Slough
City 5-0 Slough Town: A View From The Terraces
Posted by ChrisB on November 17, 2007, 8:15 pm
Slough Town visited Court Place Farm this afternoon having taken just three points out of the last eighteen, and City would have been hoping to continue in the manner that saw them dispose of Marlow in mid-week.
The casual observer, therefore, might have been forgiven for thinking that recent form was not a good guide as Slough came out of the blocks quickly and City looked the more sluggish of the two teams. In fact Abby Nsubuga came very close to putting the visitors ahead in the first minute when a flicked header put him in on goal, but his soft shot was comfortably dealt with by Steve Smith. Slough created a number of other chances in the opening ten minutes before City could settle to their game. Christian Metcalfe saw a volley charged down and the ball worked wide onto the Slough right where Dave Barratt thundered a tremendous cross-shot not too much beyond the far post. From the goal kick Lee Riddell set himself for a long-range lob but Smith was back in time to make a head-high catch. And with Slough still pressing Mark Avery had to be at his sharpest to take the ball from Erebendu as he raced into the area.
For City Darren Pond picked up a loose ball twenty yards out and fired a foot wide of Richard Barnard’s right-hand post just before play was held up for three or four minutes as Jermaine McSporran lay prone near the half-way line after challenging for a high ball.
City began to assert themselves more as the first quarter finished. Jon Gardner had a good run that it took two defenders to end, and McSporran shot just wide when Alex Stewart headed down. They edged in front on 22 minutes when Stewart hit a firm shot that spun off Daly to Mark Bell who cut inside from the City right and struck the ball hard and low beyond Barnard’s dive.
Slough came close to an equaliser almost immediately as the ball broke kindly for Michael Murphy but his shot faded wide of the post.
City’s longer-range passes were gaining in accuracy now: firstly Bell was put in for a strong run to the line to deliver a cross that was bundled behind for a corner; and then James Saulsbury and Bell combined well to release McSporran and his low cross-cum-shot was just missed by Stewart.
The lead was doubled on 32 minutes when a neat header by Stewart allowed Jermaine McSporran to beat the offside trap and he finished well with the outside of the right foot to place a neat flick over Barnard as he slid off his line.
City realistically made the game safe with a third first-half goal with five minutes remaining. A run by Gardner was stopped untidily by Robinson, gaining the Slough defender a yellow card, and Gardner’s free-kick was headed beyond Barnard at the far post by Alex Stewart.
With the clock running down towards half-time another blockbuster shot from Dave Barratt was smothered, possibly unwittingly, by Andy Gunn, and Metcalfe had another fair chance but shot wide of the target.
HALF-TIME: City 3-0 Slough
Slough began the second period as they did the first and quickly forced a corner that Daly headed just beyond the far post, and then were presented with a good chance five minutes in when Erebendu was fouled near the edge of the area, but Riddell’s free-kick, though powerfully struck, was straight at Smith who held it with ease.
Ikechi Anya replaced McSporran, who had not completely shaken off the effects of the first-half injury, and was immediately into the action with a run and pass that was cut out just short of a well-placed Stewart. On 55 minutes a great piece of football saw a slide-rule pass from Bell allow Pond to run on and cut the ball back to Stewart by the penalty spot, but his first-time shot was neatly held by Barnard. Another trademark Anya run two minutes later set up Stewart again, but his shot lacked power and Barnard, having a good afternoon, parried the ball to Anya who saw the subsequent ‘goal’ ruled out (correctly) for off-side.
Slough were still breaking quickly when the chance arose and Barratt might have done better with his header from a cross from the left.
Anya’s runs were causing Slough problems and usually drawing two defenders giving space elsewhere for City attackers, and as he latched on to a sharp ball over the top twenty minutes into the half the Slough cover did well to react quickly enough and clear the ball for a corner. Mark Bell flighted the ball to the far post and Andy Gunn, not for the first time this season, headed home to take his personal tally to six for the campaign.
With quarter of an hour left there were a few sighs of relief in the City camp as only a yellow card was brandished as Steve Smith stumbled out of his area with the ball firmly in his grasp when under no particular pressure.
The Blues were working the ball around well: Anya shot wide on a couple of occasions after eluding his marker(s), and Barnard saved well (again) from Darren Pond after a good interchange of passes with Gardner had put him in the clear.
Jon Gardner wrapped up the scoring for the afternoon with eight minutes remaining when he picked up a loose ball twenty five yards out and curled a terrific shot beyond a surprised Barnard’s dive.
Slough looked likely to gain a consolation when a long cross caught the City defence wrong-footed for once and reached substitute Landy Sakala, but Smith reacted well, pulled off a point-blank save and saw the rebound fired over the bar.
The last chance of the match fell to the irrepressible Anya who again raced into the Slough box and saw his shot deflected through the keeper’s legs, but, with the pace taken off the ball, Barnard had time to retrieve the situation.
FULL-TIME Oxford City 5-0 Slough Town
Oxford City: Smith, Saulsbury (Janes 67), Cattell, Gunn, Pond, Avery, Gardner, Malone, McSporran (Anya 53), Stewart (Redknap 72), Bell.
Slough Town: Barnard, Robinson, Woodruffe (Attrell 72), Daly, Harper, Barratt (Browne 90), Metcalfe, Murphy, Erebendu, Nsubuga (Sakala 62), Riddell.
P.S. My thanks to the fantastic minute-by-minute highlights (how do you do that!!?) on the Slough website for identifying some Slough players that I couldn't see.
