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 V
Chester
City v Southport, Saturday March 10th 2001
FA Trophy
Quarter Final
Chester City 1 V
0 Southport att:3204
Woods(88)
City through to FA Trophy semi final
following a hard fought victory over Southport in a tense and dramatic cup
tie at the Deva
5 weeks earlier
the blues played Southport off the park on their own ground in the Variety
trophy so when the draw for the Trophy Quarter final matched the two sides
together again you knew Southport would come to the Deva with a score to
settle. The game was very tight and you always felt that one goal would
win it and just as it looked as though the blues would be going to Haig
Avenue on Tuesday evening for a Trophy replay rather than a league game up
stepped Mattie Woods to claim hero status among blues fans as he drove
home the ball with just 2 minutes left on the clock. The win sets up the
rest of the season for Graham Barrow’s men and with rumors flying around
that Terry Smith could be about to sell the club to a Liverpool
businessmen things where at last looking up for the City faithful.
The blues made several changes from the side
that beat Hayes 3-1 the week before. Martyn Lancaster and Paul Beesley
where suspended whilst Carl Ruffer and Steve Whitehall returned to the
starting eleven. On the bench for City returned Andy Porter who has been
out for a couple of months following a knee operation whilst Jimmy
Haarhoff again was left out of the starting side.
Southport included recent signing from Hereford Chris Lane in their side
as well as former Liverpool midfielder Mike Marsh as they looked to
progress through to the semi final after stumbling at the Quarter final
stage the last two seasons.
The first half was very tight affair with Southport probably just about
shading it. The Sandgrounders should have had a penalty on 16 minutes,
Simon Parke twisted and turned in the City box before he appeared to be
brought down just inside the area by Mattie Woods, a silence fell upon the
Deva Stadium as both sets of supporters looked at the referee awaiting his
decision and to the delight of the City faithful the referee waved play
on.
City had a couple of good early efforts, Steve Whitehall on his return to
the starting eleven struck a free kick just wide of the goal whilst Scott
Ruscoe hit a shot from long range which fizzed wide of Southport keeper
Steve Dickinson’s left hand post.
At the other end Southport caused City the odd scare. Wayne Brown who
seemed to be off form on his return to the City side flapped at a couple
of crosses which where hoisted into the City penalty area but luckily the
blues back line where on hand to clear the ball to safety on both
occasions.
The half was seen out with 4 bookings in the final four minutes, as the
referee seemed to become obsessed with dishing out yellow cards to
Southport players. First Phil Bolland went in the book after a foul on
Steve Whitehall whilst Chris Lane and Michael O’Brien both joined
Bolland in the book after they both tried to hack down Paul Carden. Former
Liverpool player Mike Marsh was the next player to see a yellow card after
an incident involving Matt Doughty.
Soon after play had resumed for the second half fans favorite Jimmy
Haarhoff was unleashed into the fray but the blues struggled to find
Haarhoff as Southport substitute Grayston was brought on to man mark big
Jim.
The game went on with neither side really being able to graft out many
real chances as both defenses where on top. City did create a chance on 72
minutes, Neil Fisher swung a ball into the box and Steve Whitehall met the
ball with his head but his header cannoned off the outside of the post and
out to safety.
The game wore on into the final 10 minutes and you always felt if anyone
were going to win the game it would be City. Matt Doughty fired a cross
into the Southport area which Southport defender Scott Guyett sliced
narrowly wide of his own goal before with 2 minutes to go Mattie Woods
became a hero.
City took a short corner, the ball was then floated into the far post
where Mattie Woods headed it goalwards, the ball seemed to strike a
Southport defenders hand but before the City fans even had time to finish
appealing Mattie Woods followed the ball in and crashed it home from 10
yards to send the home fans ballistic.
Now there was still 2 minutes plus injury time on the clock and we all
know what can happen to City when they approach the last few minutes of a
match.
Southport had the City fans holding their breath once in the final minutes
of the match, Simon Parke wriggled free of his marker on the edge of the
box and when the ball found him he riffled a shot in on goal which Wayne
Brown did well to hold onto. Blues fans where now counting down the
seconds and after 2 what seemed like never ending minutes of stoppage time
the referee blew his whistle to end the tie and send the blues into the
semi finals.
On the way home from the game anyone listening to Radio Merseyside was
given the honour of hearing Southport boss Mark Wright’s speech on why
his side lost the tie. He moaned about the referee’s performance and how
he shouldn’t have been allowed to referee the game being an avid
Evertonian. Utter Bollocks it was but you didn’t care did you? the blues
where in the semi finals of a major competition and that certainly
doesn’t happen often. Now the dream of seeing the blues walking out at
Villa Park in May is just one game away. Bring on the Canvey!
Man Of The Match – Carl Ruffer had an outstanding game at the back
following his return from injury
Chester:Brown,Moss,Woods,Ruffer,Gaunt,Carden,Fisher,M.Beesley,Whitehall,Ruscoe
Subs:Wright,Porter,Haarhoff,Abel,Woodyatt
Southport:Dickinson,Lane,O’Brien,Clark,Guyett,Bolland,Marsh,Gouck,Arnold,Parke,Elam
Subs:Teale,Morgan,Grayson,Maamria,Furlong
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