Saturday 2 April - kick off 3.00pm Southern League Premier Division

New arrival Owen Story was handed the right-wing berth in place of Darren Hawkins and Martin Paul took over from the injured Scott Partridge. It was clear from the start that Stamford had little interest in doing anything other than slowing down the game at every opportunity and City seemed unwilling – or incapable of – upping the tempo. It took 18 minutes for them to get an effort on goal. A Steadman handball gave City a free-kick 25 yards out which Alex Skyes fired in low and, after keeper Watts had uncomfortably parried, it was scrambled away for a corner. The hope that Story would add desperately needed pace to City’s attack was failing to materialise as he struggled to get into the game. The sight of him coming inside to get possession was one sadly familiar to City fans as again the lack of width in the side was painfully reminiscent of the season as a whole. City were resulting to optimistic long-range efforts, with Graeme Power, John Williams and Paul all failing to hit the target from distance. On the rare occasion Stamford did get into the City half they almost created decent openings but the final pass or cross was lacking and Paul Evans was never tested.

After the interval it was clear that City had realised they needed to step up a gear but this was proving harder than they would have wished given the nature of the opening 45 minutes. Story was beginning to see more of the ball and it was obvious that had City pursued this avenue earlier they may have already broken Stamford resistance. One run after 52 minutes ended with a Jim Rollo shot that Watts straightforwardly gathered. Three minutes later he raced onto the end of a Bobby Ford pass but Watts forced him wide and the danger passed. City’s closest effort came just after the hour mark when Williams flicked a Sykes corner toward goal. It looked destined for the net but Watts produced a stunning one-handed save to tip it over for a corner. This save briefly lifted his teammates and Leigh Henry had to be alert to stop Rowe and then Steadman hit a well-struck shot straight at Evans. Going into the closing 15 minutes City made three substitutions in quick succession. Hawkins replaced the ineffectual Sykes, Ricky Hulbert came on for Paul, who had received almost no service all afternoon, and Matt Coupe made way for Yan Klukowski. Almost immediately these changes breathed new life into City and the closing ten minutes were spent almost exclusively deep in the Stamford half. Hawkins failed to connect with an acrobatic effort eight yards out from Story’s centre and then Hulbert could only shoot straight at Watts from a similar position. Three minutes from time Klukowski produced a surging run that took him to the byline. His low hard cross failed to find a black and white clad teammate but Daniels defender Mintus came within inches of slicing his clearance into the net. Into stoppage time two free-kick thirty yards or so out almost led to the goal City were so frantically chasing. The first saw Chris Holland and Henry get in each others way at the far post; the second dropped to Hulbert but his shot was blocked by Watts, although an offside flag made the save academic. The final whistle confirmed that Stamford would be playing Eastern Division football next season – and on that performance deservedly so – but, amazingly so given their showing, it moved City a point nearer the holy grail of fifth place. However, it will take more than divine intervention if they are to make that spot with any more performances like this one.