City 2(Rigg 56m, Raynes 62m))v WSM 0 full time Att 1022

Same starting line up as Saturday.

Great crowd and City up to 5th.

Well done to the '1000BC' group. We made it to over 1000 crowd today.

Reminiscent of the Dulwich match in many ways - a mediocre first half from ourselves, but an instant improvement after half-time. We could, and should, have been behind at the break had not the WSM forward somehow headed a rebound off the post wide of an open goal, and we generally looked below our best. But Jerry's team-talks certainly seem to do the trick and despite missing a penalty (again) we looked much more confident in the second half and well deserved the victory. Our finishing still leaves something to be desired - gilt-edged chances missed by Brunt and Mills as well as the spot-kick - but overall a reasonable performance against a team we tend to struggle to beat. Also good to see us win a game in front of a sizeable crowd.

Sir Ged Roddy wrote:Well done to the '1000BC' group. We made it to over 1000 crowd today.

Seconded. They've worked really hard with the promotion of the matches and today's excellent attendance was a great reward for them. And three home wins in a row is a very encouraging response by the players to the Dartford disappointment.

That wasn’t the complete performance, but great result and fantastic crowd! Thanks to all who brought a friend down, let’s hope they continue to come during the bleak winter months!

Also deserved MOTM for Joe Raynes. He has been so impressive in his performances so far and today he was due a goal and I’m glad the sponsors chose him for the stand out performer.

East Thurrock here we come!

Very encouraging attendances this season especially as there has been no boost from special deals for schools etc.
Only downside was the long queue for the bar before the game but probably difficult to judge the number of staff required for any one game.

Major Icewater wrote:Very encouraging attendances this season  especially as there has been  no boost from special deals for schools etc.
Only downside was the long queue for the bar before the game but probably difficult to judge the number of staff required for any one game.

I am told that had problems with leaking gas in the week. Certainly the Yellow Hammer a little too gassy.

Bloody hell, we made hard work of that but a deserved win in the end (even if 2-1 would have been a bit fairer). I am not one to criticise refs normally as the games wouldn't be there without them but the one today seemed not to have brought is yellow cards; I counted 3 for WSM at least.

Marc Monitor wrote:Bloody hell, we made hard work of that but a deserved win in the end (even if 2-1 would have been a bit fairer). I am not one to criticise refs normally as the games wouldn't be there without them but the one today seemed not to have brought is yellow cards; I counted 3 for WSM at least.

Other than Lucas’s horrendous miss I can’t think of any clear chances for Weston. I thought we should’ve won by more, had plenty of openings early on to put the game to bed, was a bit like Gloucester.

There were six yellow cards. Despite not being a dirty game, I can’t think of any of them not being correct. Whether Watkins just lost his balance or not rather than diving is the only possible contentious one. For someone that never gets booked (probably 6 or 7 in his City career) he’s now got two for that offence vs Weston. The previous was damn harsh, mind.

I know it sounds nitpicky, but for goodness sake, we have got to sort out this ridiculous record from penalties. NINETEEN misses in just over three years is an embarrassment. Good save or not, you’re giving the keeper a chance every time putting them at that height. Get Liam Kelly in for lessons.

Stand to be corrected but I thought linesman flag went up when Lucas headed wide of open goal - so it may well have been ruled out if he had scored.

The referee indicated at the time that Watto’s booking was for deliberate handball.

I, too, thought that we made hard work of beating a poor Weston side. Plenty of good individual play in the first half but not fully joined up which left the door ajar for Weston to potentially ‘up’ their game. Luckily, Jerry’s half time talk provided the necessary kick up the pants and second half was much better. Thought McGregor’s post match interview was hilarious - he must have been on planet Zog!

stillmanjunior wrote:

Marc Monitor wrote:Bloody hell, we made hard work of that but a deserved win in the end (even if 2-1 would have been a bit fairer). I am not one to criticise refs normally as the games wouldn't be there without them but the one today seemed not to have brought is yellow cards; I counted 3 for WSM at least.

Other than Lucas’s horrendous miss I can’t think of any clear chances for Weston. I thought we should’ve won by more, had plenty of openings early on to put the game to bed, was a bit like Gloucester.

Yeah, it was that one that I thought they deserved.

stillmanjunior wrote:There were six yellow cards. Despite not being a dirty game, I can’t think of any of them not being correct.

Bloody hell, I stand corrected, I can't have been paying attention. There were definitely three fouls that were unbooked and should have been.