Posted by ChrisB on November 17, 2007, 8:15 pm
Slough Town visited Court Place Farm this afternoon having taken just three points out of the last eighteen, and City would have been hoping to continue in the manner that saw them dispose of Marlow in mid-week.
The casual observer, therefore, might have been forgiven for thinking that recent form was not a good guide as Slough came out of the blocks quickly and City looked the more sluggish of the two teams. In fact Abby Nsubuga came very close to putting the visitors ahead in the first minute when a flicked header put him in on goal, but his soft shot was comfortably dealt with by Steve Smith. Slough created a number of other chances in the opening ten minutes before City could settle to their game. Christian Metcalfe saw a volley charged down and the ball worked wide onto the Slough right where Dave Barratt thundered a tremendous cross-shot not too much beyond the far post. From the goal kick Lee Riddell set himself for a long-range lob but Smith was back in time to make a head-high catch. And with Slough still pressing Mark Avery had to be at his sharpest to take the ball from Erebendu as he raced into the area.
For City Darren Pond picked up a loose ball twenty yards out and fired a foot wide of Richard Barnard’s right-hand post just before play was held up for three or four minutes as Jermaine McSporran lay prone near the half-way line after challenging for a high ball.
City began to assert themselves more as the first quarter finished. Jon Gardner had a good run that it took two defenders to end, and McSporran shot just wide when Alex Stewart headed down. They edged in front on 22 minutes when Stewart hit a firm shot that spun off Daly to Mark Bell who cut inside from the City right and struck the ball hard and low beyond Barnard’s dive.
Slough came close to an equaliser almost immediately as the ball broke kindly for Michael Murphy but his shot faded wide of the post.
City’s longer-range passes were gaining in accuracy now: firstly Bell was put in for a strong run to the line to deliver a cross that was bundled behind for a corner; and then James Saulsbury and Bell combined well to release McSporran and his low cross-cum-shot was just missed by Stewart.
The lead was doubled on 32 minutes when a neat header by Stewart allowed Jermaine McSporran to beat the offside trap and he finished well with the outside of the right foot to place a neat flick over Barnard as he slid off his line.
City realistically made the game safe with a third first-half goal with five minutes remaining. A run by Gardner was stopped untidily by Robinson, gaining the Slough defender a yellow card, and Gardner’s free-kick was headed beyond Barnard at the far post by Alex Stewart.
With the clock running down towards half-time another blockbuster shot from Dave Barratt was smothered, possibly unwittingly, by Andy Gunn, and Metcalfe had another fair chance but shot wide of the target.
HALF-TIME: City 3-0 Slough
Slough began the second period as they did the first and quickly forced a corner that Daly headed just beyond the far post, and then were presented with a good chance five minutes in when Erebendu was fouled near the edge of the area, but Riddell’s free-kick, though powerfully struck, was straight at Smith who held it with ease.
Ikechi Anya replaced McSporran, who had not completely shaken off the effects of the first-half injury, and was immediately into the action with a run and pass that was cut out just short of a well-placed Stewart. On 55 minutes a great piece of football saw a slide-rule pass from Bell allow Pond to run on and cut the ball back to Stewart by the penalty spot, but his first-time shot was neatly held by Barnard. Another trademark Anya run two minutes later set up Stewart again, but his shot lacked power and Barnard, having a good afternoon, parried the ball to Anya who saw the subsequent ‘goal’ ruled out (correctly) for off-side.
Slough were still breaking quickly when the chance arose and Barratt might have done better with his header from a cross from the left.
Anya’s runs were causing Slough problems and usually drawing two defenders giving space elsewhere for City attackers, and as he latched on to a sharp ball over the top twenty minutes into the half the Slough cover did well to react quickly enough and clear the ball for a corner. Mark Bell flighted the ball to the far post and Andy Gunn, not for the first time this season, headed home to take his personal tally to six for the campaign.
With quarter of an hour left there were a few sighs of relief in the City camp as only a yellow card was brandished as Steve Smith stumbled out of his area with the ball firmly in his grasp when under no particular pressure.
The Blues were working the ball around well: Anya shot wide on a couple of occasions after eluding his marker(s), and Barnard saved well (again) from Darren Pond after a good interchange of passes with Gardner had put him in the clear.
Jon Gardner wrapped up the scoring for the afternoon with eight minutes remaining when he picked up a loose ball twenty five yards out and curled a terrific shot beyond a surprised Barnard’s dive.
Slough looked likely to gain a consolation when a long cross caught the City defence wrong-footed for once and reached substitute Landy Sakala, but Smith reacted well, pulled off a point-blank save and saw the rebound fired over the bar.
The last chance of the match fell to the irrepressible Anya who again raced into the Slough box and saw his shot deflected through the keeper’s legs, but, with the pace taken off the ball, Barnard had time to retrieve the situation.
FULL-TIME Oxford City 5-0 Slough Town
Oxford City: Smith, Saulsbury (Janes 67), Cattell, Gunn, Pond, Avery, Gardner, Malone, McSporran (Anya 53), Stewart (Redknap 72), Bell.
Slough Town: Barnard, Robinson, Woodruffe (Attrell 72), Daly, Harper, Barratt (Browne 90), Metcalfe, Murphy, Erebendu, Nsubuga (Sakala 62), Riddell.
P.S. My thanks to the fantastic minute-by-minute highlights (how do you do that!!?) on the Slough website for identifying some Slough players that I couldn't see.
posted by Julian at Thursday, February 07, 2008
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