F.A. Cup Preliminary Round Replay

05 September 2007

City’s non-stop pressure sinks Cobbydalers

by Ken Milgate

Silsden 0

Durham City 3
Graydon 33
Smith (C) 49
Richardson 90+

It was Richard Smith’s late header at Eppleton that maintained City’s interest in the FA Cup; it was his lion-hearted display at Cougar Park that denied the hosts on countless occasions as City ran out worthy winners with a skilful, totally committed, all-round performance.

From the off, City took the game to Silsden and could have taken the lead any number of times in the opening twenty minutes.  Keith Graydon’s 30yard lofted drive on 8minutes would have beaten the keeper had it been on target, but the distance effort flew wide of the near post.

A minute later Calvin Smith tried his luck a shade closer to the goal, but his effort was high and wide at the other post.  On 10minutes Jimmy Farrell rose well to a Tommy English left-wing cross, but Mark Foulger was well positioned on his line to make a comfortable save.

Farrell’s heading and Graydon’s freedom-to-roam-pass were early features of the game, as was the tenacity of Calvin Smith and Lewis Dodds in midfield.

As City mounted attack on attack in search of a breakthrough Graydon cut in from the left wing before releasing a right-foot drive which bulged the side netting before Stephen Harrison and Jonathan Butler exchanged passes before Harrison forced the keeper to parry his fierce shot.

Andy King was prominent in all of Silsden’s efforts but City’s defence was giving no quarter.  It was fully twenty plus minutes before John Mohan saved comfortably Daniel Moriarty’s free-kick.

Richard Smith turned his defensive supremacy to City’s advantage on 33minutes when his clearing pass was flicked on by Farrell to Graydon on the right, the midfielder beating Foulger expertly from a difficult near post angle with a low shot into the opposite corner.

Five minutes before the interval English flashed a shot wide of the post after receiving a great cross field ball from Graydon.

It took City only four minutes after the resumption to increase their lead when English’s quick free-kick and the presence of Andy Bowes in the box caused confusion in the home ranks before Calvin Smith calmly walked the ball into the net.

Silsden threw on two substitutes on 65minutes, but City refused to take their foot off the pedal and Foulger was grateful to palm upwards a Farrell thunderbolt on 77minutes.

The youthful Silsden team were as eager as ever to mount attacks, but Richard Smith was having a sterling game at the heart of defence and clearing whatever came his way, crosses, kitchen sink, the lot.

On 81minutes City replaced the tireless Graydon and English to allow fresh legs to keep the momentum going.

As Silsden pushed ever up field in a desperate bid to claw their way back into the game, City capitalized on the Mother-Hubbard-cupboard-like defence in stoppage time when an unmarked Steven Richardson received a pass from the right before comprehensively beating Foulger with a crisply struck shot into the opposite corner.

City got their just reward for a grafting performance more than dusted with the level of skill and class that separated the two teams.  Silsden proved worthy opponents on both occasions, but City learnt more from the first encounter and acted on this intelligence.  Bring on Guiseley!

Silsden – Foulger, Rhodes, McNulty (Holden 65), Bentham, Bland, Airey, King, Thompson (Applebee 65), Reilly (Dibb 76), Simpson, Moriarty

Durham City – Mohan, Harrison, Capper, Dodds, Bowes, Smith (R), Butler, Smith (C), Farrell, Graydon (Price 76), English (Richardson 76)

Subs not used – Connell, Morris, Chapman