Gloucester City overcame a tricky hurdle in the shape of Bromsgrove Rovers in the first qualifying round of the FA Trophy at the Victoria Ground today thanks to a competant display that saw them soak up the pressure from the home team before killing them off late in the second half.
Alex Sykes gave City the lead from the penalty spot after Jack Pitcher was adjudged to have been fouled, even though it looked as though he'd simply trod on the ball. It may have been a soft award but it made up for the one that the referee failed to give after Pitcher had nipped behind the defneder only to be chopped down as he knocked the ball back out of the area. Bromsgrove equalised with the own spot kick after Matt Rose freight trained Chris Hanna. Keenan Meakin-Richards sent Kev Sawyer the wrong way to score.
In the second half the home side looked sprightly and with the injured Pitcher being replaced by Will Morford City struggled to click and were thankful that Sawyer was more than equal to anything the the Brummies could throw at him. It was against the run of play that City went in front when Morford powered his way past two defenders before pivoting and sending in an exquisite lob that beat the keeper all ends up and went in off the underside of the crossbar.
Some might say that the final 4-1 scoreline flattered City but both Sykes' and Morford's second goals were just reward for the way that the team had held off the Bromsgrove threat before punishing them on the break. Syko netted with clever feet and a dink over the keeper after Morf had played a square ball from the wing and Will got his second with a simple tap in after former Halesowen keeper James Dormand had failed to hold a stinging drive from Lee Smith.
When Syko stroked home his penalty in the thirteenth minute little did he realise that he was writing his name into Gloucester City folklore as he became the most successful spot kick taker in the clubs history. His thirteen goals from twelve yards is one more than Dave Lewis had achieved back in the early eighties whilst the club were at Horton Road. I wonder if Jack Pitcher's dad was playing for the Tigers then?!!
City team : Sawyer, Sysum (Twyman 83), Marshall, Richards, Hamblin, Rose, Smith, Webb, Pitcher (Morford 33), Sykes, Harris J (Ballinger 45). (subs not used) Harris A, Nash
Report courtesy of http://www.tigerroar.co.uk |