City pegged back in Tiverton draw

Central City had to settle for a point in a 1-1 draw away to Tiverton in a match in which the away side racked up a host of chances but were ultimately made to pay for not making them count.

In a first half of almost incessant City pressure and dominance, it was virtually one-way traffic as the away team had a host of shots which flew narrowly wide or just over the bar. City were quicker, slicker and won almost every second ball in this period and could have easily gone into half-time 2 or 3 goals to the good. They fashioned an array of chances, with Will P, Cameron, Sam P and Joe all going close and the home keeper kept busy. One particularly fine piece of skill from Ryan, hitting a snap volley on the turn as the ball fell over his shoulder, drew gasps of admiration from the spectators and was reminiscent of David Platt's goal for England against Belgium at World Cup '90 (for younger readers, see this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtqiBAg2biw!!). Julen also came agonisingly close to opening the scoring, flicking on a Will P cross and seeing his shot go the wrong side of the far post.

Will P takes aim with one of several City shots which narrowly missed against Tiverton

The second half was more even, with City unable to keep up the relentless pressure and tiring as the game went on. Nevertheless, it was City who took the lead in somewhat fortunate circumstances as a corner from Will P crept in at the near post. Given all the near misses in the first half, it was certainly a deserved lead. Further chances went begging, with Will P making a lung-busting run from midfield, evading two challenges and firing just past the post and Cameron fashioning two chances which drew saves from the keeper. However, with almost their first meaningful shot of the match, Tiverton drew level with a shot from distance which sailed over Sam R and nestled in the back of the net. Whether the shot was intentional or not, there was nothing the keeper could have done to stop it.

City found enough energy to push for a winner in the closing stages but the nearest they came was when a Sam P shot was parried and Teo just failed to follow up before the keeper could fall gratefully on the ball. It would have provided a fairy-tale ending for Teo in his last ever match before his transfer to South London. It wasn't to be, however, and City had to settle for a point.

Man of the Match went to Will A for his tireless display at right-back, tackling strongly and distributing the ball confidently. Well done Will A!

After the match, Cameron made a presentation to Teo on behalf of the team to mark his final game in a Central City shirt. We hope that he enjoyed his time with City and that the team photo will take pride of place on his mantlepiece in his new home. Good luck Teo and keep following City on this blog!