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Premier 1 City 2 aet

- 30/01/2010

With the referee checking his watch in extra-time and penalties looming, Wayne Fittall finally took City through after a tense and long Bill Manklow Cup tie at bitterly cold Hersden. It was Fittall who had also rescued City when, in the last minute of ordinary time, he cancelled out Premier’s lead.

Fittall’s goals ensured City’s progress but this was a match that for a long time Premier seemed the more determined to win. It was only after City went a goal down shortly before half-time that they began to create more than the odd half-chance. Until then Premier had looked better organised, moving the ball through from defence to attack with confidence. Had they finished more positively, their early good football might have been better rewarded.

Although Fittall’s return always promised the possibility that he would run at the defence and pull them out of position, the absence of the injured Dave Read meant that City’s inclination to play the long ball up to two central strikers too often led to possession being lost. Goalkeeper Paul Hyde had to fist away a header from an early corner and needed to remain alert in a first half that saw his goal under more dangerous threat than Premier’s.

At that stage City’s midfield, lacking Craig Southern, had difficulty in imposing any lasting authority. They did set up Royston Gough for a twenty fifth minute chance but he headed round the post. Premier missed similar opportunities before, with a minute left of the first half, they set up a flowing move from the back, ending with William Lee having a none-too-difficult shot to take them ahead.

City’s second half performance was much more composed. Even so, Nick Lingham had to make a fine saving tackle in the area and Premier also clipped the crossbar with a stinging shot. Meanwhile, Gough and Fittall probably throught that it was not going to be their day. A centre from Scott Lawford ended with Gough just failing to make firm contact, and Fittall continued to have his progress blocked by sound defending.

After the hour it was Premier who had the better scoring chances but improving their advantage was proving difficult. Hyde denied them, tipping a shot over the bar while another shot was deflected away by City defenders. This was real cup football – not often pretty but moving towards the end of ninety minutes with City still desperately trying to haul themselves back. Fittall sliced the ball wide from Michael Seager’s long throw. Gough seemed to have slipped the usually so tight Premier defence but shot over from probably City’s best opening of the game. But finally Fittall carried the ball across the Premier penalty area and did what he does so, well turned the ball back into the net.

Ten minutes into extra-time and City’s goalkeeper, Hyde, collided with a Premier striker and both he and the fans immediately contemplated the worst. “I thought I’d broken my leg” Hyde said. He was helped off but the injury was heavy bruising and a nasty cut. Giga Zulmalashvili took over and did well to keep out Premier’s determined attacks of the second half of extra-time. But it was City who were, by then, the more hungry and the fitter side. And so, with penalties on the near horizon, Fittall flicked in the winner from Luke Lockhart. In fairness to Premier, this was an absorbing tie that under different rules would rightly have gone to a replay.

CITY: Hyde (Zulmalashvili); White, Lingham, Baker, Seager, Smith, Lockhart, Whiting (Minshull), Lawford (Nielsen), Gough, Fittall.