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Gloucester City AFC | Boris
A horrible night at Whaddon Road saw ten-man Gloucester City lose 3-1 to a mediocre Droylsden side.
They say bad luck comes in threes but the third red card in as many games, the third defeat in a row and an injury to Adam Mann played only a part in the Tigers’ miserable evening.
Manager Dave Mehew was left wondering just how many mirrors he’d smashed or cracks he’d trodden on after he was sent to the stands for protesting a little too loudly to referee John Busby.
The reason for his anger was plain to see; a missed elbow here, a wrong decision there and a missing man, normally the beating heart of the team
And it had all started so well; Mann and Morford linked up for a pair of early chances, testing the Bloods keeper within the first ten minutes.
Fresh from a weekend drubbing Droylsden looked lively, set on attacking City’s penalty box with Jack Harris alert to make a block on 12 minutes.
But a stunning cross, whipped in by Ciaran Kilheeny three minutes later beat Lewis Carey to put the visitors ahead.
Droylsden’s Chris Brown was lucky to stay on the pitch after raising his arm to attack a corner and making more than gentle contact with his City opponent. Even Bloods boss Dave Pace saw it, bellowing from the dugout to his man to tell him to keep his arms down.
Minutes later at the other end City won a free kick, at the expense of losing Adam Mann, limping off with a suspected broken foot. On in his place Matt Lock was superb, once again pulling the strings in midfield.
Darren Edwards’ belting run from his own half was blocked by Dan Gardner on the half hour mark, City looking dangerous in front of Danzelle St Louis-Hamilton’s goal.
On the 39th minute the Bloods keeper brought down Morford for City’s first league penalty of the season, Darren Edwards cooly converted to draw the scores level. Captain Fantastic Tom Webb almost put Gloucester ahead minutes before the break, his stunning shot palmed out by St Louis-Hamilton.
The second half was to be 45 minutes of drama. Darren Mullings started the action, firing a corner over the bar and stepping in to cool things down after Steve Hall upended Webb with a late lunge.
Webb, with his normal boundless energy, won the ball back from Hall a few minutes later with a slightly less physical challenge. But after Hall dropped to the floor clutching his head, referee Busby, unsighted for the challenge reached for his red. The devastated Gloucester captain left for an early shower and the incandescent manager lasted another 30 seconds before he joined him.
Throwing on Tom Hamblin in place of Davies, stand-in boss Neil Mustoe tried to sure things up. Morford and Edwards continued to push forward, with Edwards setting up a fine chance on 60 minutes but Morford was tackled at the last minute and conspired to fire wide.
Droylsden took the lead on 64 minutes, Lewis Killeen tapping the ball in at the far post.
With heavy legs, trying to recreate Webb’s missing energy, City powered on with Edwards peppering balls towards the goal.
The Bloods were quick on the break, with Carey eventually grabbing a loose ball bounced around his box on 75 minutes.
But Gardner knocked in a sickener in the final minute to seal a dark night in Cheltenham.
GLOUCESTER CITY: Carey, Green, Harris, Coupe, Rose (Rawlings 64) Webb RC, Davies (Hamblin 59), Edwards, Morford, Mann (Lock 24) Subs: Wilson, Mustoe
DROYLSDEN: St Louis-Hamilton YC, Moyo, Logan, Brown YC, Langford, Peyton, Hall YC (Lake 90+1)Killeen, Kilheeny, Johnson, Gardner. Subs: Owens, Holden, Kerr, Phillips
