SCHOLARS TEACH US A LESSON

WE BOWED out of the Emirates FA Cup with a 2-0 replay reverse at Chasetown.
Just like the original tie, there were a few meaty challenges flying in during the opening exchanges.
After City went close to opening the scoring through Mark Danks, it was the home side who made the breakthrough with 19 minutes on the clock when a cross was only half-cleared and Will Whielden was able to fire home.
As we tried to hit back, Matt Birley saw a free-kick saved by Curtis Pond in the home goal whose head wound from Sunday’s game was hidden under a plaster.
It was the home side who continued to look the most likely side as the opening period went on. They picked up a couple of bookings before Muzzy Nduna went close with a strike from distance.
With half-time approaching, Chris Baker almost doubled The Scholars’ advantage but his effort was straight down the throat of Matt Gwynne.
The second period started with some neat play by the hosts which saw a chance for Baker carved open but he was just off target.
Despite battling hard, we were given a mountain to climb when Nduna made it 2-0 just past the hour-mark. There was almost a third goal soon afterwards when a teasing ball from Whielden caused problems and as Cater lined up a shot, he was denied by a timely intervention from Tom Fishwick.
We refused to let our heads drop and continued to push for a way back into the tie. Dave Reynolds, complete was head bandage, was introduced into the fray with around ten minutes to go and he had a free-kick that forced Pond into a low save.
Despite our best efforts, we just couldn’t find a way past our higher level opponents as Chasetown progressed into a first qualifying round clash with Boldmere St. Michaels.

CITY: Gwynne, Weir, Baldwin (Reynolds 78), Fishwick, M. Smith, Hayward, Birley (Brett 60), Birch (Ruddock 75), Danks, Albert, J. Smith. Subs not used: Griffiths, Devlin, Harris-James, Dayus.

BOOKING(S): Danks, Fishwick.