City suffer Sunday home defeat

City slipped to a fourth home defeat of the season in controversial circumstances as Referee Darren Strain took centre stage at Aggborough.

City had started the game with Wayne Thomas coming in for the injured Jamie Smith & Deon Burton coming in for Lee Hughes.

The first half saw few chances with Deon Burton shooting narrowly wide from long range for City & Rob Duffy forcing Nathan Vaughan into a save from his shot just outside the area.

The whole course of the game was to change in the 56th minute. City Captain Ellis Deeney gave away a free kick within the D on the edge of the box. After a long stop in play where Deeney was booked & with referee Darren Strain ushering the City defensive wall back, Nuneaton took a "quick" free kick yards back from where the foul took place with the referee stood in front of the wall, the ball struck the arm of City defender & the Referee awarded a penalty kick from which Rob Duffy stepped up to convert.

With City players furious that the Referee had not blown the whistle to re-start with a free kick, it was soon to get worse as first Deon Burton was booked after Daniel Nti failed to gain a free kick after being pushed off the ball and then within a minute Sean Geddes was given a straight red card for dissent.

The controversy was to get worse as the referee opted to refuse City any quick free kicks of their own and marking out ten yards as well as a blow of the whistle for every restart for the remainder of the game. ON 65 minutes City were awarded a free quick which was swung in by Ellis Deeney. Alex Gudger slipped in the box with the Nuneaton keeper claiming the ball. With the ball safely in the hands of the keeper & no free kick awarded, Nuneaton defender Jordan Keane, who had earlier been booked, pushed Gudger with the ball still in play & was sent off. With City players calling for a penalty the Referee opted to speak to his linesman who had not flagged and the game re-started with a Nuneaton free kick.

City pressed for an equaliser but it wasn't until the last minute where their best chance came. After forcing a corner which saw City keeper Nathan Vaughan come forward, Ashley Vincent's cross was met by Alex Gudger whose powerful header was tipped over the bar by Smith & Nuneaton hung on for the three points.