Saturday 11 December 2004 - Vauxhall Road - kick off 3.00pm Southern League Premier Division

With a new manager installed during the week and four players making their debuts for Hemel their league position was always going to be slightly misleading. City themselves were forced into making two changes to the side that beat Banbury. The saga of Alex Sykes’ England Futsal commitment ended with the winger heading to Manchester instead of Hemel and keeper Steve Perrin was back with Forest Green Rovers after his loan spell was ended early. In for those two came Ben Cleverley, making his first start for City, and Justin Shuttlewood, back between the sticks for the first time since he was carried off near the end of the 5-1 defeat at Histon. Two of Hemel’s new players, Petrou and Carney, combined early on to see the former shoot into the side netting. Midson then shot too near Shuttlewood but after this slow start City began to get back into the game, despite playing up the considerable Vauxhall Road slope. The clearest opening during this spell fell to Jimmy Benefield when John Williams’ cross picked him out at the far post. He brought the ball down but the allowed keeper Lovell to smother the chance. Having got on top City then contrived to gift the home side the lead on 22 minutes. Neill lifted a right wing cross into the box where an unmarked Petrou looped a header over Shuttlewood. However, this lead only lasted just over a minute as Bobby Ford picked out an equally alone Partridge. He brought the ball down instantly and from six yards out lifted it into the roof of the net. Both sides now created chances, although City always looked the stronger of the two. For Hemel, Carney burst clear but his shot was parried by Shuttlewood. In response Sam Bailey headed a corner just over and Partridge shot straight at Lovell. Cleverley was also denied by the keeper and Benefield wasted a great chance, when he had time and space to do better than send in a poor cross that was easily cleared.

The home side began the second half well, Steve Jones blocking Jackson’s goal-bound volley and Shuttlewood producing the best save of the game, turning Petrou’s shot away for a corner. The keeper was also called into action to deal with a couple of dangerous crosses before City got into their stride once again. Owers’ almost opened his account for the season with a dipping volley that Lovell acrobatically turned over the bar. Hemel were using a stifling offside trap to frustrate City but on 59 minutes the flag stayed down as Partridge ran onto a Williams through ball. He tried to go around Lovell but was forced wide and when he pulled the ball back to Benefield the midfielder completely fluffed the shot. However, five minutes later City repeated the trick and this time Partridge made no mistake, rounding Lovell and rolling the ball into the empty net. This finally broke the host’s resistance and from then on it was all City. On 71 minutes City and Partridge grabbed their third. A quickly taken free-kick by Ford put the striker in the clear and he easily stroked a shot past Lovell. City were now breaching Town’s rearguard almost at will. Benefield was the next to race clear but he showed none of Partridge’s composure, slicing a shot horribly wide, and then substitute Moor went closer but not close enough. So, in the end, City had to settle for three but this was enough to complete their recent marathon away game run with a victory and make sure the top of the table is still firmly in their sights.