Play-offs

Full-time score: 0-1 (Cardiff, H - 13/05/03) - mirror image of first game without the quality cross or anyone to get on the end of it.  Such is the nature of the play-off lottery, let's make sure we'll not need them next year.

Half-time score: 0-1 (Cardiff, A - 10/05/03)- everything to play for on Tuesday as Cardiff find the one quality cross to make the difference; both keepers make telling saves while "Homer" Webb somehow keeps Kavanagh on the pitch.

Bridging the Gap (Port Vale, 03/05/03) - and so the road to the promised land truly does lie over the Severn Crossing!

Cheated! (Cheaterfield, 26/04/03) - City's hopes of taking the challenge for automatic promotion (and Cheltenham Town's hopes of staying up) sacrificed on the altar of one linesman's ego, playing on the inexperience of referee Williamson.  

How much more satisfying will it be to win through the play-offs now in the face of such injustice?

Guide Us Oh Thou Christian Roberts! (Cardiff, 22/04/03)- once again, the pace and direction of Cardiff old boy Chris Roberts allied to that of the irrepressible Scoot Murray proved too much for Cardiff to cope with. No less impressive were the performances of Matt Hill and Danny Coles at the back, the latter proving once again that if you stop Earnshaw you stop Cardiff ... song (tune: Cwm Rhondda) 

Draw Snatched from Jaws of Victory (Luton, 19/04/03) - just as a famous comeback seemed favourite, after having to play catch-up again, so the old aerial failings returned to haunt us. Yet we live to fight another day.  

Awayday Penalty Jinx Strikes Again (Crewe, 15/04/03) - for the fifth time this season on their travels City conceded the opening goal to a penalty. The other four signalled defeat so many thanks to Christian Roberts for a great equaliser; onward ever onward.

Five past Stags points the way (Mansfield-Taylor, 12/04/03) - confident City rise above desperate "refereeing" to keep the ship on course ... more (later maybe)

LDV Springboard (Carlisle, 06/04/0) - let's hope the Rosenior-sparked win in Cardiff proves to be the taste of success the springboard for further honours.

London/CaRDIFF COACH - £13 return

Tinman - Ten Years After (click for event details)

Tails Up! (Spurs U/19 & Barnsley, 29/03/03)- the early season goalgetters make the scoresheet as Lee Peacock continues to strut his stuff to better effect. Earlier in the day, Spurs' Mark Yeats steals the show at U/19 level despite a brace from Darren Hawkins ... more (later)

So farewell then Mark Robins (Swindle, 19/03/03)- you weren't here long but did you ever show us what we've been missing these last few years! - since Shaun Goater left, in fact, almost four years ago to the day. Six league appearances, four goals ... and all of them the "icebreaker",  the vital first goal of the match. Let's hope someone else steps up to fill those boots and quick!

Two point swing to City (Peterborough, 15/03/03)- after a start which suggested City could run up a cricket score against a poor Posh outfit, in the end a schizophrenic performance saw us thankful for all three points on a weekend where everybody else only drew. Poor as the footballing fare was as a spectacle at least it was better than the caterwauling served up as half-time "entertainment" by something called Hussey!

Semi-final cakewalk for Rezzies (Cheltenham Tn res, 06/03/03)-Bishopston Red was there ... more

Belief ... (Oldham Athletic, 04/03/03)- what a privilege it was to witness this performance ... if I ever get time I'll do a fullish report. But for now my heartfelt thanks to Scoot for the best individual goal I've seen live since a Mick Channon effort past Peter Shilton in 1972! - also to the whole team for displaying the power, passion and self-belief they will need for the rest of this season.

By the left ... (Cheltenham Town, 01/03/03)- unfamiliar look to the matchfacts page after the Cheltenham game with all three assists coming from the left flank, let's hope it becomes a habit!

Rezzies in Party Mood (26/02/03)- City's understudies must have wondered what was going on as they arrived at the County Ground to find their changing room full of balloons, banners and bunting celebrating the 40th birthday of coach Shaun Taylor. Its no secret the big man remains popular at his old club, but this? ... the explanation is that Shaun's sister still works there and had planned the surprise welcome! ... more

Well Done Danny and the Lads!!! (25/02/03) - Look forward to seeing you walk out on the hallowed turf. We'll all have a grand day out over the bridge but need to remember there's seven league matches before then and they are all more important!

