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F.A. Cup Preliminary Round
01 September 2007
Below par City rally late
for replay
by Ken Milgate
Durham City 2
Richardson 60
Smith (R) 90+
Silsden 2
Simpson 27
Bentham 59
A decisive Richard Smith header from a Keith Graydon left-wing cross
earned City a midweek trip to Yorkshire as the lethargic Citizens
struggled to break down a well-organized Silsden outfit. City
can, hopefully, not play any worse; only the replay will show if we
have seen the best of Silsden.
Lewis Dodds was prominent in City’s early moves, Calvin Smith
turning over a cross running in at full stretch and Steven Richardson
turning well in the box onto another pass only to shoot tamely at the
well-positioned Martin Foulger.
On the quarter hour Lee Reilly and Chris Simpson exchanged passes in
the box in a dangerous move that was curtailed by the offside flag.
City’s play was nervous and tentative, while the visitors
looked comfortable and in harmony with one another; City’s
overuse of the long ball to the exclusion of a proven midfield was
counter to the game plan that had produced such commendable results of
late.
Richie Pitt couldn’t turn enough to direct his header from a
Graydon corner and Jamie Clarke’s low drive on 20minutes was
too near the keeper.
On 27minutes the visitors went ahead against the run of play when
Reilly finished off a determined left-wing move with a fine cross which
Simpson turned into the net at the back post.
A minute later Tommy English almost scored the equalizer when his low
drive had Foulger at full stretch to his left, the ball shaving the
outside of the far post.
Silsden were quicker on the break while City’s play lacked
any sense of urgency.
In the second half an early English shot landed in the
keeper’s midriff before Silsden increased their lead, again
from a cross when Daniel Moriarty’s corner was headed home by
Mark Bentham at the back post.
Finally, City found a higher gear and with a minute they had clawed a
goal back when Richardson stabbed home following an English corner
after the ball had not been cleared, despite two defenders on the goal
line.
City continued to press for at least an equalizer, but Silsden defended
resolutely until, deep into stoppage time, substitute Richard Smith, on
for Dodds some ten minutes from time, threw City a lifeline in their
grand design.
City largely huffed and puffed their way through the game, but Stephen
Capper ran his socks off as he switched from defence to attack and vice
versa with assured calm and no-nonsense efficiency. It was a
bad day at the office for many of his colleagues today; he has nothing
to prove in the replay.
Durham City
– Mohan, Butler (Harrison 77), Capper, Dodds (Smith (R) 80),
Bowes, Pitt, Smith (C) (Morris 70), Graydon, Clarke, Richardson, English
Subs not used – Connell, Price
Silsden
- Foulger, Rhodes, McNulty, Bentham, Bland (Holden 57),
Airey, King, Thompson (Gill 81), Reilly, Simpson (Dibb 73), Moriarty
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