City extended their unbeaten run to six matches but after dominating the second half of this match will wonder how they failed to make it four wins in a row against a Grantham side who stay a point clear of the Lilywhites in the Premier Division table.

Adie Hayes retained his place in the side at the expense of Matt Clements in the only change from the starting line up at Folkestone last Saturday.

The game started openly and the Gingerbreads fired an early warning in the third minute when Stuart Wilson got behind the home defence and forced a corner on the left. Rick Ranshaw got his head to resultant place kick and City were grateful to Dan Huggins who cleared from in front of goal. A couple of minutes later and the visitors broke down the left. Gary Bull angled the ball across the box picking out Lee Marshall who had stolen into the area on the blind side of the Lilywhites’ defence, but the centre skimmed off the top of Marshall’s head to the relief of an unprotected Martin Davies.

City, who started somewhat tentatively, carved out an excellent scoring opportunity with their first meaningful attack. A neat series of passes between Simpson, Nightingale and Wilson culminated with the former Bristol Rovers skipper playing the ball into Danny Bloomfield’s feet in a central position some 8 yards from goal. In attempting to turn however the City striker lost his footing and failed to connect.

Grantham continued to work the ball wide to the left to good effect. On 15 minutes the impressive Gary Bull received the ball on the edge of the box and arrowed a cross-shot towards Martin Davies’ left hand upright. Fully extended, the City stopper collected the ball at the second attempt. In a similar position 5 minutes later Tim Wooding was penalised for a push on Ranshaw. Jon Hawley left the City back line in no doubt that he was lining up a strike on goal and Martin Davies was grateful to punch his fierce drive clear.

On 25 minutes Ranshaw who had, generally speaking, come off second best to Colin Vowden in their aerial duel, was booked after he caught the City centre back in the face with a loose arm.

Grantham continued to probe intelligently looking for ways to bypass City’s dominance in the air. On 32 minutes Marshall clipped the ball over the City back line, Stuart Wilson outpaced the central defenders and with time to place his shot fired low across Davies only to see the City ‘keeper get down impressively to block with his legs.

On 36 minutes more quick thinking created the opportunity which allowed Grantham to take the lead. Vowden was penalised for a push on Ranshaw some ten yards into the City half. Dave Gilbert spotted Bull’s run and lofted a quick free kick, from right to left, before City had time to re-organise. Bull controlled the ball superbly, evaded Huggins and fired in a low centre across the six yard box which Stuart Wilson stabbed past a stranded Davies.

City lacked the craft to hit back before the break. The nearest they came was on 43 minutes when Hayes played a short corner to Bloomfield whose return pass gave the midfielder a decent crossing angle. Hayes fired the ball in at pace but Colin Vowden narrowly failed to connect with his head.

Gary Roberts was obviously not satisfied with the first 45 minutes and at the re-start Kevin Wilkin replaced Rob Sturgess. City’s player coach partnering Robbie Simpson up front, Danny Bloomfield switching to the right as the Lilywhites adopted an attacking 4-3-3 formation.

The change in the pattern of the game was immediate. Wilkin proving hugely influential as he dropped off to collect the ball from the midfielders. City forced a succession of early corners but as at the South Kesteven Sports Stadium back in August they were frustrated by the commanding figure of Mario Zuccardi who again dominated his area.

City were now showing much more invention. On 52 minutes another good patient passing move involving Wilson and Nightingale resulted in a perfectly weighted Hayes pass completely wrong-footing the Grantham back line and landing invitingly at the feet of Wilkin. Clear on goal the veteran striker snatched at the chance and dragged his shot wide of Zuccardi’s right hand post.
Shane Wardley was getting forward well to support the attack, largely as a result of Wilkin bringing him into the game with some intelligent passing. On 53 minutes he freed the left back who took the ball to the bye-line before firing in a low centre which Zuccardi couldn’t take cleanly under pressure from Bloomfield, but the loose ball fell agonisingly behind the City striker. Two minutes later Wilkin and Wardley combined again. From centre field Wilkin played Wardley in down the inside left channel, the former Southend man fired in a low shot-come-cross which Wilkin himself narrowly failed to connect with at the far post.

