To The Park for the visit of Hayes, the third time these sides have met this season, the visitors securing all 3 points in September and despatching City from the Trophy in November. Hayes are 10th in the League with 43 points from 29 games. City are 3rd and in need of a win to maintain their challenge.
Cookie persevered with a 3-5-2 formation. Wilmot in goal. 3 at the back: Evans, Brown (C) and Naylor. 5 in the midfield: Young, Oakes, Challinor, Hyatt (just signed as player/coach from Bishops Stortford) and Lodge. Up front: Crawshaw and Slinn. On the bench; Martin, Moran, Kean, Standon and Deacon.
Both sides took a while to settle and there was little action of note for the first half hour. City were playing the better football, keeping the ball on the ground but, once again the midfield looked a little crowded. Saints seemed vulnerable at the back but Hayes did not really threaten. Chances began to come for City towards the end of the half. Crawshaw had one effort cleared off the line. The goal came when Young found space wide on the right, cut inside and crossed beyond the far post for Lodge to send an accurate header back over the visitors giant keeper. A fine goal. 1-0. H.T.
City began to dominate the second half. Oakes was influential today, Challinor worked hard and Hyatt led the midfield by example. Chances were created, the best falling to Slinn who latched on to a poor back pass to go one on one with the keeper who won the duel. Goalmouth action but Saints could not find the target or truly test the French keeper, Bossu. Wilmot stayed sharp to block a couple of chances created by the visitors. Oakes was replaced by Kean and Slinn by Martin.
One more goal would clinch the game but it came to the visitors when, in the 90th minute, Dossu came up for a corner, Wilmot fumbled and the ball fell to the keeper who bundled it home from a couple of yards out. 1-1. Hyatt tried a long range effort from the re-start but that was the final action of the game.
City will be bitterly disappointed. They played much better football today than of late and created half a dozen good chances in the second half in particular. They were well ahead on points against a physical Hayes side, who lacked invention today. The keeper scoring in the last seconds should be restricted to comics and Carlisle.
The sponsors MotM was Wilmot. For me Oakes, Hyatt or Crawshaw. The crowd was 457 with 100 or so up from Hayes.
Entertainment 7/10. Atmosphere 5/10. Technical Merit 6/10. Referee 2/10. |