The Past is History, the Future Mystery (20/02/03) - "past performance is no guarantee of future performance" - so it says on all the warnings for financial products and the very same is true for football performance. Given the nature of his day job, I'm guessing nobody would be more aware of all that than Chairman Steve Lansdown for City's 2002/03 season has been a prime example.

Time will tell if Mark Robins can do the job of finishing the abundant chances City create and in so doing restore the promotion challenge. But his arrival, after 32 games, came not a moment too soon ... more

The Timeform Squiggle (Notts Co., 15/02/03)- within the space of eight days City have gone from making Colchester look like Real Madrid, to looking something like their best against the Bees, then back to damp lettuce leaf mode again today. Racing afficianados will be familiar with the symbol that is placed against the name of a horse of doubtful character in the Timeform guide - akin to a double question mark - reckon that's what we've got here!

Signs of Recovery? (Brentford, 11/02/03) - although it could be construed as another two points dropped, extending to ten the number of consecutive victories required to get back on the 2pts/match track, this was a much improved performance which gives hope for better fortune to season's end...more ...
The upturn in fortunes from the early season setbacks at Wigan, Brentford and Plymouth and at home to QPR was performance led. That is to say the players found it in themselves to play consistently well at the high tempo required, and because of it results followed for as long as they were able to sustain the pace and, crucially, while early chances were taken.
Actually even when performances dropped off, e.g. some shakiness setting in at the back, results held up for a while thanks to the "feelgood" factor before following them back down.
Last night, the tempo returned in some measure but the final ball and finishing was absent. When/if it returns we can consolidate a play-off place so long as the players remember that it is the tempo thing that will take them back up.

Do This Lot Really Believe? (Colchester, 08/02/03) - ex-players dating back to WWII held their annual reunion at Ashton Gate today; around twenty of them shuffled their arthritic way out to the centre circle at half-time for their well-earned salutes. They might just as well have been given red shirts and told to stay out there for the second half for all we got from their latter day counterparts! ... more ...
This was a pitiful showing against managerless opposition which produced the princely total of three on target shots. Is this really the same team that earlier in the season were brushing opposition from the wrong end of the table aside with contemptuous ease? Does that last question hold the key to this team's character? Are they just "flat-track bullies", or "fair-weather sailors", or whatever the footballing equivalent is of players who make things look easy when things are going well but shy away from the fray when the going gets tough?
Some supporters, as usual, rush to blame the manager - and it would help if his radio interviews at least acknowledged the fact that fans have a right to be upset at such "performances" - yet he can not pass the ball for his players, nor can he move into a better position for them, nor can he close-down the opponents for them.
Motivation? ... it comes from within and is founded upon self-belief, that is what keeps the fighter standing when he's taken a few blows. On the evidence of today, City's players should be taking a good long look within themselves to see if they truly have what it takes to be winners.

The Going Just Got Tough Again (26/01/03)- however many points you find yourselves behind 2pts/game - and at the end of October City were well ahead of it - that's how many consecutive victories you need to claw yourselves back there! Every time you draw you add another win to that target and every time you lose you add another two... more ...
It increasingly looks as though not just Wigan but whoever goes up with them will exceed that 92pts barrier and with the finishing straight rapidly coming into sight City's first win of 2003 can't come a moment too soon, because the current demand to get back on an even keel has already risen to five straight wins!
So what has gone wrong since Halloween Night which as the chart below shows has been the high water mark of our season so far? Since the narrow home win over Huddersfield courtesy of a Matt Hill goal, the performance indicators - First Goal Scored (FGS) and Shots Per Goal (SPG) - have been on the slide and after holding up for a while so the results have followed them down.
"Goals change games" remember but only four times in the last twelve matches have City put themselves in the box seat by scoring the game's first goal. It isn't as though they haven't had chances but too few shots in those three months have been 'on target' never mind found the net. Nor has the defence covered itself in glory in that period; the only clean sheet came in the stultifying goal-less draw with Plymouth on Boxing Day and the last 17 goals conceded have come from only 101 opposition attempts ... none of this is the mark of a team heading for automatic promotion.
What's to be done? - well, either things carry on sliding away as they are in the hope that the excellent results from earlier in the season deliver a play-off place or players of the requisite proven class are brought in to rekindle the challenge for automatic promotion ... I know which I'd prefer to happen!