On the hour mark City came within a whisker of levelling the scores. Adie Hayes, having a very good second half released Robbie Simpson whose cross from the left picked out Danny Bloomfield. His first time effort was blocked by Ziccardi but the loose ball fell to Rob Nightingale whose shot appeared to cannon off the legs of Wilkin. That rebound in turn fell to Che Wilson on the edge of the box who hit what looked like a goal-bound low drive back past Zuccardi only for Marshall to hack the ball off the goal line. This time the ball fell to Wardley who rifled a shot straight back into the danger area but his dipping drive just cleared the angle of post and bar.

Grantham managed to loosen City’s stranglehold moments later when Joby Gowshall made good progress down the right and crossed for Gary Bull who did well to connect and force Davies into a save. Now it was City who were on the back foot. Having failed to clear a free kick swung in from the right the ball was worked to Stuart Wilson on the right hand edge of the box. His first time effort although lacking in power was well directed and forced Martin Davies, at full stretch, into a vital save low to his left.

Having weathered the comeback City then produced a five minute spell of pressure which resulted in the equalising goal. On 65 minutes Simpson rose superbly to flick on a Tim Wooding free kick into the path of Danny Bloomfield who had ghosted in from the right. With only the keeper to beat Bloomfield shot low and hard only for Zuccardi to react superbly and save with his outstretched leg. Two minutes later, Rob Nightingale, some 10 yards into the visitors half in the inside left position, sent a defence splitting pass arrowing between George and McDaid, again Bloomfield was on the end of it, again he fired low and hard, again Zuccardi saved with his legs.

Just when the City faithful were beginning to think their side would never score, the sustained pressure of the second half paid dividends. Wardley again getting into an advanced position wide on the left saw his low centre forced behind by Gowshall for another corner. Rob Nightingale’s superbly flighted inswinging kick saw Zuccardi caught in two minds for the only time in the whole 90 minutes. Siezing on this hesitancy Colin Vowden rose highest to power in a header, his third goal in the last four games.

Moments later City came close to taking the lead. Good interplay between Hayes and Wilkin released the City sub on the left. From what seemed a very acute angle he managed to hit a rising left foot drive which an alert Zuccardi did extremely well to parry behind for a corner.

Unfortunately for City it was at this point that running repairs to the visitors’ net had to be carried out. This enforced break in play seemed to give the Gigerbreads time to regroup and they were able to successfully disrupt City’s attacking momentum.

With 15 minutes to go Chris Hall replaced Dave Gilbert and Grantham saw the opportunity to snatch a winner. A free kick floated in from the left caused confusion between Davies and the central defenders. McDaid got in between them and headed the ball back across goal for Gary Bull but the former Cambridge United striker couldn’t connect and the chance was gone. Two minutes later City again failed to clear their lines from a free kick but Stuart Wilson could only snatch at his shot from the left hand side of goal and fire behind.

As the game entered the final ten minutes City regained the ascendancy. Firstly Bloomfield, who gave Darren Dye a torrid second half again burst through into the box, he cut the ball back sharply but a diving Kevin Wilkin failed to get his head on it. City could still have snatched all three points in the dying moments of the game. More good work by Wilkin created a crossing opportunity for Wardley. Zuccardi spilled his spiralling centre and the ball dropped invitingly for Bloomfield. With the goal at his mercy it looked a certain goal but his effort was stopped by the arm of a Grantham defender who did a passable impression of his goalkeeper, unfortunately the referee did not have a good view and Grantham escaped any punishment.

City will probably look at this as two points dropped but if they can carry the performance of the second 45 minutes into their forthcoming games they will surely continue to pick up points and move up the table.