City versus Stoke

[Nelly's Left Foot]

Not a great performance but a 1 nil win anyway. I have to say that the pitch at Hyde is not conducive top playing good football and then throw in a strong wind and it really is hard to be quality passing side.

Into the wind in the first half and Stoke had quite a few good situation and virtually everything came from City trying to play the ball out on a bobbly pitch.Stoke pressed high on anyone looking to take a pass from Lawlor and it seemed just a matter of time before we messed up. We did a few times but notably one pass str8 to their center forward and another ended in a penalty.We done Lawlor for rescuing himself and the team on both occasions with good saves.

With the wind we hoped for much better but the wind made it hard to judge a through pass.One perfect one from Lopes set Hiwula through but he shot wide. Cole was pulled down for a penalty but Lopes shot wide and when nil nil looked likely Lopes pressed their center back on the edge of his box and Cole got onto the loose ball to slot home calmly.

Nothing much calm after that as the game got a bit tetchy. Leigh was sent off for a swinging arm which I think did catch their guy.He was being tugged and it was just a reaction.The ref booked their guy for the shirt tug but then gave them the free kick! Vieira was sharing words with their coach who I think was Glyn Hodges.Then Bytyqi was booked I think for mouthing off as was Lopes a little later.Add to that a yellow for Facey for squaring up the their number 10 and it felt like the ref had lost it a bit. I think some of the City team had lost it as well.

Winning without playing well is a good thing isn't it?

 

[Centurions]

11 straight wins and upto 2nd in the league still with games in hand I think.

Edit :- ahh, no games in hand. Is it the U18s that have games in hand then?

2nd edit :- Yes, got the U18's and U21's mixed up. The U18's are top on goal difference from 2nd and 10 points over 3rd with 3 games in hand on both.

The U21's are much tighter but it took them a few early games to get used to the new style.

 

[jollylescott]

Thanks for the report Nelly. It sounds like the shift to the new facilities can't come soon enough as there is nothing worse than playing on a bobbly pitch. I noted that Milner commented on this after playing on the Norwich surface.

At the beginning of the season the team hardly won a game. Now they have a winning mentality and have gathered so much confidence from winning game after game.

The boys also have the Champions League away game to play. I think they are drawn against Athletico?

 

[Nelly's Left Foot]

Thanks for the report Nelly. It sounds like the shift to the new facilities can't come soon enough as there is nothing worse than playing on a bobbly pitch. I noted that Milner commented on this after playing on the Norwich surface.

At the beginning of the season the team hardly won a game. Now they have a winning mentality and have gathered so much confidence from winning game after game.

The boys also have the Champions League away game to play. I think they are drawn against Athletico?

Seems to me Vieira has got them working very well as a team after an iffy start. I guess it takes time to get your message and plans across .I wouldn't have been surprised if the lads were even star struck at the start just because it was Patrick Vieira as their coach.

In the crap conditions tonight ( and for all recent games at Hyde) it's not easy to play the best passing football but they still try and the results speak for themselves.No doubt in my mind that they have developed as a team but also individually they have got better.With the progress in the age groups behind them the future looks very good.

Now onto Bolton for the under 18's tomorrow.

 

[Centurions]

Thanks for the report Nelly. It sounds like the shift to the new facilities can't come soon enough as there is nothing worse than playing on a bobbly pitch. I noted that Milner commented on this after playing on the Norwich surface.

At the beginning of the season the team hardly won a game. Now they have a winning mentality and have gathered so much confidence from winning game after game.

The boys also have the Champions League away game to play. I think they are drawn against Athletico?

To be fair Hyde's had the same amount of rain over the last month+ as everywhere else plus the high winds so the fact that the pitch was crap and got worse as the game went on is hardly a surprise. Perhaps the new facilities being newly laid and presumably to the very best standards may hold up better but there are lower league teams who I believe haven't played for a few months due to the weather destroying their grounds.

 

[Nelly's Left Foot]

Thanks for the report Nelly. It sounds like the shift to the new facilities can't come soon enough as there is nothing worse than playing on a bobbly pitch. I noted that Milner commented on this after playing on the Norwich surface.

At the beginning of the season the team hardly won a game. Now they have a winning mentality and have gathered so much confidence from winning game after game.

The boys also have the Champions League away game to play. I think they are drawn against Athletico?

To be fair Hyde's had the same amount of rain over the last month+ as everywhere else plus the high winds so the fact that the pitch was crap and got worse as the game went on is hardly a surprise. Perhaps the new facilities being newly laid and presumably to the very best standards may hold up better but there are lower league teams who I believe haven't played for a few months due to the weather destroying their grounds.

Not meant to be a criticism of Hyde but just a fact.Last night the playing surface was a lot better than it was when we played Hereford there but still not great for good football.

 

[Damocles]

Highlights from the game now available

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTYA2N6Q-8Q[/youtube]

Gorgeous from Lopes

 

[Nelly's Left Foot]

Highlights from the game now available

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTYA2N6Q-8Q[/youtube]

Gorgeous from Lopes

He was key to pretty well everything we did well going forward and massively in the goal.After the penalty Vieira worked on him to keep his head up and it was his challenge shortly after that brought the goal

 

[Damocles]

I'm surprised how poor the pitch was, I was under the impression that we maintained the pitch as part of an agreement with them?