Mansfield Town

Sometimes as a football fan you feel you know what is going to happen before it does, other times you talk it up and the complete opposite happens and sometimes football just surprises you completely!

Since the heartbreaking FA Cup exit (still fuming about the second goal, and getting more angry each time I see it!) City have signed two new lads from Bristol City (everyones least favourite Bristol team!) Joe Bryan and Aaron Amadi-Holloway, who were apparently both "defenders" however on arriving at Twerton Park, I was told that Amadi-Holloway was a forward, who changed to a centre back and then back to a forward, so basically we didn't have a clue!

The team had a few changes from Wednesday, with Jason Matthews replacing Glynn Garner, Marc Canham coming back from suspension and Joe Bryan starting on the left wing (this is one of the alleged defenders!) Lee Phillips was once again on the bench again.

The game started very slowly with neither side really threatening much, and a much sparser (and quieter crowd) than Wednesday were all sort of stuck in a maliase. Bryan was causing some issues with his running and pace, and on 19 a threaded through ball found Sean Canham, who turned the fullback and snapped in a shot at goal, the keeper parried it but for once this season a parry found a stripey shirt, and Marley Watkins very cooly slotted the ball home with the keeper still struggling to get himself back up and set from the Canham shot.

Then a goal I don't think I can accurately describe (partly I'll admit as I was chatting to Notters and had took my attention away from the pitch...) but Meikle seemed to cross from just in front of the burger van and his looping cross caught in the wind, and a cross which was clearly heading wide took a blast of hurricane strength wind and dropped over Matthews into the net. Unbelievable, unfuckingbelievable! City are officially cursed, that goal was so undeserved it was ridiculous but here it was 1-1 and half time.

For this game I'd gone to Twerton with my Dad and another Twerton virgin, and it is always bizzare to hear people who are unaffected by your allegiance and prior prejudices discuss a team you hold so dear! Both were in agreement that Marc Canham was having a superb game and is clearly a talented midfielder.

A note at this point which will come to point in a second is that the game was refereed by Amy Fearn, and she had a pretty poor game. This isn't a criticism of her as she's a woman, as I have been critical of referees in other games see Luton, Dagenham & Redbridge x2! But Fearn has form having had a shocker in the Stockport game a few weeks back.

In the 2nd half City started the brighter, but it wasn't until Scott Murray came on for Bryan on 64 that City truly turned on the style, and from that moment on City were dominant and should, should have got win number two. Murray again added a pep, thrust and inventiveness that is missing from our play, and as much as I love Adie Britton if he doesn't start playing more attacking and utilising the likes of Murray more I am going to start getting pissed off.

To another moment with Fearn, M Canham had a freekick which he took well, before suddenly the play was stopped and he was booked for not waiting for the whistle. Ridiculous really, but the 5 minutes later she doesn't blow the whistle, so Canham is standing their arms outstretched screaming for her to be consistent, as I said, she's awful and this continues!

Lee Phillips and Amadi-Holloway came on for both Canhams and A A-H (as I might refer to him from now on!) went up front. A A-H looks a unit, big strong and quick, and bloody hellfire has he got a good touch and generally he looked a threat. So City keep banging on the door, Murray has chances, Lee has chances A A-H has chances, even Simmo almost scored in one of the best short passing moves I've ever seen! Then Murray breaks down the crosses in, and Phillips taps it home from a yard out 2-1! We're going to win!!!! Then no, whats this? It's been disallowed, for offside (football you bastard, after Wednesday as well) Not convinced is all I will say, I thought the ball was played sideways, and it flicked off a defender, which as we now all know is apparently not offside....

Then right at the last Amadi-Holloway blasts a volley towards the Bath End and it agonisingly sails just wide. 1-1 it finishes, but God we were good in the last 30.

Britton has to go for it, when we attack we seem unstoppable, while as we all know defensively we are terrible. And on an even brighter note, it might have only been 30 minutes, but Aaron Amadi-Holloway reminded me so much of Kaid Mohamed it is untrue, if he can be only half as important as Kaid was, we might, might have a chance of staying up. While we are still odds on to go down, we are raging at the dying of the light and we have to keep believing.