Re: City v. Dover, the replay

[Corstonian]

The FA Trophy
Season 2014-2015
Payments made from The FA's Prize Fund

Preliminary Round winners (64) £2,500
First Round Qualifying winners (72) £2,700
Second Round Qualifying winner (36) £3,250
Third Round Qualifying winners (40) £4,000
First Round Proper winners (32) £5,000
Second Round Proper winners (16) £6,000
Third Round Proper winners ( £7,000
Fourth Round Proper winners (4) £8,000
Semi Final winners (2) £16,000
Final runners-up (1) £25,000
Final winners (1) £50,000


Leaving aside the pleasure of winning, we've actually come into some serious money as a result of this cup run - £30,000 so far plus a share of gate receipts along the way. For a perennially cash-strapped club this is extremely helpful, but to reach the final itself would be a windfall of epic proportions.

[comrade powell]

Probably the most tense I've been in the closing stages of a match since the great escape at Worcester. The 1st 30 mins of tonight matched the opening half hour of Saturday's 2nd half - City completely outplaying Dover with crisp passing and sharp finishes. Had Chaz's free kick gone in, game over. After that I should think the possession was 70/30 to Dover, but we just about hung on. Would have liked to have seen Stearn on much earlier - straight away we looked a yard quicker and he should have finished Dover off with his late run. Heady days!

[Liam Shaw]

Great performance and a well deserved win! Anyone know why diallo just sort of walked off down the tunnel 5-10 minutes from the end and wasn't replaced?

[comrade powell]

Err, you are joking, right?

[SteveBradley]

What a phenomenal performance ! After a few years of awful luck in cups we seem to have found our mojo in a knock-out competition at last !

Ridiculously proud of the players for pulling off another scalp against a Conference outfit. I hope we're classed as the underdogs against North Ferriby, as it's a billing that seems to suit us.

858 attendance for tonight's game as well - very good for a Tuesday night match arranged at short notice. With a bit of promotion, no reason why we can't get 1,000+ for the Semi first leg at home. #Project1,000

[the demon headmaster]

Mike York we told me Dover would win 4-0. The bear hugs from Palms and the A36 at the end just about finished me off. We really deserved that over the 2 games.

[Ashley]

A real roller coaster night. Dreamland after 25 mins and if that free kick had dipped under the bar it'd have been game over. Second half was horrible to watch but when have we ever done things the easy way.

Can't wait for North Ferriby

[Dodgycarpet]

Dropped off back from heathrow just as game closing ..... Aagh! But stepped out the car and could hear the crowd and knew it wasn't a desperate come on we need a goal cheering on - you could feel the joy even though there was clearly some tension as well. Well done TP faithful - you don't need the Internet with noise like that! (Couldn't get in friends car anyway down the m4)
Just to say Sorry to the team I missed it - and thanks after all the ups and downs over the years for going further than even the bodins rickets and (insert manager name of choice) managed!

[thomasmaxbaer]

Diallo was sent off for a second yellow

[Liam Shaw]

Oh ok, i must have missed that when i went to the toilet then

[Roman Mike]

The FA Trophy
Season 2014-2015
Payments made from The FA's Prize Fund

Preliminary Round winners (64) £2,500
First Round Qualifying winners (72) £2,700
Second Round Qualifying winner (36) £3,250
Third Round Qualifying winners (40) £4,000
First Round Proper winners (32) £5,000
Second Round Proper winners (16) £6,000
Third Round Proper winners ( £7,000
Fourth Round Proper winners (4) £8,000
Semi Final winners (2) £16,000
Final runners-up (1) £25,000
Final winners (1) £50,000


Leaving aside the pleasure of winning, we've actually come into some serious money as a result of this cup run - £30,000 so far plus a share of gate receipts along the way. For a perennially cash-strapped club this is extremely helpful, but to reach the final itself would be a windfall of epic proportions.

"Serious Money"? Really?
I am elated as the next fan after last night and don't want to pour cold water etc. but this helpful information shows 2 things for me:
1) This isn't going to change anything at Bath City in any real sense if we have debts approaching £1M
2) This shows the alarming gap between us and the Premier League level financing (see the announcment of the £5.1B deal).

