten minutes.
Chris Hussey had a good run that took him clear of the defence, but failed to hit the target with his shot; Mark Avery was forced into a goal-line clearance after yet another cross from Case, and Gareth Tucker produced two good reflex saves, from Roche and Parsons, as City were pushed deeper and deeper into their own half. Finally, with 45 minutes almost up on my watch – though with a few minutes of added time certain to be added after what looked like a bad injury to McSporran had required the attention of the physio mid-way through the half – another run down the flanks, by Hussey, went unchallenged and from the deep cross Terry O’Connor headed home to make it all square.
Windsor & Eton: Mazurek, Burgess, Parsons, Cooper, Butler, Williams, Ngongu, Chandiram (Hussey 69), Roche, Chennels (Dunlop 83), Case (O’Connor 83).
Next up, then, two cup matches. The first, on Tuesday, in the Errea Cup against similarly unbeaten Fleet Town and then next Saturday’s visit from Blue Square South Weston-super-Mare.
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