City’s play-off hopes took a bit of a dent today as they were unable to secure the three points that would have left them in good stead and had to settle with a draw from the league’s draw specialists Bridon Ropes who have now seen six of their last eight matches end even!
Before we get into the content of the match though, we should first mention that today marked a special milestone for one of City’s players as fan’s favourite Rob Lawrence made his 300th appearance in a City shirt. It’s a remarkable and quite impressive feat, so our congratulations go to him and we can look forward to a special article about Rob’s superb achievement in the Matchday Programme when City play Croydon at Hartsdown Park in the last league game of the season on April 27th.
Back to today though and Bridon turned out to be a very tough opponent. They yielded nothing, scrapped for everything and defended doggedly and stubbornly while looking lively on the break. The point they earned today along with results from other games meant that they are free from finishing in the dreaded bottom three – so from their point of view, it was probably job done.
The point City earned however lifts them up to sixth, level on points with Lewisham Borough who have a game in hand, with FC Elmstead and Croydon both a point further back. The last play-off spot will come from one of these four teams and quite frankly looking at all the outstanding matches yet to be played, you could probably make a case for any of them so it’s far from settled just yet!
I think it’s fair to say that City weren’t at their best in the first-half as Bridon disrupted and obstructed their normal style of play constantly closing them down and leaving them without the space and time they’ve worked so hard in previous weeks to acquire. I think it would also be fair to say that they didn’t get the fair rub of the green from the officials either amid some strange decisions and finicky refereeing but ultimately City couldn’t quite find the quality in front of goal that they’ve had in abundance the last few weeks to turn the game their way.
The opening stages saw little by way of clear cut chances for either side as Billy Marsh screwed a long shot well wide for Bridon and then headed straight at City keeper Tom Benham from a corner, while for City, Brad Jeffrey had two efforts both easy takes for Benham’s opposite number Cemal Osman.
On fourteen minutes, the hosts had the best chance of the game thus far when Teddy Hodges broke with pace down the right and his low whipped in cross only just evaded two players flying in at the far post as the ball went out for a goal-kick.
City responded with a couple of dangerous long throws from Luke Illsley which saw Monty Saunders have an effort charged down, but it was Bridon that took the lead on nineteen minutes when Hodges broke forward again with pace and unselfishly laid the ball across the box to Joe Quinnear who slotted home from close range for 0-1.
The next chance fell to City when Alfie Giles scooted a low thirty-yarder just wide of the post as Osman nervously tried to hurry across in case he was needed! Marsh then went close to converting a Bridon free-kick while for City, Jeffrey almost got on the end of Mo Cham’s pinged in cross. The visitors won a series of corners during this period, but the home defence were strong and basically repelled everything City threw at them with keeper Osman pulling off a couple of good aerial claims under pressure.
At the other end, Benham comfortably pouched a John Woodcock volley before having to react smartly to save a shot from the same player that skidded up right in front of him just as the whistle sounded for half-time leaving City still a goal down at the break.
Another trio of corners soon after the restart from City failed to create a clear opening but credit has to go to the Bridon defence who continued to be determined to frustrate and deny all the City attacking effort. The hosts continued to look threatening on the break though and an overhead attempt by Hodges was well off target, but he went closer when charging in to get on the end of Woodcock’s low cross – firing just wide of the City goal.
City were then unlucky not to equalise when another corner saw Osman misjudge and then flap at the ball but just about manage to claw it down and as it fell, Cham on the stretch knocked it goalwards but somehow either the keeper or one of his defenders got enough on the ball to deflect it up and over the bar for yet another corner.
An exchange of chances then saw Cham fire over for City while for Bridon, Sean Nicholls saw his long distance effort soar well past the angle and away before City levelled on sixty-eight minutes. A wide right free-kick was sent over by Saunders and fell to Lawrence who unleashed a thunderbolt of a shot that flew goal-bound before smashing against the underside of the crossbar and bouncing down with City claiming it was over the line, no whistle or flag in the split-second that followed so play went on and saw Cham challenge Osman for the loose ball before it ran loose a second time and Illsley forced it over the line for 1-1.
That knocked the hosts back a touch and they made several changes possibly recognising that the momentum was shifting as City set about chasing a much needed winner and the game almost took on a one-off cup-tie feel!
Benham dealt with a free-kick launched into the City box from halfway and Osman was out quickly to deny substitute Brad Walledge as City piled on the pressure. A couple of corners, several long throws and a Saunders cross couldn’t prise the home defence apart as they robustly stood their ground triumphantly congratulating each other on every block, save or tackle. Osman then denied Lawrence who tried a clever flick to outwit the keeper, before the same player swung in a big free-kick with venom, but Osman again rose well to pull off a splendid claim.
All the pressure was coming from City, but Bridon still looked dangerous on the break and from one such move George Luck shot well wide from the edge of the City box when he probably had better options available.
Lawrence had a shot at the back post charged down as City continued to pepper the Bridon goal, but despite getting the ball into dangerous areas, they just couldn’t force a second goal. Harry Maher tracked in from the right but having done all the hard work fired over the bar, before Cham cut inside and saw his shot saved by Osman who then also blocked the follow-up at the expense of a corner from which Illsley’s header forced Osman into another save.
Well into six minutes of added time, Bridon almost sealed it when Beau Cook-Bartolomew broke into the City box but from the tightest of angles, his shot was smartly shovelled out for a corner by Benham. That came to nothing, but the final chance fell to City when in the ninety-sixth minute, another long throw was launched into the Bridon box and laid back for Leo Dodds to flash an effort narrowly over the bar as he was pounced upon by a couple of defenders.
That was the final act of the match with the full-time whistle coming straight after and City were forced to settle for a draw and a point that doesn’t yet count them out of the play-off situation, but does make it a little more difficult!
Last word must be for the three-hundred man though, Rob played really well today and might well have been ‘robbed’ (excuse the pun) of a cracking goal on his big day – but 300 not out for the same club is a colossal accomplishment and we salute him!
Final score: Canterbury City 1 Bridon Ropes 1
City: Tom Benham, Jake McCarthy (Brad Walledge), Louie Procopi (Will Currie), Joe Nelder, Luke Illsley, Alfie Giles, Rob Lawrence, Brad Jeffrey (Leo Dodds), Harry Maher, Mo Cham, Monty Saunders
Unused Subs: Ben Binder, Kian Scott
Image courtesy of Dave Morgan