Saturday 17 August 2002 - New Manor Ground - kick off 3.00pm Dr Martens Premier Division

With five players - Mark Hervin, Jason Drysdale, Paul Milsom, Eillis Wilmot and Andy Minturn - missing through injury the game saw four players make their bow in City colours. And it was two of these - Frankie Bennett and Jason Eaton - who almost gave City the lead after just nine minutes. Bennett produced a strong run toward the heart of the Ilkeston defence and laid the ball off to Eaton. His low shot was well struck but Smith got down to his left to collect. The third debutant was soon in action as well. Former Weston keeper Mark Bryant pushing Kiely's header to safety after Ford was given too much space down City's left. Despite the hot conditions the game was played at a good pace and with 18 minutes gone City should have taken the lead. Smith - who all game showed he was much better at stopping shots than gathering crosses - weakly punched an Andy Williams centre to Gosling on the edge of the box. With the net unguarded he lifted the ball back toward goal but saw it drop narrowly over the bar. This hearalded City's taking control of the game with Williams finding more and more space down the right flank and Gosling beginning to recapture his pre-season magic in the middle of the park. However, as it only looked a matter of time before they took the lead a careless pass gifted the home side a goal after 29 minutes. At first the concession of the ball near the halfway line appeared to signal little danger but ex-Liverpool and Rangers star Walters collected it and raced past Gary Thorne. Suddenly he only had Bryant to beat and he did this easily with a left foot shot that flew past the orange-clad keeper at his near post. City's response was almost immediate as Gosling's let fly from 25 yards out only for Smith to turn the ball away for a corner. A couple of minutes before the interval a groin injury forced Mike Trought from the action. His replacement, Gary Kemp, almost got off to a nightmare start, Ford leaving him trailing in his wake but dragging a shot well wide.

Ilson were the first side to settle in the second half and had several chances to put the game beyond City's reach. Bryant reacted quickly to deny Kelly after Chris Honor had misjudged a long ball forward. Keily then drifted in from the right only to curl a shot inches wide of the far post. This worrying spell for City was ended on 58 minutes when they grabbed an equaliser. Not surprisingly it was City's best two players - Williams and Gosling - who combined for the former to curl a cross into the Town box. Smith, again showing his weakness against a well-placed centre, could only flap at the ball under pressure from Adrian Foster and it fell kindly for Eaton to head home from six yards. City now went in search of a second goal. Foster forced another save from Smith before Eaton's cross shot just eluded last seasons top scorer at the far post. Incredibly in the conditions the closing stages saw both sides continue to create chances, although it was City who will feel they should taken the three points. Bennett's lobbed effort was tipped onto the bar by Smith and Williams should have done better than firing over after another run took him clear of Town's defence. At the other end Dundas saw one shot saved by Bryant and another fly wide of the City goal. The final chance came in the last minute when Williams's pass gave Bennett another shooting chance but again he could not beat Smith.