I don’t care too much for money, ‘cos money can’t buy you class. Which should be City’s motto. While still buzzing from Tuesday night’s happiness, and remembering that Bolton had whupped Wigan 4-0 yesterday, I took even more comfort from Dickie Ord’s win with Durham city yesterday – away at FC United, after 28 straight defeats.

Gordon
Hutton Mensah Turner Ferdy
Campbell Meyler Richo Steed
Jones Bent

We looked like a side with ten times the confidence we had a fortnight ago, and tore into City form the off. Jones got in a shot that was no bother for Given, then Bellamy skied an effort well off target. Tevez, who I thought would have been such a nuisance, seemed more interested in keeping his stupid Rab C Nesbitt hair band in place than playing football, was comfortably dealt with by Turner and Mensah, and we seemed to get a grip of the all-important midfield early on. So much so that when Jones got on the end of a cross to make it 1-0 it was no real surprise. When we did make a bad pass, we generally recovered from it, and when Tevez walloped Turner we all expected a yellow, but the ref started as he meant to go on – obviously with a bet on City for a point. I’m sorry if I seem to bleat on about the ref some weeks, but he was shockingly biased today. Jones took his turn to get in a cross, and it was Meyler who saw his shot taken by Given. Campbell, who had a cracking game and is becoming more effective down the right as he realised that he ain’t Pele, linked well with Hutton – who I like more each week – and won a corner on the left from the cross. Steed got another onto Jones’s head, but Given was there again, and then Steed, burrowing away, had a shot deflected for a corner. We were forcing their midfield into errors, playing 1-2s, and doing the simple things in midfield effectively thanks to Meyler being a million miles from his radgepacket display at Portsmouth. It took 30 minutes for City to get a shot close, and, for all the money they’ve spent, they were shockingly uncreative in midfield. Maybe because we were at them all the time, but for that amount of cash, they should have players capable of playing out of that, and Mancicni swapped Bridge for Santa Cruz on 32 (maybe someone was chatting up Wayne’s lass and he was getting a bit upset?) in an attempt to get into the game. It changed it a bit, but didn’t get City any more possession or make them any more productive. Bent and Steed exchanged passes, only to see an awful foul earn City not even a word from the ref, but Richo fired the free well wide. City began to get a bit ragged and SWP (can I call him that, other than Mr Wobbly Head?) went into the book for a foul on Meyler as we continued to press. As two extra minutes were announced, Steed’s 1-2 almost got us in, then there was what looked like a nailed on penalty for a foul on Campbell. We were well worth our halftime lead, and a second would have been no injustice.

No Jones for the second half, as Henderson returned to the fray remarkably soon from his nasty ankle injury. Campbell moved up front, Jordan went right, and we carried on where we’d left off. City did raise their game a bit and got in our faces for a while, but Mensah and Turner in the middle and Ferdy and Hutton out wide dealt with anything they could hoy at us. Santa Cruz thought he’d scored, but Gordon, after a first 45 of little activity, saved brilliantly, then repeated it against SWP. Bent had a shot blocked after cutting in from the left, then Melyer was desperately unlucky to be booked after Barry seemed to aim a head at him (a head? he’s only got the one. He appeared to try and nut our lad, that’s what I was trying to say). No second yellow for SWP for a nasty foul, then Viera replaced Richards as Mancini looked to change things again, but to no effect as big tough Patrick just didn’t get involved. We had to produce some last-ditch defending on 68 as they pressed, but we still managed to break rather than just hoof it away. Steed came off for Zenden on 75 as SWP made way for Johnson, and Gordon produced yet another fine save soon after. Bardsley replaced Campbell – knackered after a cracking day’s work – as we looked to hold onto the lead, but with a minute of the four added played, Johnson, the Mackem, floated one into the top corner for 1-1. There was still time for Bent to head wide, but we had to make do with 1-1. To be honest, I’d have taken a draw before we started, and, although we deserved to win, I’m not too disappointed as we played very well.

Man of the Match? Tricky today, as Meyler had a great day doing the simple things right, Mensah was Immensah again, and there wasn’t a dodgy performance in a red and white shirt. I’ll give it to Gordon for his string of second half saves, because we’d probably have lost were it not for him.

Keep The Faith

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