[kalahariwhite]

A nasty club with nasty tatics. Got what they deserved.

Thanks. You thoroughly desreved to win.: we had a shocker in the first half and only when the three subs were made, playing our strongest 11 given the injuries we have, did we get back into it. Yoiu had spirit, played much more targeted long ball than we did, and we got what we deserved. Friedly crowd and club too so thanks for that: I dont know why the commnent quoted above h=was made and assunme that richard III is actually your unpleasant goalie. What an absolute dick he is, though made one good save towards the end.

Good luck in the semis, weve thinking to do after both our long non-loosing run and cup hopes have gone in the last 10 days. Long live non-league football: it was a good place to be last night, despite the result, given the Premiership TV deal nonsnse was all I could hear on the radio driving over!

[London Town]

Thanks Kalahari,
I hope that you all made it back safely, was impressed by your following for such a long journey. I thought the flurry of Yellows/red cards didn't reflect the game. Wasn't dirty and no sign of diving/feigning injury that had people frustrated from the first tie. We were excellent for the first 35, hassling, and using the ball well and well deserved our lead. But as you say completely different game second half, I've not been that nervous at a game for years! Good luck to you for the rest of the season, always good to see good old non-league clubs competing well in that division so I for one will be hoping you go on to consolidate. As for our Keeper, I'm London based now so see few games, but my impression is that he's more of a flapper than a nasty character, and makes rash decisions under pressure. That said I thought he did very well last night and can be a top keeper on his day. Glad that you had a good trip to Twerton Park despite the result. Non league is where it's at!

[yuffie]

To be honest if supporters give a player stick during a game they can't be too precious about it if he gives some back at the end - particularly in such a high-stakes game as last night.

[stillmanjunior]

I think Jason was reacting to the abuse he received at the end of Saturday's game. I didn't see what he did, was too busy trying to compose myself and read my bit over the tannoy. Even though I was disgusted by some of the Dover fans near me on Saturday, I was in no mood to rub it in their faces. I’m sure all those that traveled were the genuine supporters, not the primates who shouted all the abuse at the Crabble. I’m surprised I had a voice left after the amount of shouting I did after Ross Stearn ran clean through near the end. I haven’t strained my vocal chords so much since Solwhit ran clear at Cheltenham Festival and won me £122 a couple of years ago.

After Saturday I felt so deflated and must admit I thought our chance had gone. It would take some effort to build up the mental strength to get over that and do it all again. But what a group of players we have. That first 35 minutes was superb, we coped with Dover’s only tactic during that time (lump it up to Jake Reid, hope for a mistake) and 2-0 was about right. It was key to not concede before half-time and we knew that it was likely to be the Alamo in the second. Other than his slip for the goal, Walshy was incredible. Gallinagh saved his two best performances for the club for these two games, a real captain leading by example and a cool head needed during the onslaught. Simpson and Ball, near faultless. Mellor’s handling for some of those driven free-kicks was superb. As well as we played in the first half, I thought like the second half on Saturday Dover got it wrong tactically, looked like they played a 4-2-3-1 formation and with no Payne leading the attack they didn’t threaten at all until just before half-time. The introduction of Modeste was a brilliant substitution you have to say, had he started it could have been a different story. Where was the keeper from Saturday as well? Walker, who I thought was very good against us last year, looked suspect early on, clearly rusty from a lack of first team action.

If the semi-final second leg is just as tense I’ll be in bits. I can’t go through another second half like that. I’m generally a nervy person anyway, that was absolute hell. I only looked at my watch to check the time for goals/subs and I ended up looking directly at a wall for a minute of stoppage time.

We’ve created history but we’re far from there yet. North Ferriby haven’t conceded a goal since the 3rd Qualifying Round in this competition and although they haven’t played a side in the league above, they’ve managed to knock out a side like Ebbsfleet, who are no mugs.

