Saturday
3rd October 1998

Brighton
Walton
Smith
Sturgess
Minton
Bennett
Allan
Culverhouse
Hart
Moralee
Barker (Browne 59)
Atkinson (Ansah 82)

Sub not used
Hobson

After the hype of the unbeaten run, City get their biggest league crowd 6,142,
the 3rd best in Division 3 by any side this season. This is usually the cue
over the past 3 or 4 seasons that the Ninian fans witness a poor performance
and a defeat. But this is Frank Burrows 1998-99 side who are proving to be
much sterner. A competent 2-0 win, 16 pts out of 18 collected, both goals
scored by strikers too and a goal in each half.
Jarman replaced Eckhardt, who pulled his hamstring at Chester and is out for a
couple of weeks. Fowler broke down with a recurrence of his ankle problem
after mistiming a shot in training on Thursday but was named as sub.Back to the game, it was soon apparent that Brighton, coming to City after 4
successive defeats, were a poor side. City, rarely hitting top gear, made
hard work of it and should have killed off Brighton long before they did.
Brighton had the best early chance when Jon Hallworth did his customary
classic save by flying across goal to save and hold a good header from 10 yds.
Just afterwards, City were caught out again when Mitchell did his customary
poor attempt at a tackle when a player runs at him near the area. Fortunately
the player passed to an offside team-mate and Mitchell had a good game
afterwards.
City took the lead on 8 minutes with a set-piece goal. Hibbitt's team last
season hardly ever scored from a free-kick or corner, this season we seem to
score each week from one.
Jarman took a free kick abut 40 yds out. He superbly passed (not hit) the
ball across to find Scott Young on the far side of the area. Young powered a
header across goal beating the Brighton keeper and "Ted" Nugent raced in to
score from close range and set Ninian alight. The goal was completed by
Young, O'Sullivan and Nugent lining up in front of the Bob Bank to do the
"rock the cradle" routine first seen perfect by Romario/Bebeto at USA'94 and
it was an obvious reference to Young becoming a father. I like goal
celebrations and City never do that many so it was good to see.
The early goal should have been a cue to take the game to Brighton and
although City did, it wasn't always convincing and few chances were created
although Nugent was having a fantastic game with great touches and lay-offs.
The other highlights were Lee Jarman's distance passing. He must have
produced 4 or 5 long-distance passes of high quality from 40 -70 yds, often
finding Matt Brazier who was a bit more subdued today.
The other chance of note in the 1st half was a scramble when a Nugent header
hit the bar, bounced to Dai Thomas whose header was cleared off the line and
then a Carpenter header which was turned away for an uneventful corner.
Not long afterwards, Carpenter went off following a clash. Jason Fowler came
on and promptly went off again as the half-time whistle blew 3 seconds later!

H-T City 1 Brighton 0

City started the 2nd half with a bit more fire. Jason Fowler, producing his
usual good touches although seeming to struggle with fitness, smashed a
dipping volley across goal to beat the Brighton keeper but went just wide into
the Canton Stand where, again, the kids thought it would be fun to keep the
ball again (yawn). Ironic that when Brighton fans (about 200) did the same
thing in the 1st half and eventually threw the ball over the Grange End wall,
the same City kids sang condemning the Brighton fans.
A few minutes later, Thomas linking with Nugent was so unlucky with a left-
footed swerved shot scraped the top of the bar. Nugent was just caught when
he seemed to be streaking through on goal. Dai Thomas had one of his better
games today but got a silly booking for diving in late on a Brighton player.
Mentioning bookings, the ref was appalling again. Examples includes a few
occasions of bringing play back for a free-kick when City players have got
clear, not giving a corner when a Dai Thomas shot was headed away by a
Brighton player and not stopping play when a couple of City players went down with head injuries.
An exellent move saw a Fowler chip across the area nearly get turned in for an
own goal but the decisive 2nd goal came on 75 minutes when supersub, John
Williams, powered in a great goal within 3 minutes of replacing Dai Thomas.
A great long ball towrads the area was brilliantly chested by Nugent towards
John Williams who found himself clear on goal and he made no mistake by
smashing the ball towards the top of the net from 10 yds.
Shortly afterwards a 3rd goal should have been scored when O'Sulliavn and
Williams played in Nugent but his shot spun agonisingly wide.
The final few minutes were played out by City with Brighton presenting no
threat in the 2nd half at all. They were easily snuffed out, a very poor
side, who City should have beaten by a few more goals but they couldn't raise
their game to do it.
The fans were in great mood and very buoyant all around the ground. Even the
Bob Bank could be heard singing away today - keep it going lads. The
challenge at the top is now firmly on.

Next Friday, City go to Hull - a club in real crisis at present and now bottom
of the table. A win will put us top of a league for the first time in 5 yrs.
It may only be until the following afternnoon but what a great sight that will
be! Bluebirds!!!!!!