Some Days are Better Than Other Days! (Reading U19s, Stockport, 25/01/03) - more later (if I can muster the enthusiasm!).

Quality Counts (Wigan, 10/01/03) - there's an old football adage that says "good big'uns will always beat good little'uns" and when the big'uns are as fit, focussed and well-organised as Wigan were tonight then it would take something special to beat them ... more It might not have affected the result but it also helps if the big'uns find such a compliant referee - as Mr Poo was - in allowing some red card "challenges" go unpunished by his fellow Northcountrymen.
As the last few games have shown, with so many regulars nursing the effects of a heavy Xmas programme, the City squad lacks that something special at present and certainly can't survive allowing teams as good as Wigan to take the lead. By contrast, Wigan looked in peak condition as well as super-confident as befits a team with their recent form.
One-nil to the visitors was then a fair result with Peter Kennedy's effort from a direct free kick brutally rubbing-in the fact that City had four similar chances without once hitting the target! (do we practice them at all?).

Outfoxed in t'Cup (Leicester, 04/01/03) - One poorly defended set-piece (again!) on the stroke of half time and a swift counterattack mid-way through the second half provided the goals that ended City's interest in this year's FA Cup... more ... City played an awful lot of good football at the impressive Crisp Bowl stadium, unfortunately none of it in their host's penalty area. By contrast to City's honest but limited endeavours, Leicester's economy of effort saw the pace and precision of their passing increase when they approached our goal; there was also so much more venom in their shooting whenever they got a sight of goal while City seemed to dither.  

Hotpot (Stockport, 28/12/02) - no feeling of Christmas left-overs in this one, where in Danny Wilson's words Stockport were flattered to lose by only 1-4 ... more ... on a playing surface even better than Ashton Gate at its best (which it wasn't on Boxing day), City strolled through the home defence almost at will. But for hitting the post, being denied an obvious penalty and a number of fine saves from Emberson City could have run up a scoreline in double figures.

Great to see goals coming from youngsters Coles and Rosenior, and a much improved performance from Lee Peacock.

Cold Turkey (Plymouth, 26/12/02) - a jaded performance from a City side that looked mentally and physically weary and yet, such is the foolishness of this game, one that proved good enough to leap-frog over Cardiff into a promotion spot. City's best efforts against a Plymouth side dressed up like traffic cones were from long range courtesy of defenders Hill and Coles; referee Hall had distinctly different ideas about what merited a yellow card depending on the colour of the shirt but did not affect the result. In short, an eminently forgettable match.

Travesty Avoided (Luton, 21/12/02) - all good runs must come to an end but how aggrieved would we have felt if the current run had been ended by the soft goal granted to a Luton side that offered nothing but old-style Wimbledon "spoiling tactics" all afternoon? (adequately reflected in the card count) ... more ... City were no better or worse than in many other performances this season except in one key regard, which was the quality of the final ball into the box. Too often this was overhit to an unpopulated far post or played behind forwards who had already made their move; nobody seems to hang back.

That said, the woodwork still saved the visitors on three occasions after excellent efforts from Peacock, Doherty and Beadle. Added to that bad luck, there was the woeful officiating from Mr Cooper and his Wiltshire (oh the shame!) linesmen who between them invented a ludicrous offside against Peacock when the ball came back from the bar! and pretended not to see the clear push on Liam Rosenior as he waited under the rebound from Tommy's effort.

One thing they got right was the Thug Davis' dismissal and it is to be hoped they properly report his second elbow on Tommy and inciting remark to the crowd as he left the field. As he showed in his Swindon days - and with the (unpunished) late high lunge that put Joe Burnell out of this game - he really is a nasty piece of work and needs to learn hard lessons fast.

Onward Christian Roberts! (Cardiff, 14/12/02) - dream return to Ninian Park for the Roberts boyo ... more ... a supremely well-organised and disciplined City outfit made the short trip over the Severn and clinically despatched the Cardiff challenge in this promotion six-pointer. The Rodneys had made most of the noise in the build-up to the game but seeing so many of them leaving the ground early said it all.

Job done - bring on the Luton!

