Whaddon Road Saturday, April 15th, 2017   National League North Attendance: 379       Gloucester City 2-1 Stalybridge Celtic
2016 /17

Comments :

Another ground ticked off on my 92, just hope Cheltenham don''t go down now. Left home at about 11:00 with Mum, Dad and Joseph. Went by car along M4 and came off just before Swindon onto the A417 and then the A419. Dropped mum off just outside the town centre so she could go to the art gallery and we then drove on to the football ground. Got to the ground just before 14:00 and went in club shop and sat down and had lunch in the main stand. The pitch itself was in awful condition and didn''t allow either side to play any good style of football easily once the game started. The 1st half was a poor half of football with Stalybridge looking the better side and trying to play good football once they got the ball into the final third. Gloucester were very poor in the first half and it looked as if they were the side struggling at the bottom rather than Stalybridge. At HT it was 0-0 and it was looking like a game that could only be won by the odd goal from either side. Gloucester came out the 2nd half much better and it became an entertaining game of football with both sides having chances. About halfway through the 2nd half, Stalybridge had their CB and captain sent off for an off ball offence which was apparently an elbow in the face which I didn''t see. Gloucester then went ahead by a tap in, no thanks to the Stalybridge goalkeeper fumbling a cross which the Gloucester striker was able to tap in. About 10 mins later, Stalybridge got back level with a lovely free kick. Both sides then went for the winner and then about 5 mins later Hopper scored again for Gloucester from a free kick which went in off the post. Overall, on their 2nd half performance Gloucester deserved the 3 points but Stalybridge could easily taken at least a point from the game. Got back in the car just after 17:00 and got home at about 19:40 ish.