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Coney Hall 1 City 2

- 17/10/2009

City's short but worrying run of league defeats ended with a performance that revived the spirit of last season while at the same time put to rights some of the problems that in recent games had cost points.

Royston Gough, Adam Woollcott and Liam Whiting, who formed the strike force until second half changes, were generally provided with good service from midfield, while at the back another unfamiliar line of Anthony Searle, Dave Read, Sam Baker and Mike Seagar managed to defend outside the penalty area in the dangerous space that recently had too often been offered up to the opposition. The changes in the defensive line-up meant no place for captain Luke Lockhart, but he took his disappointment on the chin, saying he knew he had not been playing well recently.

In the league City and Coney Hall began the game on more or less equal terms, and the game reflected it. Over the last ten minutes Coney Hall could have snatched an equaliser from their quick and accurate counter-attacks. On the other hand, in the same period, but for some ill-luck, City might have made the result more emphatic.

A few first half offside decisions were irritating, but the point was that at least Gough and Woollcott were moving on to passes from midfield that were not too far ahead to be caught. Here, if they failed to catch up with the through ball, at least it was not by much. Occasionally being caught offside by a step or so after taking possession was somehow encouraging because there was always the feeling that sooner or later the timing would be perfect.

Woollcott was the first to be frustrated by the offside flag when, after fifteen minutes of even play, he went through and flicked the ball over 'keeper Daniel Coles. The sight of the ball hitting the net, albeit after the flag, gave City a boost, and though there were moments when the defence still got caught in possession, overall there was much to bring optimism. The creativity in midfield was improved, but Coney Hall were not slow to eat up any mistakes.

City escaped an awkward moment in the 25th minute when 'keeper Jamie Cheeseman handled outside the box. The free-kick curled dangerously close. Cheeseman, who had been brought in because of injuries to the regular City goalkeepers, then tipped a header over the bar and also held a powerful low drive from Peter Allen.

City finally went ahead in the 38th minute when Gough, who had been troubling Coney Hall with his pace, had a shot hit the post. The rebound came to Whiting who cracked it back in. But the underlying satisfaction came from the move, which had been built up quickly and accurately.

Shortly before half time a cross from Searle found Woollcott, whose header went a fraction beyond the far post. Gough also came close after being set up in the penalty area by Whiting. Yet there was never much time to sit back and admire City's attacks. Any slack play in their own half saw Coney Hall snap back, as they did when one of their strikers sliced the ball across the face of the City goal.

City's lead was lost after fifty four minutes when the defence looked as vulnerable as it had been in several previous games, though at least in this one it happened far less often. The result was a fairly easy side foot into the net by John Fowler.

When Woollcott had to abandon the game with a groin injury, Karl Williams replaced him and added his now familiar speed and enthusiasm to chase down every through pass , which constantly worried the Coney Hall defence.

Just after the hour Whiting sent a superb through pass to Gough who was in the territory he loves, running in fast and one-on-one with the goalkeeper whom he beat with a cool tap into the net.

Mark Rook, who had an industrious game, was replaced by Scott Lawford, whose creativity and accuracy, particularly from free-kicks, had been badly missed in the time this season when he had been sidelined by injury.

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