Four seasons in one day (Notts Co, 04/12/02) - the first attempt to play Notts County ended in a downpour of biblical proportions that flooded Ashton Gate just after half-time ... more ... just about the only thing this replay had in common was that County took the lead through a soft goal.
Recent events suggest that City would have found the spirit to recover anyway (as they did this time) but the worrying thing is the number and type of goals City are conceding to teams that they have totally outplayed. Moreover, distinct signs of defensive frailties were apparent in a performance that was far Dr Jeckyll than Mr Hyde.
Bottom Line ..."Entertaining and successful is an attractive combination, but City supporters could probably do without the acccompanying stress and they should beware: in football, justice and sloppiness do not normally keep each other company for long." - Tom Dart, The Times

It's good to be back! (01/12/02) - unfortunately, system failures took BCL! offline for most of October and November but I'm pleased to say that we're back up-and-running normally again ... and what a pleasure it has been to note the lad's progress in the meantime! ... more ... If you check out the 2001/02 link below you'll see that the following aspects of performance were identified as candidates for improvement, particularly in terms of the "inner game":
* goals in the last five minutes of matches,
* record against the teams above us (and cup matches),
* set pieces at both ends of the pitch
So far so good then as the stats listed left help to illustrate. Mentally and physically the squad look to have made a necessary stride forward and now, as last year, we must hope to avoid too many problems with injuries and suspensions amongst the key players.
As for the 2002/03 preview below, the counter was given to the gloom-and-doom merchants who predicted mid-table mediocrity or worse - where now all those siren voices who said City would miss Tony Thorpe?
It remains to be seen how our nearest rivals would cope with the level of injuries our squad has already endured. To the squad's great credit we have still averaged 2pts/game to this point yet the quality of the division this season is underlined by the fact that Wigan and Cardiff have a better record. Crewe showed yesterday that with their best team available they too will be a force.
Bottom line ... ... three red cards & two penalties given away and the only time neither of these things happened we came back to win (albeit vs the poorest side we've played).

But the real question, if we're going to make a habit of playing with ten men (even the rezzies got in on the act yesterday), is how come Wigan can do it and still score twice to win at Tranmere whereas its always used as an excuse for our defeats?

BCL! Offline for 6 weeks due to system failure :(

MATCH REPORT (Chesterfield, 07/10/02) - big scorelines should always be treated with a bit of caution ... more ... for fear of complacency setting in. In general, I've always felt they say more about the beaten side than the victors and Chesterfield were certainly made to look a very pedestrian outfit by the fleet-footedness of Aaron Brown, Chris Roberts and Scoot Murray running onto Tin's quality passes.

However, you can only beat what turns up to oppose you and they can only look as good as you let them. The 4-0 scoreline was, boosted by two late strikes from Scoot, was far from unfair, indeed it wouldn't have been unfair as the half-time score - only two/three saves from the top drawer by Muggleton stood between the spirites and complete humiliation.

City's whole approach was marvelously positive and I must say that the aspect of play that impressed me most was the tenacity of our work in closing-down the opposition all over the field; some of our tackling was superb with every man earning his week's corn in full measure - having set their standard I look forward to seeing them uphold it.
 

Well done Benny Lennartsson - BCL! takes its hat off to you!!! ... he pointed the way forward at Ashton Gate (but the board brought in Pulis instead), now he's pointed the way out for Bates' bumblers.

The Lita of Hope? (Port Vale, 01/10/02) ... no sign of an end to City's topsy-turvy early season form, but ... more ... could Leroy Lita's first league goal, in added time at Port Vale, be the beacon of hope we need to carry into the next couple of months' fixtures?

A quarter of the season gone and somehow the expression "curate's egg" springs to mind. Every time you thought City might have rumbled what it takes to put together a run of consistently good form someone got himself sent off and/or gave away a penalty.

Pro rata to BCL!'s 90pt promotion target eleven matches would have yielded 21pts, i.e. three more than we have actually achieved ... take a look at the matchfacts for the Brentford game, for example, and you'll see how very slight is the difference between success and failure. The manager, consistent as ever, has been at pains on several occasions to point out the importance of taking the chances that do come your way. Moreover, the phrase "goals change matches" has become something of a mantra with him - a quick check of the relationship between the team that scores the first goal and the outcome of the match shows why.

