F.A. Cup First Qualifying Round

15 September 2007

City travail to no avail

by Ken Milgate

Durham City 1
Harrison 68

Guiseley 3
Krief pen.7, 59
Henry 10

After conceding two early goals through careless defending, City recovered their composure and enjoyed the bulk of the remaining first-half play; they pressurized Guiseley for much of the second half, but the visitors were well-organized at the back and rode their luck on several occasions to condemn City to their first defeat of the season.

City survived a fifth minute hesitation when Liam Connell called for the ball, but James Hanson connected with his head only to see his effort bounce off the post and a rebound strike cleared off the line.

Two minutes later City were less fortunate when Jimmy Farrell, on defensive duties, shirt-pulled an attacker going nowhere, Dominic Krief sending Connell the wrong way from the penalty spot.

City’s disarray was compounded on ten minutes when Connell chose to leave a left-wing cross, but Marc Smith at the back post headed the ball back across the goal for Leon Henry to head home.

To City’s credit they did not throw in the towel: Calvin Smith hit a cracker of a shot narrowly over the crossbar; Farrell’s half volley from a Stewart Morris pass was goal-bound but for Steve Dickinson’s fingertips and Steven Richardson chased a long ball and headed just over the bar despite the close attention of his marker.

City could not be faulted for their commitment, but Guiseley were that much quicker to the ball.

Calvin Smith was switching play with some measured passes and tested Dickinson on 32minutes, but the keeper was well-positioned, as was Connell three minutes later to tip away a Sam Denton free-kick.

With the wind in their faces, City continued to take the game to their opponents in the second half but gave themselves a mountain to climb with another defensive lapse: Henry was allowed to skip past defenders on the left wing before setting up Krief to beat Connell at his near post with a low drive.

Connell saved well from Krief and Hanson in quick succession before Richardson forced Dickinson into a full-stretch dive to his left, Stephen Harrison hitting the parried ball into the net.

The goal clearly galvanized City.

The Guiseley defence watched anxiously as a Farrell header looped wide of the post, but Dickinson produced a top drawer save when his reflex tip over kept out Richardson’s header after Morris had knocked back into the box Tommy English cross.  A minute later Richardson spooned over the bar as the keeper came rushing off his line and a Harrison shot was cleared off the line.

The Guiseley defence withstood the siege but knew they had been in a game.

City were always going to be second favourites in the match, but they gave a good account of themselves; they will know now that at a higher level mistakes seldom go unpunished.

For his opportunist’s goal and sterling second-half performance in particular Harrison was my choice of man-of-the-match for City.

Durham City – Connell, Harrison, Capper, Dodds, Bowes, Smith (R), Butler (English 54), Smith (C), Farrell, Richardson, Morris (Chapman 83)

Subs not used – Caffry, Price, Pitt

Guiseley – Dickinson, Swift, Henry, Wilford, Ellis, Sturdy, Krief, Denton, Hanson, Smith (M) (Walters 90+), Rickets (Douglas 54)