So on an ugly day we get another ugly match and an ugly 1-0 win over Halifax in front of a hardy 3096 supporters at the Park. City lined up: Marriott; Edwards, Matt Taylor, Seaborne, Sercombe; Moxey, Gill, Harley, Carlisle; Logan, Stansfield.

 

In an unexpected move, manager Tisdale started the game with Liam Sercombe at right back replacing the suspended Steve Tully and Ryan Harley making his debut home start in place of captain Andy Taylor. However with a fierce wind and driving rain blowing down the ground, it was fully 15 minutes before we saw an incident of note. Stans and Logie combined well to see the ball wide to Carlisle who scampered down the right before delivering a deep cross towards Deano at the far post. As he shaped to head home though, a defender nipped in and cleared to safety.

 

The weather was clearly having an affect on the game, with both sides frittering away possession at every opportunity and neither putting any sort of command on the opposition. Indeed, it took another 25 minutes of turgid schoolboy errors before anything else happened, and once again it was a City move I'm happy to say. City were enjoying, for once, a decent dollop of possession with the ball eventually ending up with Sercombe down the right. He swept in a great looking cross to Logan at the near post, but unfortunately he met it just a bit too thinly and the ball glanced across the face of goal and away to safety.

 

A minute later a Wayno cross from the right was flicked on by Stans to Logan unmarked eight yards out, but the flick caught him a little unawares and all he succeeded in doing was to hoist the ball wastefully over the bar and into the empty away end. Rather prophetically that was the final action of the first half, and one that won't be going down in the annals of footballing history as one to remember.

 

But there was always the second half to come, and with both the wind and rain abating slightly, conditions got a whole lot better for the players. It was City who found their rhythm first when Wayno drifted in a good looking cross after some hearty Deano spadework, but Logan's far post glance drifted inches wide.

 

On 12 minutes it really should have been 1-0, and once again it was Logan the guilty party. He did superbly to steal a hopelessly underhit back pass and march goalwards, but equally the Halifax keeper also remained alert and came out quickly to close down the space. With a collision imminent, Logie dinked the ball over the keeper, but also wide of the post again, this time with the goal gaping.

 

But all was made amends in the fifteenth minute. A massive Gill throw was flicked on at the near post by what looked like a Halifax defender - a minute later an identical move saw Matt Taylor make the flick on, so maybe he was in there challenging for this one too - where Logan was lurking deep at the far post. He rose unmolested to butt home from a few yards out to make it 1-0 to City as the place erupted almost as much in relief as celebration.

 

City weren't having it all their own though, and Halifax came back strongly. In the 20th minute a bit of a mish mash of a clearance cannoned back off Seaborne straight to a Halifax striker. With time and space he shot ferociously, but Marriott read it superbly and tipped it round the post for a corner.

 

On 30 minutes it was City back on the attack with Wayno delivering a cross from the right. Good work form Harley set up a scrambled double effort from first Deano and then Logie where his five yard effort was deflected behind for a City corner. That corner was swung in to Deano level with the far post on the edge of the area, where he cleverly worked space for himself before unleashing a powerful low drive that screwed narrowly the wrong side of the post.

 

Three minutes later Tis made a double substitution of Logan and Stansfield - both to a well deserved standing ovation from an appreciative crowd - for home debutant Ben Watson - a recent loan signing for the remainder of the season from Grays - and Basham.

 

City's push for a second goal remained unchanged though, and a minute later a thunderous Harley drive from fully 30 yards was deflected high onto the Bank.The final action of a much, much better second half fell to Halifax though, with former City player Santos Gaia almost stealing a point with a close range bullet header from a free kick, but he figured without Marriott being in such good recent form and in the end it was a good save from Marriott keeping all three points at the Park.

 

As to the game, definitely one of two halves, with the first being particularly poor. The weather didn't help in the least, and both sides found it ridiculously hard to string anything like any moves of note together, although it has to be said in terms of overall play I thought City to be the more deserving of the two sides.

 

The second half was a much better affair, with City having massive periods of possession and stroking the ball around with no little swagger at times. The goal was a worthy winner too, and some reward for Logan who worked well and despite squandering a number of chances still didn't shy away from his responsibilities and quickly moved on to the next opportunity with his chin up.

In goal once again Marriott showed what a good shot stopper he is with a couple of good saves, especially the one right at the end, although for much of the game he was untroubled by Halifax's impotent front line.

 

Much of this was due, once again, to the near faultless work of Seaborne and Matt Taylor at the heart of the defence. Under the guidance of wise old head Rob Edwards at left back, these two are showing they could be some force in seasons to come. A word, too, for Liam Sercombe. It's been a while since he saw first team action, yet slotted in effortlessly into an unfamiliar role in his first season as a full professional.

 

Speaking of which, well done to Ryan Harley. He showed a good range of passes, moved well and certainly wasn't afraid of the ball, nor afraid to drop deep to collect off his defence. Although the more experienced Matt Gill has been going through something of a renaissance in recent weeks, it was Harley who shone for me in the middle of Park.

 

But once again we find ourselves saying a win's a win. Performances haven't been that inspiring of late, and the lads have been in a bit of a slump, but at home they've still been grinding out results. And grind they've had to, I keep mentioning the weather, but the last three games have been severely affected by it - hurricane like conditions for Kidderminster, a waterlogged postponement of Droylsden and then today looking doubtful for much of the morning as the heavens opened once again.

 

We're handily placed now though, and find ourselves only two points from a play-off spot with a game in hand - presumably the rearranged fixture with Droylsden on Thursday - and five points and three games in hand over our nearest opponent below us. Hopefully you'll all be along to cheer the lads on in this vitally important part of the season on Thursday, before enjoying the spectacle of City live on the telly at Stevenage at the weekend. Then we're all off to Salisbury on Tuesday before we're back at the Park the following Saturday when we entertain Northwich. On paper these are all hugely winnable, and could go a long way to securing a play-off berth.

 

So make sure you turn out in numbers, as you have done magnificently all season, and get right behind the lads from first whistle to last. You don't need me telling you all this of course, cos I know I'll see you all there on Thursday evening when hopefully bottom placed Droylsden are despatched pointless. See you up there.