Bottom Line ... by sheer happenstance, I saw Christopher "Superman" Reeve's interview with David Frost on Sunday morning. In it he pointed out that the difference between HOPE and mere optimism or wishful thinking was that true hope has something concrete underpinning it.

In relation to this season, I believe City can retain hope based on our ability to create enough chances for ourselves which - IF THE MISTAKES CAN BE CUT DOWN - would be enough to underpin a renewed challenge.

Let's hope the next month or two brings Manager of the Month form because it can be done!
 

Confessional (QPR, 22/09/02): It's all my fault! ... more ... five wins? I've seen them all - five defeats?, I've not seen one of them! And the bad news is I'm not likely to see more than a couple more away games this season, so that's a maximum 75pts.

This time last week I commented the next two matches were against the only other teams in the top seven we hadn't already played. City being City we found different ways of losing them both, suggesting there's still some way to go on grafting the necessary character on to a squad that has the potential to achieve. Has it the ambition, the belief and the daring though?

Random Thought (18/09/02): Five away matches, conceding the first goal every time ... more we can beat any side in the division on our day and have shown good signs that we know how to hold our nerve ... fingers crossed!    

MATCH NOTES (Cheltenham, 15/09/02): I've only seen City five times this season and those are the ones we've won! ... more ... last season City waited until the end of December to come from behind to win a match so let's hope the character displayed today is stored away in the squad's collective subconscious memory for future good use as and when ... also, by this same time next week we'll have played all of the other teams in the current top seven; let's not get too carried away but it will be interesting to see what the table looks like when they can all say the same thing!

Danny's team selection raised a few eyebrows before the game and also the question whether we'd form up in 3-5-2 or 4-4-2; in the event, both were used in that order for half-a-game each with the ever flexible Joe B being the man to drop from midfield to right back. It is probable that the upcoming Oldham and QPR games were part of the reasoning for resting Tins and Roberts - veterans have to be used sparingly especially after injury and the latter can't be expected to run himself into the ground every match.

Leaving the first two minutes aside, City really should have had this sewn up long before Matthews' screaming free kick early in the second half. Its an excellent sign that we came from behind twice to win but, on the other hand, we missed about six good chances before they took the lead for the second time and, frankly, their defence was pants. Such pressure as we were under came from our own mistakes, giving the ball away and free kicks in midfield so they could aim them at Alsopp's big head.

However, we did work 'ard and let's hope that continues to be the case because we'll need to when we play better teams than Cheltenham.

Footnote: quite how the ref could justify booking Aaron Brown for an untidy but genuine challenge for the ball, yet allow deliberate late tackles by Alsopp, Yates and McCauley to go unpunished only he will know (possibly).
 

Personal note (07/09/02): now that's what I call a birthweek! - seeing City teams in action three times, scoring 11 goals without reply (and  Glamorgan won twice to go clear at the top of the one-day league)

MATCH NOTES: Leapy Relishes the Bristol Nightlife (Northampton, 06/0/02) ... Cobblers join a growing list of clubs to leave Bristol with nothing to show ... more ... "and now you've gotta believe us!", the City's gotta chance.

Just think, even average luck away from home with our shots that hit the post, penalties awarded against us and earrly dismissals ... and we'd probably have accrued five points more than the current haul, which would have us sitting top of the league. That will come, sure as eggs is eggs because this side is improving all the time; probably our best since the mid-70s, and with the same nucleus of home produced talent.

Tony Butler once gain underlined his status as the missing ingredient: a seasoned pro with a winning way about him, been there, done that, seen it, heard it ... oozing confidence to those around him.

Mssrs Hulbert, Doherty, Clist, Woodman and Burnell all up for it - showing that as long as places are up for grabs they'll be scrapping tooth and nail to see their name on the teamsheet.

Chris Roberts providing the vital ambition and pace in the front line that sees him prepared to hound and harry defenders to distraction for every minute he's on the pitch.

But BCL!'s man of this match has to be two-goal hero Lee Peacock who looked to be right back  on his game under the AG floodlights - perhaps he's just a creature of the night who doesn't like playing in daylight?

