A first half strike from Lee Phillips was enough to give City three points in a battling performance at Stafford's Marston Road ground. City needed to be strong and competitive to withstand a physical Stafford side and gain revenge for last October's defeat at St. James Park. Tisdale reverted to the same outfield starting line up from the match against Weymouth with Lee Elam and Wayne Carlisle recalled at the expense of Dean Moxey and Andy Taylor. Martin Rice made way for Paul Jones in the City goal.

In crisp, bright conditions City emerged and gave the travelling faithful among the 970 crowd a round of applause before kicking off and playing into the sun. Openings were few and far between during the initial exchanges. Stafford were happy to try their luck from distance and a couple of speculative efforts were dealt with easily by Jones. City meanwhile tried to get their passing game going and an early dart to the byline by Elam saw his pull back just fail to reach Challinor arriving in the area. Stafford set out their stall to play one way. Long balls were aimed towards Madjo and Grayson whose hold up play brought others into the game. It meant, however, that Todd and Edwards needed to be at their strongest and best to repel attacks.

Elam was looking the most lively of City's forward players, always looking to pass creatively and use the intelligent runs of Phillips and Challinor ahead of him, and from another cross Phillips stretched but just lifted his effort over the bar from 8 yards. The first real scare at the back came midway through the half. City fell asleep as a free kick was played in towards Madjo on the edge of the box. He used the yard of space he had to lift the ball over Paul Jones towards the goal. Rob Edwards back tracked furiously as the ball dropped but fortunately it fell the right side of the post, only Edwards himself ending up in the back of the net. City continued to play better football, though, and forced a series of corners which led to little before making the all important breakthrough just before the half hour mark.

Chris Todd played a ball forward and Elam, having drifted inside, flicked the ball on towards Phillips about 40 yards out. He was able to out muscle and out pace the Wayne Daniel and as Alcock in the Stafford goal raced out of his area Phillips stabbed the ball past him from 30 yards for his first goal since the FA Cup tie with Stockport. The goal visibly lifted City and their superior quality began to tell in the closing minutes of the half as first, a chance fashioned by Edwards and Elam fell to Phillips whose shot unluckily struck Challinor and then Carlisle, with time and space in the penalty area struck the post as he tried to sidefoot home.

Stafford's tactics were summed up soon after as a nasty looking challenge on Challinor from behind caused him to react. Challinor and the initial aggressor, Lovatt, were both cautioned. Then Alcock was called into action again as he acrobatically turned a curling Challinor shot out for a corner after good hold up play by Phillips. The half ended with another long range effort from a Stafford free kick straight to Jones and City forcing another couple of corners.

Stafford made one change at the break with the more adventurous Murphy joining the fray but the first chance fell to City. Matt Gill played the ball towards the edge of the Stafford area which Alcock sliced straight to Carlisle. He took a first time left footed swipe at the ball from 30 yards but hit it too well and the ball dropped over the crossbar with defenders back pedalling.

The half settled in to a similar pattern to the first with Stafford employing their long ball physical approach and City trying to repel and build attacks using the width of the pitch. Either side of their second substitution Stafford had two penalty claims, first claiming a push by Billy Jones, then a handball, but the referee turned them away. On the hour Stafford had what turned out to be their best chance of the afternoon. Another long ball created difficulties for Todd and as Edwards and Tully got in each other's way for the loose ball a shot was flashed across the goal and wide when Paul Jones could have been expected to be worked harder.

Stafford then made their final substitution, bringing on David McNiven for his debut and moving to a three up front formation. Tisdale took this opportunity to consult Perryman in the stand to decide how to approach he final quarter of the game and gain an invaluable victory. The answer was to bring Cozic on to replace Gill with Buckle going to a slightly deeper role, but Stafford's game plan continued. City continued to look solid at the back. Todd and Edwards stood firm and Paul Jones was faultless coming to claim several crosses under pressure and being well placed for further shots from outside the 18 yard box.

City were struggling to get much fluency in their play but two further chances fell to Challinor as he lifted a knock down by Philips over the bar and the volleyed a Billy Jones free kick just wide. The final fifteen minutes was largely forgettable in terms of clear chances. Todd showed strength and determination to clear a corner that Jones had failed to claim and a snapshot from 20 yards was blazed over after a free kick was awarded to Stafford on the left hand edge of the area.

Three minutes added time soon became four after an injury to Todd, but any real danger Stafford posed was quickly snuffed out by more assured handling from Jones. On this showing maybe it should have been him, and not Rice who was called up to the National game squad in midweek.

City left the pitch to a rousing chorus of chants clearly delighted at closing the gap between themselves and the play off places. Paul Jones, Todd and Edwards particularly had outstanding games at the back against a strike force who had given them problems earlier in the season and Phillips battled at the other end but was frustrated by the failure of the referee to award several deserved free kicks.

Other results went City's way too with none of the teams playing who started the day above them gaining more than a point leaving them seventh, 2 places and three points off a play off place. Woking are the visitors to St. James' Park next Saturday and City will want to repeat the performance they gave at Kingfield at the beginning of November.

City: P. Jones, Tully, Todd, Edwards, B. Jones, Gill (Cozic 75), Buckle,
Elam, Carlisle, Challinor, Phillips.

Subs not used: Rice, Mackie, Richardson, Logan.