City in dreamland
Sept 9, 2023 20:52:23 GMT
Post by Rijs on Sept 9, 2023 20:52:23 GMT
City fans must be pinching themselves every Saturday afternoon at the moment. Is this really happening? Ross Jenkins remains remarkably down-to-earth. I am not given to excessive praise myself: to me, you should only use a word like fantastic when you mean it is like a fantasy. Well, this season's journey truly has been fantastic. Week after week they are reaching new heights. How long can this go on?
Today, the lads had to overcome tough opponents who were playing two levels above them just four months ago, and who could have gone top with a win today. They had to do so in the sort of heat which made it quite oppressive just to spectate, in the hottest hours of the hottest day of the year. They had to do so without three of their best players, with Zac staying on the bench and our two Caribbean stars on international duty (how many National League teams could claim that today?). They had to do so despite twice falling behind, first to a soft goal and then to a brilliant one. And they had to do so with no help from a referee who was booking City players for innocuous challenges while seeming not to notice when United men did worse ones.
Hartlepool were faster out of the blocks. This may have taken its toll in the end; maybe the Hoops were wisely conserving their energy in the sapping humidity. Haigh made a good save from a free kick on the edge of the area, awarded for another 'foul' which didn't seem to merit it. They were pinned in their own half until a good break down the right from the impressive Moore resulted in a deep cross and a chance for Coyle to open the scoring. His effort went wide of the goal.
Soon afterwards came the visitors' early breakthrough. The tall striker Dieseruvwe, who had been winning a lot in the air, headed a ball into the area for Grey. My view was rather obscured but he seemed to climb over a defender to make a weak contact, but it was enough to go over Haigh into the corner. We half expected the ref to rule it out for a foul, but no joy.
Had United pressed home their advantage it might have proved crucial, but understandably they could not maintain this pace and they sat back a little. This enabled City to keep possession for longer and get out of their own half. Confidence grew. Eventually Kirby (such a good summer acquisition, with quick feet, fine vision and accurate passing) found the hard-working Sanderson with a pinpoint pass in the box. The Fulham loanee is nothing if not a good finisher, and the ball nestled nicely in the net. But within minutes we were behind again to the best goal of the afternoon, a superb long-range curler from Cooke. Sheer quality. We could not argue with the half-time score - they had been the better team overall.
Nonetheless, this City team does not know when it is beaten, and the boys are forming a habit of raising their game in the second half. Today it was the early substitutions which proved game-changing. Energy, aggression and renewed confidence entered the pitch in the shape of Pierre Fonkeu and Aaron Williams-Bushell. The latter won a free kick near the goalline with his persistence. Ashby floated it over beyond the back post, where Moore crossed it back across goal for Canice Carroll to head home. Sweet justice, for the visiting fans had been having a go at him in the first half after a slightly botched clearance. Canice, to say the least, rather enjoyed his goal.
And in no time, City had turned a deficit into a lead, with Williams-Bushell again prominent in a move down the left which carved open a half-chance for Josh Ashby, who made no mistake with his placement. If Hartlepool looked a little shell-shocked, as Boreham Wood had the previous week, worse was to come to silence their supporters when City scored their third goal in seven minutes, this time stemming from a defensive slip which Pierre took full advantage of, finishing coolly one-on-one. Game over? It looked that way. The visitors appeared jaded. 'Too hot in the south for you!' sang the Shed End. They had a mountain to climb. Where had City found this energy? They were everywhere. Fleet hit a piledriver just over the bar. Sanderson had a good shot well saved.
Hartlepool were now restricted to long-range, inaccurate shots as City took control. The icing on the cake was a fifth goal, making twelve in three matches now. We are the only team outside the top ten to have a positive goal difference. It was Fonkeu again on hand to squeeze in a goal after the keeper had parried Miccio's header from an Ashby free kick.
