CONVINCING WIN FOR CITY

CITY went into Christmas with a convincing 4-0 victory at Haughmond.
It was a positive start from City and we deservedly took the lead with seven minutes on the clock when a corner from Mark Danks fell at the feet of Josh Sarmento who lashed home.
The opening exchanges were all City and Nathan Hayward went close with a strike from distance that was well saved.
The second goal duly arrived when Danks was able to get in a strike which appeared to take a deflection off Brad Birch on its way beyond the reach of the home ‘keeper.
We were well in command at this stage and Dave Reynolds caused problems on the left before cutting inside and seeing his strike deflected for a corner.
The home side had to defend a number of corners, one of which saw Danks go close to extending our lead before Mark Smith headed just over from another.
Further chances for Reynolds and Sarmento went just wide as it was City who were asking all of the questions as half-time approached.
City remained in control in the opening exchanges of the second period and just past the hour-mark it was 3-0 when another inviting corner from Danks found the neat of Reynolds who made no mistake.
With Lee Hughes on in place of the hard-working Reynolds, he was soon involved in the action when he linked up well with James Baldwin who was able to find the net for our fourth goal of the afternoon.
There was a smart stop from Nathan Vaughan, who was making his first appearance since returning to the club, to keep the home side at bay in the 80th minute.
In the closing stages, some intelligent play by young substitute, Callum Harper, saw him pick out Danks who was fouled on the edge of the area for a City free-kick that ultimately came to nothing as we completed a convincing and thoroughly well-deserved victory.

CITY: Vaughan, Weir, J. Smith, Stoddart, M. Smith, Hayward, Sarmento (Harper 76), Birch (Birley 70), Danks, Reynolds (Hughes 73), Baldwin. Subs: Gwynne, Forsyth.
BOOKING(S): Birch, Hughes
GOALS: Sarmento, Birch, Reynolds, Baldwin