MATCH NOTES: Gloucs Senior Cup Final - Emphatic Win for  Rezzies (Cirencester, 03/09/02) ... Corinium falls to Shaun Taylor's young Turks ... more ... Cirencester Town 0-6 City Reserves

CITY (3-4-1-2): Myhill
Gardner - Metitri - Fortune
Rosenior (Harley, 67) - Clist (Shanahan, 67) - Cleverley - Burke
Brown,M (Loxton, 82)
Correia (>Brown,M, 82) - Beadle

The first impressions of CTFC's brand new Corinium Stadium are entirely favourable located as it is on a greenfield site on the Eastern edge of the old Roman town. The supporters bar is lavishly appointed by the standards of any football club with a wide screen TV to benefit the local ManU-factured "fans" and as decent a pint of Wadworths' 6X as you'll find anywhere.

It is when you see the playing surface that the true nature of the greenfield becomes more apparent. As with so many new sports grounds, the drainage seems to have been an afterthought to the schedule of works with the extensive sand-slitting carried out only last month still very much in evidence. It was then greatly to the credit of both sides that they were able to serve up such a good game of football, played at a lively pace, on a pitch where the bounce was something of  lottery.

With the exception of grandfather figure Peter Beadle, leading the City line as part of his quest for match fitness, both teams were very much at the younger end of the scale and set a brisk pace from the start. The home team comprised several players signed from the now defunct Cirencester Academy FC, City's was essentially of graduates and current scholars at our FA Premier Academy. The longer the game went on, the
more clear it became that the ability to perform at sustained pace would be the final arbiter of the result - and so it was no surprise that the full-time professionals prevailed. But for the assurance of on-loan Boaz Myhill in goal, however, Cirencester would surely have had a goal or two to cheer as reward for their endeavours.

Action Log (mins)

10 Great save by Myhill at full stretch

15 Correia shot from acute angle well saved (but should have squared it to Beadle for a tap-in)

23 Whilst on his backside Rosenior flicks the ball to Correia who, breaking with support on each side, curls a shot from the edge of the area with the outside of his right boot through the keeper's fingers into the net ... 1-0

30 Beadle commits a foul in midfield then their kiddy tries to make a name for himself by coming over all Roy Keane about it

37 Subtle flick from Beads to play in the onrushing Rosenior who's shot is parried for a corner which he then plants on the forehead of the late arriving Marvin. Quality ... 2-0

38 Marvin sent clear by astute ball from Clist and cooly lobs the keeper ... 3-0

40 Now its open season, Clisty hits the post with a neatly worked effort from 15 yards; Correia finds keeper's legs in the way in a one-on-one and Clist's follow up chip is plucked from under the bar by the recovering keeper.

46 Myhill "stays big" to block a home effort created by deflection off referee Wilkes.

Half-Time: notable for an Aaron Shanahan practice shot clearing the safety netting behind the goal!

50 Beads again plays Liam in only for the keeper to parry but this time it falls to Albano to stab home his second ... 4-0

60 Albano misses a sitter for his hat-trick (right foot)

62 Ditto! (header)

63 Marvin sends decent shot just wide

64 Boaz does well to parry a good volley from a corner

67 Albano gets it right as he heads in from Burke's corner (has to celebrate on his own though) ... 5-0

73 Double instinctive saves from keeper Myhill

75 Shanahan belies his half-time form with a jinking run into the box from Burke's pass and tucks away a lovely goal ... 6-0

86 Loxton pushes one wide

Awards Ceremony - the usual surreal affair "masterminded" by blazered county FA fossils, floundering hopelessly in the face of new-fangled technology such as microphones!
 

MATCH NOTES: Random Reffing Goes Our Way for a Change (Tranmere, 31/08/02) ... another match where it seemed the opposition ploy of playing for a point would prevail ... more ... however, not for the first time already this season it fell to a refereeing decision to turn the match.

Unlike the penalties awarded against us at Brentford and Plymouth, here our luck was in as Mr Warren awarded a kick for handball against visiting defender Graham Allen. Matt Hill, in particular will know how the player felt about it but the point has to be made that the referee was certainly at fault minutes earlier in turning down penalty claims when Christian Roberts was flattened when clean through on goal.

With the fourth most successful penalty taker in Bristol City's post-war history (Mickey Bell) already back in the changing room injured, Brian Tinnion accepted the responsibilty and executed the kick with aplomb. Soon after ward Scoot consolidated the scoreline with a snapshot from a Robin Hulbert corner.

