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Chelmsford City 1-0 Gravesend & Northfleet, Saturday 28th October 2006, Chelmsford Sport & Athletics Centre, Kick-Off 3:00pm, F.A. Cup sponsored by E.ON Fourth Qualifying Round.
Mario Noto's 6th-minute screamer upset Conference outfit Gravesend and booked City a First Round Proper clash against full-timers Aldershot Town. The Clarets will now face the Hampshire club on Saturday 11th November £10,000 richer and the majority of the 1,609 spectators present in Melbourne were thrilled at the achievement and the prospect of further cup success. Having already met the Kent side in pre-season, the Management Team had gained prior knowledge on their opponents and it was clear 16-goal striker Charlie MacDonald would need to be looked-after carefully. Chelmsford's fans were also aware of the talents of midfielder Danny Slatter who enjoyed a successful time with the club around the turn of the millenium. A five-man midfield was the tactic employed, with wingers Ricky Holmes and the returning Spencer Knight getting forward to assist Kezie Ibe in the lone striker's role. Stuart Ainsley was suspended so Chris Duffy slotted-in at left back. The hosts were alive from the very beginning and the ground was rocking early-on as Noto classily opened the scoring on 6 minutes. Ibe surged down the left, feeding the prolific midfielder with a shooting opportunity from the edge of the area and Noto made no mistake in accurately bending the ball around 'keeper Lance Cronin and into the bottom corner of the net. Gravesend's response was immediate and it wasn't long before a Jon Keeling corner forced City into some last-ditch defending. MacDonald also should have equalised in the 11th minute but instead thumped his free header from a few yards over the crossbar. Within the next eight minutes Chelmsford had two appeals for a penalty when firstly Holmes' right-wing centre reached Knight who appeared to be shoved over. Soon afterwards Cronin's defensive clearance was poor and broke to Noto who fired the ball goalwards and a defender's hand moved suspiciously close to the ball. Both requests were turned-down by the referee. With the half-hour mark approaching the Clarets went closer still as the tricky wingers teamed-up again. Holmes placed another accurate delivery towards Knight whose close range effort was blocked, as was Ibe's follow-up. Unfortunately, in that attack, Cronin suffered a head injury and required lengthy treatment before eventually being replaced by youngster Sam Mott despite efforts to soldier on. During the nine minutes of injury time that were added on, Ibe nearly found himself in the clear and later Holmes caught out the defence to supply Jeff Minton with a chance he sliced off-target so Chelmsford entered the interval with a well-earned lead. Far from sitting back on their slender advantage, Jeff King's men went forward in search of another goal. On 52 minutes a strong Jay Conroy run supplied the inventive Noto whose strike from the right-hand side of the box came back off the post with the rebound agonisingly cleared. Then, moments later, Holmes' run and shot at the top corner from a similar position could only be parried over by Mott. Yet another penalty shout was waved away by man in black Mr Singh ten minutes later, with Ibe squeezing into a dangerous position inside from the left flank and going down with a shooting opportunity in his midst. The best form of defence, it seemed, was attack and Holmes was in no mood to let his determination slip twenty minutes from time. He chased two lost causes, won them both, and in the attack that followed Knight on the other wing dropped a shot onto the top of the bar and over from twenty-five yards. As things got more desperate for the visitors nerves began to creep in and a wayward backpass from defender James Smith almost caught his custodian team-mate out. Though City needed no help to attack and Minton's tantalising free-kick delivery just evaded the far post later on with several players close to knocking it home. Nine minutes remained when some Noto trickery worked a slight-angled chance for Holmes but his effort was too cute and Chelmsford almost paid the price for their missed opportunities two minutes later. Ross Smith tried his luck from distance at the other end and his shot was destined for the top corner until Richard McKinney dived spectacularly to push it to safety in a moment of inspiration. There was surprisingly little to absorb by the City defence as time ticked away and in the end it proved to be a comfortable victory where a wider margin could not have been argued with. The team became the first at the Club to reach the First Round Proper since 1999 and on this showing its apparent their run is not quite finished yet. City: 1 Richard McKinney Gravesend & Northfleet: Lance Cronin, Mark Ricketts, Ross Smith, Liam Coleman, James Smith, Paul McCarthy, Danny Slatter, Robert Quinn, Luke Moore, Charlie MacDonald, Jon Keeling. Subs: Onome Sodje, Sam Mott (GK), Peter Hawkins, Stacey Long, Sacha Opinel. Bookings: City: Manuella (16, foul), Noto (45, foul). Gravesend: Coleman (45, foul), James Smith (87, foul). Referee: Mr J. Singh (Hounslow). Assistant Referees: Mr W. Atkin (Crawley) and Mr A. Degnarain (Southgate). Fourth Official: Mr M.E. Links (London). Attendance: 1,609. City Man of the Match: Ricky Holmes. |
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By Chris Evans
(Picture by Matt Bradshaw)
