ENTERTAINING ENCOUNTER AS CITY LEAVE IT LATE

CITY grabbed a late winner in what was a dramatic encounter with Shepshed Dynamo.
It was the visitors who started the brighter of the two teams on a damp and miserable afternoon.
Having survived a couple of scares, we managed to grab the lead somewhat against the run of play just past the half-hour mark when a low strike from Lee Hughes wasn’t properly gathered by the visiting ‘keeper on the greasy surface and Dave Reynolds was alert to turn the ball home from close range.
Despite the set-back of going a goal behind, Shepshed refused to let their heads drop and they almost managed to get back on level terms on the stroke of half-time when Niall Prenderville saw his effort hit the woodwork following some neat build-up play.
It meant that City went in at the break one goal to the good and the lead was almost doubled early in the second period when Reynolds went close from a tight angle.
Our second goal eventually arrived on 55 minutes when Josh Sarmento showed good skill before finding Hughes who does what he does best and slotted the ball home to make it 2-0.
It wasn’t long before our visitors pulled a goal back to give them a lifeline when a cross from Alex Troke was headed home by Prenderville.
The goal gave Shepshed renewed determination and their equaliser came with just over a quarter-an-hour to go when an inviting cross from Liam Read found Troke who managed to guide the ball beyond the grasp of Gwynne.
The closing stages were end-to-end and it could have gone either way. There was a great chance for Reynolds after he linked up well with Mark Danks, but Hurst was on hand to coolly clear off the line. The Matt Birley dragged an effort just wide.
There were half-chances for the visitors too but the City back-line stood firm and we got our reward three minutes from time when Alex Tomkinson was on hand to notch the winner as he was able to turn James Baldwin’s rebounded effort home to claim all three points.
It was certainly a game packed full of incident as we stuck to our task to get the win.

CITY: Gwynne, Forsyth, Griffiths, Albert, M Smith, Hayward, Sarmento (Tomkinson, 63), Birley, Hughes (Danks, 66), Reynolds, J Smith (Baldwin, 85). Subs not used: Fishwick, Palmer.

ATTENDANCE: 378.