Running through the line-up, Steve Phillips had little to do until the making a superb low save at his left-hand post in the 90th minute and he obviously benefitted from the commanding presence of Tony Butler in front of him - assured in the air and on the ground, confirming everything that has been said over the last few years about the need for such a player. On either side of him Matt Hill and Joe Burnell had the pace to deal with anything he couldn't handle.

Craig Woodman operating this week at left wing-back once again demonstrated his class and potential; inside him Mickey Bell didn't last long before being forced out with an ankle injury but Simon Clist substituted with increasing confidence as the match went on. In the middle, Tins was Tins - looking as though he'd never been away and to his right Robin Hulbert (my MOTM) had an excellent game in place of the injured Doc.

Scoot was at his most frustrating today at one time horribly overhitting the ball when it only needed a square pass for Peacock to open the scoring. The latter huffed and puffed but still gives a lack-lustre impression compared to what we know he's capable of. Last but by no means least Christian Roberts was again a constant nuisance to the Tranmere defence, never allowing them a moments peace to settle on balls out of our defence - again, ensuring the game was played more in the opposition's half than was ever the case with Tony Thorpe (a non-playing sub for Luton today) watching the game pass him by.

MATCH NOTES: Choirboys 3-0 Chairboys (Wycombe, 24/08/02)... with three 19 year-olds and a 21 year-old in the back four, City's line-up could have been mistaken for altar boys. But if it was men against boys to start with, it was more a case of boys becoming men as the game progressed ... more ... however, in general I only see home games so I'm only seeing half the job - the better half!

The fine win over Wycombe is to be applauded - to continue in choral vein, the chorus of Smetena's "Bartered Bride" includes the sentiment only they are truly happy who enjoy life while they may. And if we can't celebrate victories over bogey teams using a very young side we had just as well pack it all in.

Unfortunately, this win was preceded by defeats at Brentford and Wigan and followed by one at Plymouth where in each case the folly of youth (sendings-off and penalties) cost us the all important opening goals. The young bucks are good enough to learn from such mistakes and they will do so; unfortunately, it seems with City there is never the wherewithal in the rest of the team to overcome such setbacks ... or to take the early chances that would settle the team's nerves.

The leadership qualities of the player(s) we have needed for so long have long been identified and, indeed, articulated  by the manager himself ... nevertheless the "wait for Godot" goes on.
 

MATCH NOTES: Something to build on? (Blackpool, 12/08/02) ... 2001/02 saw twelve players start over half of City's matches, seven of whom were on the pitch for the first whistle of 2002/03: Bell, Murray, Peacock, Doherty, Brown(A), Burnell and Hill ... more  ... of the others Mark Lever was on the bench, replaced in the line-up by  Keith Millen, newly resurrected as player-coach; Roberts effectively came in for the departed Thorpe; Stowell and Carey were injured with Phillips and Coles their replacements; the twelfth place saw Liam Rosenior standing in for the injured Tinman.

The net effect was a line-up some one and a half years younger than last season's average of 27 yrs (which is no bad thing).

Early on Christian Roberts created a chance for himself to start making inroads into the meagre number of times Tony Thorpe gave City the lead last year (four) but it was not to be.

In the event it was the man with the best record in that respect Lee Peacock (seven) who broke the stalemate, the fact that it came from a corner should be grounds for celebration in itself!

Scoot's last minute goal did not affect the result but was obviously very welcome, memorable for those of us in the Williams stand for the way the Atyeo started to cheer with the ball still 20 yards from goal.

The donkey-lashers led by their ex-Swindle manager may complain that being down to nine men "cost them the game". However, the fact is that until the laws of the game are changed to allow players to kick and punch their opponents off the ball they will run the risk of falling to their own indiscipline.

The sight of their goalkeeper (in the way that keepers regularly get away with in their own area) running into a red shirt in a bid to gain a penalty had us both holding our breath and giggling at the same time, but Steve Phillips quick thinking and Scott Murray's quick feet meted its own poetic justice.

Bottom Line ... not the most convincing of performances but there were signs in the later stages, albeit against nine men, of better interplay between Peacock and Roberts; Lita and Rosenior looked brimming with energy and confidence; finally, a word for Mickey Bell who's body and its language looks to have got back to the player we've long known he can be.