Credit to the travelling support, who came a long way for this in large numbers and mostly behaved very well despite their disappointment. Teams like this carry a weight of expectation which our boys don't. The fans assume a large, well-paid, well-trained, full-time staff will crush little clubs like ours. It is a delight to challenge those assumptions! Keep up the sterling effort all-round, lads. The National League may be a rocky rollercoaster, but for now we are enjoying the ride.
Today, the lads had to overcome tough opponents who were playing two levels above them just four months ago, and who could have gone top with a win today. They had to do so in the sort of heat which made it quite oppressive just to spectate, in the hottest hours of the hottest day of the year. They had to do so without three of their best players, with Zac staying on the bench and our two Caribbean stars on international duty (how many National League teams could claim that today?). They had to do so despite twice falling behind, first to a soft goal and then to a brilliant one. And they had to do so with no help from a referee who was booking City players for innocuous challenges while seeming not to notice when United men did worse ones.
Hartlepool were faster out of the blocks. This may have taken its toll in the end; maybe the Hoops were wisely conserving their energy in the sapping humidity. Haigh made a good save from a free kick on the edge of the area, awarded for another 'foul' which didn't seem to merit it. They were pinned in their own half until a good break down the right from the impressive Moore resulted in a deep cross and a chance for Coyle to open the scoring. His effort went wide of the goal.
Soon afterwards came the visitors' early breakthrough. The tall striker Dieseruvwe, who had been winning a lot in the air, headed a ball into the area for Grey. My view was rather obscured but he seemed to climb over a defender to make a weak contact, but it was enough to go over Haigh into the corner. We half expected the ref to rule it out for a foul, but no joy.
Had United pressed home their advantage it might have proved crucial, but understandably they could not maintain this pace and they sat back a little. This enabled City to keep possession for longer and get out of their own half. Confidence grew. Eventually Kirby (such a good summer acquisition, with quick feet, fine vision and accurate passing) found the hard-working Sanderson with a pinpoint pass in the box. The Fulham loanee is nothing if not a good finisher, and the ball nestled nicely in the net. But within minutes we were behind again to the best goal of the afternoon, a superb long-range curler from Cooke. Sheer quality. We could not argue with the half-time score - they had been the better team overall.
Nonetheless, this City team does not know when it is beaten, and the boys are forming a habit of raising their game in the second half. Today it was the early substitutions which proved game-changing. Energy, aggression and renewed confidence entered the pitch in the shape of Pierre Fonkeu and Aaron Williams-Bushell. The latter won a free kick near the goalline with his persistence. Ashby floated it over beyond the back post, where Moore crossed it back across goal for Canice Carroll to head home. Sweet justice, for the visiting fans had been having a go at him in the first half after a slightly botched clearance. Canice, to say the least, rather enjoyed his goal.
And in no time, City had turned a deficit into a lead, with Williams-Bushell again prominent in a move down the left which carved open a half-chance for Josh Ashby, who made no mistake with his placement. If Hartlepool looked a little shell-shocked, as Boreham Wood had the previous week, worse was to come to silence their supporters when City scored their third goal in seven minutes, this time stemming from a defensive slip which Pierre took full advantage of, finishing coolly one-on-one. Game over? It looked that way. The visitors appeared jaded. 'Too hot in the south for you!' sang the Shed End. They had a mountain to climb. Where had City found this energy? They were everywhere. Fleet hit a piledriver just over the bar. Sanderson had a good shot well saved.
Hartlepool were now restricted to long-range, inaccurate shots as City took control. The icing on the cake was a fifth goal, making twelve in three matches now. We are the only team outside the top ten to have a positive goal difference. It was Fonkeu again on hand to squeeze in a goal after the keeper had parried Miccio's header from an Ashby free kick.
Credit to the travelling support, who came a long way for this in large numbers and mostly behaved very well despite their disappointment. Teams like this carry a weight of expectation which our boys don't. The fans assume a large, well-paid, well-trained, full-time staff will crush little clubs like ours. It is a delight to challenge those assumptions! Keep up the sterling effort all-round, lads. The National League may be a rocky rollercoaster, but for now we are enjoying the ride.