Gloucester C 3 Braintree T 0 Match report

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Braintree bow out of this season's F A Trophy at the first time of asking after a poor showing at Gloucester City today. With Will Davies gone, Shaq Coulthirst not allowed to play and Reggie Lambe still on international duty, the squad was down to the last men standing with only only 4 subs named including coach Michael Brothers. Jack Sims returned in goal, John White took up an unusual defensive midfield role with Crichlow starting being the changes from Tuesday's win. Missing any kind of target man and with a vertically challenged front line, up against some towering defenders, they tried to pass it around but often ended up forcing the final pass with the move petering out. Sims was the first to be tested as he faced a one on one, but the City forward goes for a low side-foot effort which is easily saved. Blair tries a long shot which goes over, a theme that would ensue throughout the match. Tompkins gets under a corner and it sails over the bar and Watt who keeps trying to carry the ball to the opposition drives through the middle, checks on to his weaker left foot and scoops his shot wide of the post. Another Watt run ends ended when he is fouled on the edge of the "D". Matt Ward couldn't repeat his thunderous strike from Tuesday evening and shoots low straight at the wall. When Braintree do get it wide, the lack of accuracy with their crossing makes it easy for the home side to defend. A couple of City corners ends with one being met at the back post but the header is straight into the grateful gloves of Sims.
Gloucester start in a more positive fashion in the second half as Braintree struggle to get out. Eight minutes in and the home team score from a corner, they win the initial header and it's sent goal wards where it's stabbed in from close range. Braintree on the counter are keeping their "Richard Nott" busy by constantly shooting high. Gloucester should've doubled their lead on 65 minutes, breaking on one of many misplaced passes, attacking down the left where Mason is getting regularly beaten but Sims comes to the rescue. Braintree finally get on the end of a cross and sub Hershel on for White continues the trend of putting the ball over the bar. Just over ten minutes left and the tie is effectively over, City move the ball from right to left and the overlapping player drives into the box and shoots, Sims saves it but the ball falls to another City player who dinks the ball over the players in front of him and Beresford following up nods it in from 3 yards. The third follows 7 minutes later, again a Sims parry ends up falling to a home player for another close range finish. Ward carries the ball off the left flank and hits a powerful drive from 25 yards which thumps against the post and away to safety. The Ipswich youngster then plays in Herschel to come inside the box from the left, but it's yet another shot over the bar.
Braintree's away from has been poor for most of the season with just one win and the side bears little resemblance to the one that has scored four goals in each of the last three home games. With three more away fixtures ahead, starting at Dartford on Tuesday, they need to get their act together quickly.

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So our main striker Will Davies is on his way to York City

Neil Cox envisages bright future for York City new signing Will Davies



From the York Press:
By Gabriel Ramsey
@gabramseyjourno
Sports Reporter




YORK City assistant manager Neil Cox envisages new signing Will Davies to have a bright future with the club, after signing on Wednesday from Braintree Town.

Davies becomes Neal Ardley's second York signing after an impressive start in the Vanarama National League South with Braintree Town, scoring eight goals in 15 appearances.

The striker has now signed a long-term contract with City, and impressed Cox in his first training session with the club.

We spotted somebody that we really liked and there were a few clubs interested actually, I think more people were going to go for him in League Two in January," Cox explained.

But we got in there, he spoke to the manager on our thoughts of how we expected him to play and he’s not coming in to be a sub.

He’s coming in to play games and be part of the front three now, instead of the front two we’ve had.

He’ll learn off of what we’ve done and it’ll make him a better player, him and the gaffer spoke a couple of times.

The manager put the ambitions of the club forward, it’s something that he wanted to get on and into the journey.

He’s only young, he’s aggressive, he can run and has a bit of pace about him.

He scores goals, and that’s the most important thing.

It doesn’t matter what level you are playing at, the defenders are getting a little bit better but you’ve still got to move to get that ball in between those posts.

I think he’ll be an excellent signing for us.

He’s full of confidence, he’s come in and got on with training yesterday.

He’s knocked a few people about and he likes his aggression.

He’s got on with it as if he was playing for his own team, there’s no pressure and the gaffer has told him to enjoy it, it’s a challenge for him.

He’s really taken to the challenge and I think he’ll be a good asset for us.

His role at the minute is to score goals, come in and play for us for the next four or five years.

That’s what we hope for and we’re looking for, he’s signed a contract with the football club.

We want to progress and bring good players in, and some of these players that we’ve already got at this football club are understanding of that and want to be a part of that."

Cox and Ardley have made it clear in the past that they like to have four strikers within the matchday squad, something which Cedric Main would be a part of with his loan spell at Blyth Spartans ending in January.

Cox also confirmed that Main would be returning to the club, with the Minstermen still keen to bring in new faces.

We’ve had reports of Cedric and he will be coming back in in January," Cox confirmed to the Press.

He was out till January with no call back, so we hadn’t been able to see Cedric, but with most of the players out on loan, the staff have been out watching the games and watching Cedric.

He will come in, but if there’s a possibility of getting another centre-forward in and we have five centre-forwards and we can financially do that, then we can do that as well.

We’ve had a busy week and we’ve got another busy week this week.

We are looking at things and a number of positions that we would like to strengthen, if possible.

But getting things over the line at the moment with us working and having games, it’s difficult.

All leagues really we have had a look at, but it’s difficult to get league players in at the moment because the window is closed.

If we want to buy anybody, it’s difficult and to get them in on loan from league clubs, people don’t want to let them go because they can’t replace them.

We’re just looking at players that we can bring in that will make us stronger, and the two players we have brought in will make us stronger."