This run has helped raise the profile of the club and the money is, of course, hugely important. We all need to continue to pull together and be united for City.

Although I don’t really favour Dover’s direct tactics, you’ve got to do what is best for the players and Kinnear has won countless promotions so despite it not being pleasing on the eye, it’s effective. We resorted to it a bit in the second half but thought we played a lot more of the football in the first.

Really looking forward to going to a game Saturday and being totally relaxed about the outcome. Yes, I know it’s a game we need to win to keep up the pressure on the top five, but if we’re a goal up in the closing minutes I won’t be pacing around like I did last night!

[kalahariwhite]

yes, good luck in the semis!
Walker in I presume as Rafferty was injured? A mystery to us all but Walker rusty after a proken hand in September. But who cares, you are through and deservedly.

[BenE]

Thanks Kalahari very gracious of you.

I wasn't nervous at all. I thought that we actually dealt with the pressure pretty well and only a slip by Walsh resulted in us conceding.

I think everyone in the crowd knew Diallo would get sent off eventually. Why he wasn't taken off a lot earlier I don't know. Ashley Kington is a perfectly good replacement.

But we certainly played the best football throughout.

[A36]

Leaving aside the pleasure of winning, we've actually come into some serious money as a result of this cup run - £30,000 so far plus a share of gate receipts along the way. For a perennially cash-strapped club this is extremely helpful, but to reach the final itself would be a windfall of epic proportions.

Interesting to note that the prize money for winning the semi final is actually more than all the prize money so far, and, in fact, is more than the prize money for winning the final. The list shows prize money of £16,000 for winning the semi final, but also £25,000 for losing the final, so £41,000, which is £11,000 more than the £30,000 won so far. Then the £50,000 for winning the final is £25,000 more than for losing the final, so £25,000 is effectively the prize money for winning the final, which is less than the £41,000 which is gained for winning the semi final.

[Luton Roman]

Not forgetting the gate money. Total crowds have been say 7500 at say £10 per head for ease = £75000 at say 40% = c.£30k.

So who saw this coming at Thurrock??

[comrade powell]

Long live non-league football: it was a good place to be last night, despite the result, given the Premiership TV deal nonsnse was all I could hear on the radio driving over!

Amen to that! Superb turn out by your fans last night, who almost saw a repeat of Saturday's incredible come back.

[comrade powell]

So who saw this coming at Thurrock??

Certainly not me! I'm sure the incredible resolve shown by the team in this Trophy run is a direct result of that dismal day.

[comrade powell]

Received a nice message this morning from one of our friends at Wealdstone...

Everyone at Wealdstone is really made up for City reaching the semis. But don't think it's Job Done! That's what happened after we'd beaten Cambridge United three years ago, and then we tripped up against Newport, thinking it was the easiest semifinal draw for us (having only lost in extra time in a replay to them two years before).
BUT.. if you do make it past North Ferriby, don't forget to park up at Grosvenor Vale for the Final! Great welcome/cheap beer guaranteed for all your 50 coaches, and an easy trip down the Met Line to Wembley.
Good luck

and some comments on their forum...

http://www.wealdstonefc.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=8490&start=60

[Steve Whites Missus]

For me Chas seemed a totally different player from Saturday's game. Goal and free-kick aside his passing was far more effective and he got some useful toe, shoulder & back blocks of the ball.

Who got man of the match? The whole team?

[stillmanjunior]

So who saw this coming at Thurrock??

Certainly not me! I'm sure the incredible resolve shown by the team in this Trophy run is a direct result of that dismal day.

When I was sat in that bar for the last 10 minutes sinking a second double vodka I distinctly remember saying to myself 'doesn't matter - we will be one step from Wembley soon'....

It was strong vodka.

[Ashley]

For me Chas seemed a totally different player from Saturday's game.  Goal and free-kick aside his passing was far more effective and he got some useful toe, shoulder & back blocks of the ball.

Who got man of the match?  The whole team?

I think Dave Pratt got it.

We could almost have done with two MOMs - one for the first half and one for the second such was the difference in the game.

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