In the last few minutes he booked Straker and Artus for successive fouls in the space of a minute. Seemed like he was going to book everyone who committed a foul from then on, though I think the next guilty party was Diallo for them who had already been booked.

That aside I thought we should have won it more comfortably. Normally even when we beat Weston (like we always used to) they looked to have something about them so it was never really a surprise when then stayed up each season. This time I thought they were much poorer right across the park. The no.6 looked like one of those players who got told to play in defence for no other reason than because of his height, there was no pace or slick passing like they normally have and quite why the aforementioned Diallo was playing full-back (not even wing-back) I don't understand (I think I was closer to Riggy for his goal).

And I agree that McGregor can only have been talking about a different game.

yuffie wrote:In the last few minutes he booked Straker and Artus for successive fouls in the space of a minute. Seemed like he was going to book everyone who committed a foul from then on, though I think the next guilty party was Diallo for them who had already been booked.

That aside I thought we should have won it more comfortably. Normally even when we beat Weston (like we always used to) they looked to have something about them so it was never really a surprise when then stayed up each season. This time I thought they were much poorer right across the park. The no.6 looked like one of those players who got told to play in defence for no other reason than because of his height, there was no pace or slick passing like they normally have and quite why the aforementioned Diallo was playing full-back (not even wing-back) I don't understand (I think I was closer to Riggy for his goal).

And I agree that McGregor can only have been talking about a different game.

From WSM website:

"Nurse is a left midfielder, also capable of playing at left-back, and he is blessed with pace as well as a decent left foot. Nurse joined the Seagulls in July 2018 on a two-month loan deal from Bristol City.

Nurse is a product of the Bristol City academy, having progressed through the ranks alongside former Seagulls loanee George Dowling, with both having been in the same group.

The winger has established himself in the City U23 squad over the past season or so, and he scored the winning goal in the Central League Cup (South) final at the end of the 2016-2017 season, netting in the 88th minute against Barnet FC."

No 6 was 6ft 6" defender Matt Bower who WSM signed on loan recently from Cheltenham Town.
Incorrectly listed as Nurse on the Team sheet.

Was he only 6ft 6? He looked much taller.

CityJon wrote:No 6 was 6ft 6" defender Matt Bower who WSM signed on loan recently from Cheltenham Town.
Incorrectly listed as Nurse on the Team sheet.

Wrong.

Bower was No 3.

Nurse was number three. CityJon is right, we were given an incorrect teamsheet, Brian Tinnion informed me of the swap and I quickly announced it before KO. Nurse pinged in that excellent cross right at the end which Diallo headed wide.

Backintheday wrote:The referee indicated at the time that Watto’s booking was for deliberate handball.

In that case it was more ridiculous than if it had been for a dive! It actually looked as much a penalty as the first one, but I think the referee took pity on us!

Agree with Yuffie, Weston were very poor and we really should have beaten them by 4 or 5, and easily could have done if the pen had gone in and Brunt and Mills had converted their chances late on. At 2-0 there is always that nagging doubt that if the opposition score you can end up hanging on.

Then Bower is 6ft 7. I asked him after the match.

I must say the WSM lads took the defeat badly. They were very grumpy afterwards.

Agree with LB. It should have been more comfortable. We had the chances even in the first half. I thought overall we played well but it wasn't as easy on the eye as Gloucester who allowed us to play around and through them at will.

LB wrote:

Backintheday wrote:The referee indicated at the time that Watto’s booking was for deliberate handball.

In that case it was more ridiculous than if it had been for a dive! It actually looked as much a penalty as the first one, but I think the referee took pity on us!

Not necessarily - as Watto hit the ground, he grabbed hold of the ball (presumably expecting a free kick!) and thus prevented the Weston defender taking the ball upfield. The ref deemed it not to be a foul and thus issued the yellow card for deliberate handball. I certainly wouldn’t consider it a ‘dive’ but merely a ‘coming together’ with the more light-weight player loosing out. The referee was far closer and had a much better view than I did so I have to accept his decision (although his decision making did seem a little erratic at times! - and Watto may disagree!)
As regards the penalty that was given, it was clear and correct for me - an inexperienced centre half trying to make his presence known but getting it wrong.

Watching the video highlights confirmed what I thought I saw with my own eyes, Watto being pushed over and falling on the ball. One of the great things about football is that we can have differing opinions of the same incident.