|
 V 
Telford United v Chester City,
Tuesday 27th March 2001
Nationwide Conference League
Telford United 3 V 0 Chester City
att:1058
Malkin(13), Palmer (39) , Murphy(68)
Tuesday night saw us venture into the County of
Shropshire for a re-arranged league fixture against Telford United.
On arrival at the ground news was heard that the
game was in doubt following an afternoon of heavy rain in the County, at
the time many City fans where a little pissed off at the thought that
they’d traveled down only for the game to be called off on arrival but
thinking back now many of them will wish it had!
After the game was announced as on I paid the £9
entrance fee to enter the ground and proceeded to purchase a programme off
a young girl singing along to what seemed to be Telford’s only CD “Who
Let The Dogs Out?” Turning to the back page gave City fans a chuckle as
it had Jimmy Haarhoff down as a substitute keeper! The rest of the
programme was as much of a joke still having Steve Finney, Andy Shelton
and Nick Richardson in the City squad as well as containing very few
pages, out of date information and pages upon pages of adverts making it
probably one of the worst programmes of the season and leaving you feeling
a bit ripped off after paying£1.80 for it.
Blues fans where positioned in a terraced stand
behind one of the goals at the Bucks Head which only recently re-opened
after being rebuilt. The stadium was three quarters of the way to
completion with stands behind both goals and along one side of the pitch
constructed. I was a little disappointed at the lack of seating at the
ground with the only seats being in a little hut along one side of the
pitch, which was only open to Press and Directors. After speaking to a
Telford steward I learned that the main stand which is due to be started
work on in the next fortnight will be all seater as well as featuring two
tiers which will make the New Bucks Head the envy of many sides in the
lower reaches of the Football League, its just a shame they haven’t got
the fan base to fill it with only around 800 Telford fans there to witness
last nights mauling of the blues.
Looking at the pitch before kick off you could see
why the game had been in doubt, as both goalmouths seemed waterlogged and
you could barely make out any pitch markings around the penalty box for
mud and puddles.
With 15 minutes to go before the big kick off I
decided to sample a portion of chips from Telford’s snack bar. Now I’m
sure I asked for a portion of chips but for my £1 I received in return a
polystyrene tray with a number of chips inside you could count on one
hand.
After eating up I took up position just to the
left of the goal and waited for the sides to emerge onto the pitch.
Incidentally, it was good to see Chris Blackburn and Dean Spink warming up
with the team before the start of the match and lets hope both can be in
action for the blues before the end of the season.
The sides emerged from the changing rooms which
where positioned in a hut behind the stand along the side of the pitch and
where reminiscent of changing rooms supplied for Sunday League games
rather than a game between two full time Conference sides to the roar of
the both sets of supporters and to the announcement from the queer voiced
PA man.
Graham Barrow made several changes to his side
from the one that won at Nuneaton Borough on Friday night. Both Carl
Ruffer and Mark Beesley had picked up slight knocks and where rested with
Saturday’s Trophy game in mind whilst Matt Doughty was relegated to the
bench in order to give him a well earned rest. Youngster Lee Woodyatt took
up Doughty’s position at left back whilst Matty Woods came in for Ruffer
at centre back. With Beesley out it was a surprise to see Darren Wright
being preferred over fans favourite Jimmy Haarhoff upfront. Somebody
behind me commented that they thought Haarhoff wasn’t fully fit but
after grabbing a word with the big man at half time it seemed he was
actually fit but perhaps Barrow didn’t want to risk Jim from the start
with Saturday’s semi final at Canvey again in mind.
It was a nightmare first half for the blues and any Canvey scout inside
the Stadium would hardly be quaking in his boots at the thought of playing
us after witnessing City concede two goals and create barely anything in
front of the United goal. City where failing to pick up their men, ball
watching half the time and where offering the Telford players all the
space they needed to pick each other out and create openings. It was very
worrying indeed to think that this same Telford team had been beaten at
Canvey in the Quarter Final of the FA Trophy yet where playing us off the
park.
City actually where the quickest of the two sides out of the blocks and
penned United back in their own half for the opening 2-3 minutes. Darren
Wright crafted an early opportunity out for Scott Ruscoe but his shot went
high and wide of the goal.
Telford have had a fantastic record at home this season winning 10 games
and where soon to be on their way to their eleventh after being woken up
by the early City pressure. United won a corner on the left hand side
after a mix up in the City defence, Kevin Sandwith whipped the ball in and
former Tranmere Rovers striker Chris Malkin who had come in for a bit of
stick from City fans in the build up to the corner including one fan who
screamed “Fuck Off You Scouse Bastard” broke free of his marker with
ease and glanced a header past the helpless Wayne Brown who was left
stranded on his goal line.
