Search for
Search for
Search forPoor defending costs City vital points
Wednesday, November 19, 2008, 16:49
It was not that the visitors were good, far from it, but City apart from the first 20 minutes they dominated were otherwise dreadful in a game they should have had wrapped up by the interval.
A combination of poor defending, three individual mistakes that cost goals and some below par performances from one or two others were the main reasons for this third home defeat of the season.
Thankfully results elsewhere went City's way but it's the third time in this campaign that City have wasted golden opportunities to widen the gap between themselves and others at the top and come next May they may well pay for these indiscretions.
City players cannot make any excuses for this kind of performance, even though they missed the influential but suspended Steve Robinson in defence, and the fact that they were playing against 10 men for the final 28 minutes.
The visitors' goalkeeper Paul Evans was rightly shown a red card for flooring Dave Rainford immediately after the City midfielder had scored from the penalty spot but even then City, hard though they did try at this late stage, failed to make the advantage count.
City started well with a Ollie Berquez's header clipping the woodwork on 12 minutes and a Kevin James effort well saved by Evans.
The expected City opener came on 20 minutes when Rainford outjumped everyone to head home a Jon Keeling corner after which City had chances to have increased their lead.
But six minutes before the break the visitors surprisingly equalised all though a mistake by City defender Justin Miller who unnecessarily handled in the area leaving Richard Evans to score from the rebound after Stuart Douglas had seen his spot kick parried by City goalkeeper Danny Gay.
It went from bad to worse for City within 40 seconds of the restart when Douglas was allowed to waltz through the meek City defence from the kick off, and stand-in central defender Ian Cousin failed to clear the ball properly, to give the visitors the lead.
Berquez clipped the Bath woodwork with a speculative long shot as City retaliated but again lack lustre marking allowed the visitors to make it 3-1 on the hour when the unmarked Gareth Jones headed home from a right wing corner.
The bulk of City fans in the 1,265 crowd were understandably left gobsmacked by this turn of events particularly against a side that admittedly battled hard but in footballing terms were inferior to City.
But it's all about defending properly when you have to, which City didn't on the day, and putting the ball in the back of the net too.
The dismissal of goalkeeper Evans, after Rainford netted the spot kick given for a foul on Keeling, gave City fans some hope and they staged a late rally putting tremendous pressure on the visitors' rearguard.
But in reality they rarely tested stand-in goalkeeper Steve Jones and the clearly delighted visitors deservedly went home with all three points.
City should also have made their substitutions earlier and not a couple in the dying minutes.
The City camp can have no quarrels with that either - they need to sort a few matters out in training this week, particularly in the defensive area where again Robinson will be missing with his further two match suspension for his dismissal at Maidenhead United.
Chelmsford City: Day; Miller, Keeling, Duncan, Cousins; Rainford, Berquez (Brayley), Minton, James, Holmes; Moore (Hallett).
City take a rest from Blue Square South action on Saturday when they go to Hayes & Yeading for their FA Trophy Third Round Qualifying Round tie, kick-off 3pm.
Next Tuesday (November 25) City go to Grays Athletic for their Third Round Setanta Shield match with a 7.45pm kick-off.
City's Third Round Essex Senior Cup game at Brentwood Town will be played on Tuesday, December 2 with a 7.45pm kick-off.
City's long serving and highly competent club secretary Dave Selby has told the board of directors that he intends to stand down from his post at the end of the current season.
Dave has given 16 years of loyal service to the club in this role, particularly with eight of those years spent keeping club affairs together during the difficult period when they had no home of their own, and he will be a hard act to follow.
Anyone interested in helping the club out with this key position is asked to contact the club's offices at Melbourne.
100% Compensation with Free Service. No Win No Fee Start Claim online.
Depart from Heathrow or Manchester. £xxx rtn inc tax. Book online now.
Pet Insurance- 5% Online Discount
UK Pet Insurance. Buy instantly online. From just £4.85 per month.
GETTING SHIRTY: Chelmsford City's Ian Cousins (right) battles with Bath's Lewis Hogg.
Comment on this story