Match Report 2001-2002

Tuesday 29 January, 2002, Division One

Preston North End At Valley Parade

Forget it

Not much to say about the weak surrender at home to Preston. It was an insipid lack of performance in which no player can take much pride.

One could pick out the forward three: Ashley Ward, Andy Tod and sub Gareth Grant, because all showed the worst side of their games, but to be frank they had little to work with.

Nicky Law started with Ward and Tod up front, a pair of big men, but they had no service and fewer ideas. Perhaps had Law provided width and a link between the forwards and the midfield, or one of the two, then City may have got more, but to suggest that the manager who negligent in doing this is to ignore the lack of performance by Lee Sharpe and Claus Jorgensen, so good against Portsmouth but ineffectual tonight. More though Eoin Jess, who's very game is based on linking the two attacking thirds of the field, has done nothing to suggest to Law that he merits a place in the side. Jess started on the left wing and struggled, but frankly since Nicky Law arrived from Chesterfield, he has yet to put a foot right.

The back four was reasonable, but rarely tested by a poor Preston side. The visitors had a couple of chances, one went in just after half time when Michael Keane scored a close range header and another from Jon Macken that impossibly peeled away from the inside of one post, past the other.

In ninety minutes the best City managed were a couple of week shots by Ward and Grant, a half hearted hit by Andy Tod and header by Gunnar Halle. It was one of those nights, those nights that make you wonder why you bother.

As a side note, it could have been different. On the way to the ground there was a palpable buzz at the idea of Benito Carbone returning to the side, he did not even make the bench although rumour has it he was away in Italy arranging a transfer, and the unbeaten run.

It's worth remembering that City need four more wins to stay up, and will probably get them, and that the team had the likes of David Wetherall, Gary Walsh and Gary Locke and to come back into it but looking back to the promise that this season brought, and the way that that promise has turned into a debate on the merits of playing Lewis Emanuel through his mistakes or put in Wayne Jacobs for his solidity, you can not help but look back on the road and wonder where the turns were taken that lead us here.

One think is for sure, the Geoffrey Richmond out brigade that tried to find a voice tonight could not. City fans have seen a lot over the last few years, they are bright enough to know that this is not a simple fix to get us back into the Premiership and that if there was a simple fix, it would not be to get rid of the chairman.

A wretched night, one to forget.

Man of the Match

None

City Team:

Muggleton
Halle Caldwell Myers Emanuel
Jorgensen McCall Sharpe Jess
Ward Tod

Subs: Jacobs, Lawrence and Grant