The goal filled Telford with confidence and they began pushing forward in
search of a second. They should have been two nil up on 16 minutes, Malkin
put Jez Murphy clean through on goal but Wayne Brown was there to make the
save at Murphy’s feet.
Lee Woodyatt’s full debut didn’t last long for the blues as he had to
go off after 30 minutes when Kevin Jobling got away with a two footed
lunge on the Welsh Youth International.
City’s midfield and forward line couldn’t link up throughout the first
half and the only blues effort to take note of was when Darren Wright hit
a rasping shot, which was saved well by Price in the Telford goal.
Telford where two up and cruising by half time, Wayne Brown’s kicking
yet again let him down and from his poor clearance Jez Murphy picked up
the loose ball, he played midfielder Gary Fitzpatrick through on goal and
Fitzpatrick proceeded to unselfishly lay the ball off square to Steve
Palmer who had the simplest of tasks to slot the ball into the gaping net.
Off the City players trudged to several boos and jeers from travelling
fans and it was time for a quick cup of coffee to warm the insides up. The
PA Announcer announced the games sponser for the thousandth time but where
was the half time scores? The question on a lot of people’s lips was
“What was the score between Halifax and Carlisle?” but it wasn’t
until I returned home that night that I finally found out the final 0-0
score line. Fifteen minutes of “Who Lets The Dogs Out?” was endured
before the players returned out for the second half.
City started the second half off like they had the first camping
themselves in the Telford half of the field. Matt Woods was pushed forward
to partner Steve Whitehall who looked as though he really couldn’t be
arsed on Tuesday night, not showing his normal class and rarely
threatening the Telford defense.
Woods had the first City effort of the second half he saw his well hit
shot rise over the bar whilst Scott Ruscoe was extremely unlucky soon
afterwards when he cut inside well and hit a curling left foot shot which
hit the inside of the Telford post and bounced out to safety.
Steve Whitehall rounded Telford keeper Price on 65 minutes as City where
looking likely to get a goal that would get them back in the game but his
shot deflected wide for a corner. From the resulting corner Price made a
blinding save from a point blank Whitehall header and for his acrobatics
he soon came in for some stick from the blues faithful including one shout
of “You Fucking Ugly Bastard” from one City supporter.
Against the run of play Telford finished the game off, Moore climbed all
over Matt Woods in the Telford area and whilst blues fans and players
where protesting for what looked a certain penalty Telford broke forward.
Jez Murphy ran with the ball from the edge of his own area and after
seemingly pulling Martyn Lancasters shirt as the City defender tried to
stop Murphy from getting past he proceeded on to run through one on one
with keeper Wayne Brown and hit an emphatic shot to make it 3-0.
The City players had now given up any hope of grabbing anything from the
match and resorted back to the sometimes shambolic play which was
witnessed in the first half. Graham Barrow knew the game was dead and
buried and proceeded to take off influential midfielder Paul Carden to
give the former Rochdale man a rest before Saturday’s game as well as to
not take the risk of “PC” picking up any sought of knock which could
rule him out of City’s biggest game of the season.
Telford could have made it 4-5 in the remaining 15 minutes, Sandwith hit a
superb volley which went narrowly wide whilst Brian McGorry also had an
effort which went wide with a minute to go. Telford couldn’t add to the
score line but they had already condemned City to their heaviest defeat of
the season.
Thank God the trip home was only a short one after witnessing an awful
display like that. Anybody on the Official Supporters coach was given a
guided tour of “that place twelve miles down the road that your not
aloud to say the name of ” which included a trip past The Goatcourse and
even took in a three point turn in a road aptly named “Finney Way”,
Marvelous!
Man Of The Match – I’ll give it to Darren Moss as I thought he had
probably his best game of the season for the blues getting forward well
when City put Telford under pressure in the second half and certainly
staked his claim for a place in Saturday’s starting line up.
Chester:Brown,Moss,Woodyatt,Woods,Lancaster,P.Beesley,Carden,Fisher,Wright,Whitehall,Ruscoe
Subs:Haarhoff,Gaunt,Preistley,Berry,Doughty
Telford:Price,Jobling,Sandwith,Moore,Bentley,Fowler,McGorry,Fitzpatrick,Murphy,Malkin,Palmer
Subs:Huckerby,Preece,Edwards,Davies,Martindale
Copyright Blue Army
Website 2001 |
