City take the points in tight Pegasus win

City further extended their club record winning run with their seventeenth win in a row in all competitions, as Hereford Pegasus became the latest team to fall to defeat in this incredible winning run.

City boss Cornes elected for much of the same side from the start as the midweek Wiseman Lighting Floodlit Cup, Final first leg win over Roman Glass, with just tw changes to that eleven. Elliott Hartley returned to the starting line-up in place of Izak Reid, and Elliott Keightley also lined-up alongside Chris Knight in the heart of defence, with Kirk Layton dropping to the bench.

Pegasus' side featured a number of familiar faces for The Faithful, with ex-City players Matt Gwynne, James Baldwin, and Jamie Price in the starting eleven.

The first chance of the game fell to Hartley, receiving the ball after good work from Jordan Lymn to keep possession, and Hartley came in from the right, but his left footed attempt was too close to keeper Gwynne. Minutes later, Stoddart's excellent forward ball was picked up by Belmonte on the right wing, who squared for City's in-form number 9 Dylan Hart, but he could only direct his effort straight at Gwynne who made a good stop to keep the score level.

City thought they'd taken the lead after an excellent ball over the top, Quarterback-style from skipper Adam Mace, sat up perfectly for Kyle Belmonte, but his lofted effort over goalkeeper Gwynne rattled the crossbar before falling to Hartley, who from a tight angle could only rattle the outside of the upright, both players hitting the woodwork within seconds of each other.

Hart also saw a headed effort from a corner instinctively saved by Gwynne, before Liam Lockett had the Pegasus keeper scrambling with an effort of his own, which drifted just over the top of the home goal. The deadlock was almost broken by a Pegasus player, but at the wrong end - after good work from Chris Knight, dancing through Hereford players before dinking a ball to the back post, Liam Lockett's cross was deflected on to the crossbar by Kyle Panniers, inches away from inadvertently giving City the lead.

City did finally break the deadlock on 42 minutes. Liam Lockett picked up the ball in the centre circle before giving it wide to Elliott Hartley, who charged towards the Pegasus box before cutting back inside onto his left foot. His effort was placed too far into the far corner for Gwynne to be able to do anything about it, and his fantastic goal gave City the lead heading into the break.

City began the second half in much of the same way as the first, dominating possession and chances. Hartley blazed over with his right foot from inside the box for what was a great chance to get his second of the game. Hartley had another brilliant chance when picked out by another searching ball from Mace, driving inside and shooting with his left, but the ball could only find the side netting.

Another glorious chance fell to Lockett after good work by Hart, peeling off to the left and squaring a ball for Lockett in the box, but he couldn't keep his effort down and the ball sailed over.

Against the run of play, Pegasus equalised on 65 minutes. A headed clearance from Keightley dropped to Chowns-Higgs, who managed to find Pegasus' dangerman Cawley Cox on the edge of the area. He managed to shift the ball far enough wide to get space for a shot, and his near post effort made it past Whitcombe and into the back of the net to level the score.

Despite the set-back, City hit back immediately, this time from the spot. A cute ball inside by Belmonte fell to Hart inside the Pegasus box, and as he attempted to flick the ball behind, he was caught late by a rash Jamie Sauntson challenge, with the referee pointing to the spot. Up stepped Belmonte with a chance to put City back in front, and he made no mistake, firing past Gwynne and into the back of the net.

In the dying minutes, Pegasus nearly sealed their fate with another close shave, this time from a Stoddart long ball aiming for Insall, but Panniers, who had gotten lucky with his deflected effort in the first half, played a backpass to Gwynne that passed the goalkeeper and almost crept in, Gwynne managing to scramble back and clear off the line.

The score though stayed at 2-1 and City record their seventeenth consecutive win in all competitions, further extending the new club record from the previous fourteen matches. Up next for City is a trip to Bristol for the second leg of the Wiseman Cup Final, to Roman Glass St George on Wednesday, 2-1 ahead from the first leg.