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Next Game: Scarborough In The League At Edgar Street On Tuesday 19th November At 7.45pm

Monday, February 15, 2016

Report From Under 18 Game At Gloucester


Last week the under 18 side played at Gloucester.

Here's a report as published in the Gloucester Citizen.

A dramatic injury time winner from Ben Hands earned City all three points in their crucial Midland Floodlit Youth League clash with title rivals Hereford FC.
City had won all their league games since narrowly losing to Hereford in the opening match of the season back in August, but had also subsequently exited the League Cup at the hands of their visitors.
So a tough match was guaranteed against undoubtedly the best non-professional team City have played this season.
The home team flew out of the traps and amazingly could have scored three in the opening ten minutes.
Centre-back Joe Harrison met Max Gourley's dangerous in-swinging free kick but the visitors keeper pulled off a fine point-blank range save before Stan Brown fed fellow-frontman Oli Barnes whose goal-bound shot was denied by a fine defensive block.
Gourley then found a couple of yards space and from 25 yards let fly with an effort which shaved the upright.
But Hereford gradually settled and started to get a foothold in the game, their pass and move style very easy on the eye.
City were defending well though, the only chance conceded when Hereford FC first-team player Carlos Moreira surprisingly scuffed his strike from 18 yards into keeper Anton Ranken's grateful hands.
However, the young Tigers deservedly took the lead on 25 mins with a marvellous individual goal from Gourley.
The midfielder won the ball just inside the opposition's half, his turn taking him away from a couple of players.
A mazy run took him past another three before a composed left-foot finish from 15 yards left the keeper helpless.City, on the excellent Tuffley Rovers surface then proceeded to play some of their best football of the season.Harrison Iddles and Tom Bullock in particular were linking superbly down the left stretching the visitors defence, but despite dominating the remainder of the half City had to settle for one-nil at the break.

Hereford were interestingly then sent out 5 minutes early for the start of the second half, their manager's words no doubt ringing in their ears. And whatever was said clearly worked as they flew at City from the off.
A cross-cum-shot that hit the bar and a free-kick that smacked the wall signalled Hereford's intent.
However, despite the visitors' considerable possession the home team, their back three becoming a back five as wing-backs Bullock and Jordan Molyneux supported excellent central defenders Harry O'Connor, Matt Hatton and Harrison, thereafter largely thwarted their opponents' patient probing and efforts to get down the flanks.
But on 77 mins just as Hereford appeared to be running out of ideas and City were starting to reassert their authority on the game the visitors capitalised on a mistake, their forward slamming home from close range to grab the equaliser. Tough on the hosts who otherwise defended superbly all evening.
There then only looked like one winner as the visitors took the initiative again and drove at City.
However, the hosts defence stood firm and were ultimately rewarded with the winner. In the 92 minute holding midfielder Tom Deehan won the ball and fed Gourley. The midfielder went on another mazy run which took him into the opposition's box before cutting the ball back to striker Hands whose fine shot from 12 yards found the corner of the net to give City three massive points and bury their Hereford hoodoo.
Tough on Hereford who no doubt felt their second half performance merited a draw but a superb all-round team performance from City to secure three points and take huge confidence into next week's away match at Alvechurch, the other main title contenders.