City fail to master basics

Three shots on target for Notts County produced three goals. You don’t get a more clinical exhibition of finishing than that.

So you can have all the possession in the world – and City had plenty on Saturday. It doesn’t matter a jot.

The object of this game will always be about putting the ball in the net; something Notts County did whenever it mattered.

“It sounds simple but if you can take away those three isolated incidents, there was nothing in the game,” admitted Stuart McCall afterwards.

“We weren’t overrun, we weren’t outplayed or outfought. We had 20-odd crosses to their seven but the harsh reality in football is that you’ve got to take your chances.

“Notts County took the only three they had in the game and they’ve gone off happy. We’re hugely disappointed.”

Not as much as the 1,231 City fans who had travelled in the hope of seeing the Barnet debacle cleared straight out the system. Another huge following; another huge letdown.

This was not on the same scale as Underhill. City could not possibly play as badly again. In fact, for the first ten minutes they were well on top and showed no hint of a hangover from the excesses of the previous week.

But then one bad goal led to another. And another. Before you knew it, Notts County were three to the good and cruising and it wasn’t even half-time.

So much for a team who had previously managed only one win in 17 attempts against sides from the top half of the table.

Vitriol poured down from the away stand. The pre-match anthems had been replaced by a biting blast of “you’re not fit to wear the shirt”. It must have been agony to the ears of the manager. Let’s hope it hit home with his players.

The second half, admittedly, was better – it had to be – but then again County, knowing the match was as good as won, rarely got out of second gear.

For the second game in a row, City had to listen to mocking choruses of “ole” from the home supporters as the opposition played keep ball. Despite the black and white stripes, this was Notts County, not Juventus.

A fortnight ago, Valley Parade was a vibrant scene of celebration. Tuesday night could be a very different situation if City cannot deliver against Macclesfield.

They have only themselves to blame. The pressure has been self-inflicted by two shocking results.

It is the first time all season that City have lost two on the bounce, which shows the consistency they have displayed for much of it. But few would have expected their first double blow to be struck by two sides in the bottom ten.

Was the recent hat-trick of wins just an illusion? No wonder the supporters feel so low.

What happened to the defensive record of steel; the team that has twice gone four games without conceding a goal? That question will be bugging McCall even more than the worrying lack of a cutting edge going forward.

The loss of Omar Daley looks to have thumped a huge hole in City’s attacking ambitions. Though, at least, the sight of Peter Thorne tapping in his first goal for four months will have raised hopes that he can now embark on another hot run to finish the campaign as he started it.

City certainly need a pick-me-up from somewhere. If not, with so many games crammed into March, their promotion dream could disappear swiftly down the gurgler.

The Bantams have not been scoring freely for a while but all the time they were keeping the back door nailed shut, it was not such a concern. But having leaked seven goals in two games, that is no longer the case. McCall suddenly has problems at both ends of the pitch.

Schoolboy mistakes led to County’s opener after 11 minutes. City were on the attack at the time and looking menacing, with Nicky Law’s free-kicks posing serious questions for a home back four that had only kept one clean sheet in the last ten outings.

Matt Clarke had already put one free header over when Law dropped another set-piece into the mix. Thorne had a couple of bites before County got the ball clear – and left the visitors dangerously exposed all upfield.

Dean Furman dived in – and missed – and the black and white shirts were off to the races.

What’s the saying about magpies? One for sorrow, two for joy ... how about four against one as Luke O’Brien found himself submerged by a flock of them. Law gamely tried to make up the yards to help but where was the rest of the cavalry?

With the odds stacked so heavily in their favour, County finished the job, with Jamie Forrester squaring to an unmarked Jonathan Forte to guide past Rhys Evans.

Michael Boulding instantly headed straight at home keeper Kevin Pilkington but it had no power to trouble him. It was the most notable moment of the afternoon for either player.

City’s attempts to equalise were more through hope than expectation. It was summed up when Steve Jones, who had another indifferent day, delivered his best cross of the game but the only head diving in to attack it was home skipper Mike Edwards clearing the ball out of harm’s way.

County were hardly any better as the game, played on an awful pitch, descended into an episode of lump it long. But they upped their act when it needed to be in front of goal.

Just like Barnet, City struggled to lay a finger on either winger and both combined for the second after the half hour.

Miles Weston eluded Zesh Rehman to hang a cross towards the far post where Forte had time to take it neatly on the chest, wrong-foot O’Brien to get on his favourite left boot and lash through Evans.

The mood off the pitch was darkening fast and Jones felt the force when he took a wrong option and dribbled straight into trouble.

City desperately needed something from somewhere to offer a chink of light – and they almost cut the deficit as Law set off on a forceful drive into the left corner of the box. His cross bobbled to Boulding, who set up Lee Bullock for a drive that deflected a foot wide of the post.

But having nearly forced their way back into it, City were caught out again in the first minute of added time.

Weston was again the tormentor-in-chief, brushing past Rehman and drilling the ball into the danger zone. It struck O’Brien in the tangle of bodies and ricocheted for Delroy Facey to turn home.

Cue the derision from the packed away stand. Once again, the game was up for the shell-shocked Bantams.

McCall hauled off the anonymous Boulding to bring on Joe Colbeck and the winger’s energy and enthusiasm did give City a bit of a spark.

They were the better team after the break and Evans was never tested again but by that point the game had the air of a pre-season friendly.

Jamie Clapham dealt with a couple of dangerous crosses and there were chances for Furman and Graeme Lee. Yet you never sensed that City could get a foothold back into proceedings.

At least Thorne finally got on the scoresheet with six minutes left after good work from Colbeck. It was too little and far too late to matter but will have given the veteran striker’s confidence a timely boost.

City, having dropped out of the play-off places, need any lift they can get.

Attendance: 5,138