September
Newsfile

Newsfile Archive

Below are a couple of reports from various City supporters lurking in the London area.

Report from Rob.
team , Walton , Thompson ,  Giles , Hughes , Jordan , Jones , Low , Maxwell
, Nugent , Bowen , Brazier
subs Evans & Wallis @ HT for Nugent & Bowen, Jones for Heal

crowd  75
pitch , excellent , slight dusting of leaves on far side
ground.. same as it ever was , although brand new floodlights
weather.. cold , windy , spot of drizzle second half
programme ..correct teams (!), tidy effort , free , although ground entrance
was £4

Not much else to report really.. the good news is that Bowen looked in fine
form & having app proved his fitness , neither Bowen (nor Nuge) appeared for
the second half , Maxwell & Pullis taking over the striking role (!!)...
Bowen scored from his third chance , having earlier taken far too long when
one on one with the keeper & after that hitting the bar after an excellent
Brazier cross... Jordan had a good game , Josh was Josh , Brazier didn't
warm us up with his skills , Maxwell was busy throughout & Pullis didn't see
much of the ball after coming on ... the score was 2-1 to orient , the
winner coming about 10 minutes from time... .....& finally , Iyesden
Christie was making his return after a long absence thru injury & looked
more like a prop than a striker - needs to lose about 3 stone.

Report from Darren.
On the evidence of this afternoon our two brightest hopes are Kevin Nugent, who won everything in the air, and Bowen. Both went off at half-time, at which point we came to resemble a very poor pub team the morning after the manager's 60th birthday party, and ended up losing to a late goal by a team featuring a 16 stone centre forward.
Andy Jordan was MOTM second half, Hughes alongside him did okay, Thompson was solid and shouted a lot (he had to). Josh Low has been kidnapped and replaced by someone with no confidence, no self-belief, and a random sense of direction. Every time he had the ball someone was hurling advice his way ('run with it' being a classic piece of coaching aplomb) and it seemed like he needed help from a psychiatrist. Brazier made a couple of sliding tackles and supplied a piece of skill I seem to recall being called a 'dribble and cross' (distant memory banks) for Bowen to hit the bar in the first half. They had a 'Nigerian international' in goal who was typically good and also snubbed out Bowen on a one on one early on. Stood up big, teapot-like, as Big Ron would say.
Maxwell went up front second half and ran about and looked like he might once have been coached by someone passing on ball skills (he'll soon forget those), Gethin Jones was excellent playing centre midfield til he got clobbered (isn't he supposed to be a centre half, mind?) and Kevin Evans came on for him (isn't he supposed...) and ran about to keep warm.
Wish I could have done.
Having heard of Collins's contribution last night it might also be worth noting that Nugent won the ball in the air and (I'd forgotten this was possible) directed it into the path of those around him. Bowen and him looked like Tosh and Keegan in their prime. Bowen's goal was a chip over the keeper after the linesman waved him on in typically flamboyant fashion (see below).
Apart from this highlight was bloke with ospray's nest on head wandering around pitch, presumably trying to coax down bird in rafters of stand (no other possible explanation), linesman who was constantly knocking one off whilst running, and a Status Quo selection from the resident DJ at Half-Time, which may have caused Bowen and Nugent to go off with cricked necks after a headbanging session with George 'Metal' Wood in the bath. Though Nugent claimed he was fine, so should be fit for Notts County, and Bowen's hamstring stood up to forty five minutes and 'The Wanderer'.