Match Preview by Lewis Howarth
City head into the Wiseman Lighting Floodlit Cup Final second leg in blistering form. Since the first leg City have continued their winning ways, completing the double over Hereford Pegasus over the weekend. A hard fought victory with goals from Belmonte (68’ PEN) and Hartley (42’) ensured City got over the line to extend their historic and record breaking winning streak. City are now on a winning streak of seventeen games and will look to secure their first trophy of the season to coincide with an eighteenth consecutive win.
Spectacularly, City still remain in all four competitions and Wednesday nights game at Roman Glass St George will be the first opportunity to add to the club's trophy cabinet. City’s last trip to Bristol to face Roman Glass St George ended in a thrilling 4-2 victory on the third of January this year. City were 2-1 down at half time, but goals from Dinsley (58’), Belmonte (67’) and Dylan Hart (‘75) ensured City got over the line.
However, last Tuesday’s first leg against Roman Glass St George showed this will be no walkover for City, with the opposition piling on the pressure in the second half at the HDAnywhere Community stadium. The danger men heading into the second leg will be Alfie Cummings and Shea Mannings. Mannings was a thorn in City’s side in the first leg, assisting their only goal, and will look to use his height, speed and power to add to his fine goal scoring form, being Roman Glass St George’s top goal scorer this season. In addition, Alfie Cummings will be riding a wave of momentum generated by scoring his first ever goal for the club last time out and will have no better moment to get his second than a Cup Final second leg.
On the other hand, City have more than enough quality going forward to match this. Belmonte and Lockett both sit top of the goal scoring charts in all competitions for City. With Belmonte getting the deciding goal over the weekend, he will look to add to his already formidable season with his first piece of silverware available. In addition, the first leg proved that Dylan Hart will be another thorn in the side for Roman Glass St George. He has already netted at their ground earlier this season, as well as scoring both goals in City’s 2-1 win last Tuesday; he is proving he loves to score against Roman Glass.
Overall, this will be City’s first opportunity at getting silverware this season. They head into the game with a 2-1 lead on aggregate, but a tricky 90 minutes lies ahead of them in their pursuit of gold.
Roman Glass play at Oaklands Park, Gloucester Road, Almondsbury, Bristol, BS32 4AG. Kick off will be at 19:45pm.