City Promoted

City 1-0 Uxbridge: A View From the Terraces

Posted by ChrisB on May 3, 2008, 11:42 pm

The monsoon weather of earlier in the week relented and a dry warm day welcomed the two (surprise?) finalists to Court Place Farm to battle for that second promotion place. With most other local football over for a few months there were plenty of interested neutrals – hopefully converted to the Blue Persuasion for at least a day – to swell the crowd to a raucous 646. Plenty of ex-City players too back to see how their old team might do: Mark Jones, Richard Peirson, Colin Simpson, James Faulkner and more. Programmes were all sold with 15 minutes still to go, and, despite the 20+ temperature, Claire was finding it remarkably easy to sell blue-and-white scarves. So everything in place for a tense finale to the season.

The first few minutes produced fairly cautious play while both sides sized up the opposition and took their time to settle, and then it was the visitors who had the first good chance. A free-kick on the City right was lifted into the area by Captain Nicholls and the half-clearance only made it as far as Kevin Warner whose left-footed strike curled past Steve Smith’s dive and just beyond the post. It was a chance that, as events turned out, might well have been Uxbridge’s clearest of the afternoon: certainly it brought some sharp intakes of breath from both sets of supporters.

It was City’s turn to press forward: Michael Lyon showing a great turn of speed on the right, and Mark Bell running aggressively on the left. Lyon produced a tricky cross that led to City’s first corner which Bell delivered well, but neither Lyon nor Darren Pond could control the bouncing ball on the sandy surface. City’s second corner followed almost immediately and Louis Wells caught cleanly as Yashwa Romeo rose highest in a crowded box.

Nicholls released Lee Tunnell with a precise pass and Mark Avery did well to deal with the problem and then set up an attack that allowed Lyon to get away a solid shot which was deflected into Wells’ hands.

The game ebbed and flowed and as the second quarter began a jinking run by Bell gave Pond a chance for a shot near the top of the box which eased its way just over the bar. A clever free-kick from Nicholls found the head of Warner whose nodded cross into the danger area had Smith at full-stretch to punch away upfield; while a long, pressure-relieving clearance by James Saulsbury was chased by the ever-industrious Lyon to the far goal-line where, to the apparent surprise of the visitors’ defenders, he caught it and delivered a fine cross to the far post where Bell was just beaten to the bouncing ball by Wells.

On 34 minutes City broke the deadlock. Lyon played the ball back to Saulsbury on the right flank and his deep cross was received by Mark Bell who took a step back inside his marker and finished decisively beyond the diving Wells to lift the hopes of the home supporters.

As nerves became a little frayed Dave Thomas was booked for a lunge at Lyon, himself booked for expressing his unhappiness at the tackle to the defender; and the referee had a heart-to-heart with Pond after an over-enthusiastic tackle on Mark Boyce.

A Nicholls corner produced a few moments’ anxiety but Avery was, as has so often been the case this season, in the right place to clear the danger. And Nicholls was again the architect of Uxbridge pressure as he curled a free-kick into David Warner’s path but Liam Malone made the necessary tackle.

City finished the half on the attack as George Redknap provided a chance for Pond, though his shot was straight at Wells, and Mark Dennison only just beat Lyon to a through ball and produced a header back to Wells.

Half-Time: Oxford City 1-0 Uxbridge

City won a corner right at the start of the second session and Bell picked out Lyon on the edge of the box but, again, the irregular bounce delayed the shot and the moment passed. Uxbridge promptly produced two corners of their own but the twin towers of Avery and Gunn were equal to the task and headed clear.

It looked as though Bell might stretch the lead when Romeo found him with a sharp pass, but too many touches were needed and Mark Weedon muscled him off the ball.

Uxbridge were having one of their stronger passages of play as the hour ticked up. Gunn produced a tricky and important header back to Smith while being pressed by Tunnell; and Mark Boyce cut in along City’s goal-line to fire across the face of the goal where a series of desperate lunges just missed the ball.

Two or three pieces of neat interpassing by City players produced balls into the Uxbridge box but with no suitable final touch; while Uxbridge seemed to be becoming more reliant on launching long-range attacks on the City box and Smith had to be alert to claim a bouncing ball that had evaded Gunn as substitute John Dyer looked to take advantage.

With 15 minutes left a particularly deft piece of passing between Errol Telemaque, replacing Romeo, and Redknap allowed Lyon to hook in a dangerous cross that deflected off the upper-body of a defender – unheeded cries of ‘handball’ – to Redknap who shot over.

The City players were having to cover more and more ground, none more so than the tireless Lyon, to deal with the increasing number of red shirts committed to attack. Boyce caused problems as he launched several long throws at the City defence, and the clearances became longer and higher. With so many Uxbridge players pushing forward it was no surprise that City could break into some wide open spaces in front of Wells but the offside-flag was the commonest outcome of these opportunities.

As time ran out Uxbridge relied on high balls into the area from Thomas, and Smith had to produce several well-judged catches in a crowded area. At the other end Blue shirts headed for the corner flags as often as possible when in possession.

And then, just as Alex Stewart, on for the final ten minutes, rose above the Uxbridge attackers to head away another of Boyce’s throws, the final whistle went and it was all over!

Full Time: Oxford City 1-0 Uxbridge


City: Smith, Saulsbury, Woodruffe, Gunn, Pond, Avery, Bell (Gardner 80), Malone, Romeo (Telemaque 65), Redknap (Stewart 80), Lyon.
Uxbridge: Wells, Boyce, Thomas, Weedon. Dennison, Dickens, Carter (Howe 70), Warner K., Tunnell, Nicholls (Roache 81), Warner D. (Dyer 60).

So, despite the concerns of points dropped late in the season City gain promotion: doing it the hard way.
Like many people I’ve spoken to lately I've felt there has been something about this season that puts it up there among the most exciting and satisfying seasons of the last fifteen years. There has been a positive feel about the last nine months that, if it can be carried forward over the summer months, should put City in a position to more than hold their own at Step 3. Next year will certainly be a challenge and there will be no room for any complacency, but, without wanting to wish the summer away, I'll certainly be looking forward to the end of August.