Match Preview

City face their 65th and final game of their mammoth season on Monday afternoon, facing Hellenic League Premier Runners-Up Corsham Town in the final of the Marsh Challenge Cup, hoping to complete a treble of trophies in this remarkable season.

After a rare midweek break after recently facing multiple Monday, Tuesday and Thursday fixtures, Chris Cornes' side will be feeling well rested and ready to aim to finish the season on a high as the entire campaign has been, and complete an astonishing Treble.

Saturday's title celebrations will live long in the memory for the players, staff, and supporters of the club, marking the first league title for the club in 45 years. City hadn't won a trophy since 2001 (excluding County Cups!) and to have the chance to finish the season with three is an incredible achievement in itself.

Our opponents on Monday afternoon, Corsham Town, will be hoping to finish their own season on a high note after a disappointing couple of weeks. Despite finishing the regular season with 82 points, they were beaten 1-0 in their Play-Off semi final with Cinderford Town on 17th April, a team who had finished sixteen points behind them in the regular season, but had really hit the end of the campaign on form to make the Play-Offs, and eventually dispatched Royal Wootton Bassett 4-0 in the Final to gain promotion to Step 4 alongside City.

Corsham ended their regular season with a 2-0 defeat to Highworth ahead of the Play-Off tie with Cinderford, but managed to overcome the same opposition in the Semi Final of the Marsh Challenge Cup on penalties after a 1-1 draw in normal time, to make the Final with City.

Their front man Daniel Price heads into the final game on fifteen goals for the campaign so far, but it was captain Mark Cooper who notched in the last meeting between the two teams on 23rd December, when City ran out 2-1 winners at Claines Lane. The away fixture was a nail-biting 3-2 win for Cornes' side. After City had been 3-0 up heading into half time, an Adam Mace red card for handball on the line changed matters and set up a turbulent second half, but City hung on to claim a big three points in the title race at the time.

For City, the only injury worry or problem heading into the final game of the campaign may be at the back. Chris Knight was substituted at half-time in the Hereford Lads Club draw last Thursday and wasn't named in the squad on Saturday, which may see Keightley and Layton continue in the centre of defensive as they have for the majority of the season. Jamie Insall led the line in what was his final league game for the club, but we will likely see the return of Dylan Hart from the start on Monday.

Calvin Dinsley also returned in Saturday's starting line-up after being rested in the Lads Club draw.

City will be desperate to end this incredible season on a high and send The Faithful into the summer with even more memories to cherish from this year.

Monday afternoon's Marsh Challenge Cup Final will be played at Slimbridge FC's Thornhill Park, Wisloe Road, Cambridge, Gloucestershire, GL2 7AF. Tickets are available on the gate on the day of the final.