To a bitterly cold Clarence Park for the visit of Enfield, hastily re-arranged after the fixture was postponed due to snow on Saturday. It would have been warmer then. Enfield are just above the relegation zone with 27 points from 29 games and among their ranks are former Saints, Stuart Maynard, Lee Docherty and the veteran Greg Howells. City are second in the table tonight.
Cookie unveiled 2 new signings in a 3-5-2 line-up: Wilmot in goal; 3 at the back: Brown (C), Campbell and Naylor; 5 in the midfield: Standen (signed from Welling Utd., formerly with Luton), Challinor, Oakes, Young and Lodge (signed from Ilkeston, formerly with Boston); and up front: Martin and Crawshaw. On the bench: De Souza, Slinn, Evans and Kean. Injured in the stand: Gledhill. Suspended: Moran. Out on loan: Mackail-Smith and Gould. Gone to the Woood: Stirling. At Hemel for the Herts Charity Cup semi-final: The Reserves.
This was poor. The Saints hardly seemed to get going tonight. Campbell was injured early and replaced by Evans. The midfield seemed very crowded and both sides struggled to find a way through. Whatever the team orders, the new boys were not playing as wing-backs and the game simply bogged down in the middle. City were untroubled at the back but could not display unit skills in front of those three. Saints upped the effort for the last 10 minutes of the first half and were awarded several corners in quick succession and Crawshaw twice and Challinor once saw good shots very well blocked by the rookie keeper, Palmer. H.T. 0-0.
As usual, the second-half followed the first, tonight in every sense. Kean replaced Standen and then De Souza came on for Martin. Disappointing football until the last 10 minutes, when again, the effort was increased and City had two penalty appeals within minutes denied, in my view unjustly. The goal-less draw seemed inevitable and there was just time for Wilmot to make a super save from an attempted lob. A final highlight. F.T.0-0.
City were very disapponting tonight against a poor Enfield side. It was a cold night and a crisp surface but more invention was required. The average height of the side is reducing and the ball should be kept on the ground. The goals must come for City to maintain a challenge. Regular readers will know that your correspondent is not a fan of 3-5-2. The players don't seem keen either.
The crowd was around 200. MotM? You must be joking.
Entertainment 4/10. Atmosphere 3/10. Technical merit 3/10. Referee 4/10.
Report by Homer |