Mavididi earns City a point with March goal of the month contender

Stanway Rovers were the visitors on a fine Saturday afternoon in the Isthmian League North Division. The Lilywhites were coming into the game having failed to score in their last 3 matches, including the last result being a goalless draw with Brightlingsea Regent.

Stanway were looking good from their recent results, Rovers were unbeaten in their last 4 fixtures, having won the previous 3.

It was the visitors who kicked off, and after 8 minutes they had the first chance. Marley Andrews sent in a cross which eventually got to Harrison Chatting, his shot just flying clear of the crossbar.

3 minutes later and Stanway came again. Nat Mardell fired in a shot which Jaiden Babalola deflected around the post for a corner. James Philp got a hand to the cross, but the clearance fell only to Joe Debell, who whacked his shot wildly wide.

City came up the other end for their own attack, George Smith and Freddie Hockey linked up to give Hockey a shot at goal, the obstructed shot gave City their 1^st corner of the match. Callum Robinson claimed the corner with ease.

City then began to take control of the game. Hockey's cross was defended for corner, Robinson then got a hand to the cross and it fell to Ali Njie, who's shot was steered away for another corner. Robinson again got a hand to the ball and again it fell to the feet of Njie, though this time the strike was sliced wide.

Stanway then decided to start from the back but a poor kick from Robinson allowed Samrai Gebrai to pick out Smith and the solo run and shot was smothered by Robinson.

With 24 minutes gone, Smith picked up a pass from a throw, and Jack Thompson's cross was headed off the line with Hockey lurking at the far post. Smith then thumped a shot wide.

Both teams were able to cancel each other out at the midway point of the match. Mardell nearly latched onto a poor back pass by Jayden Randell but Philp helped out by gathering the ball first.

Hockey and Gebrai continued the City charge after 34 minutes. Thompson miscued his header after Gebrai's cross, Alex Warman then wandered to the line to fire in a cross and Stanway defended the cross, albeit after the offside flag had risen for Smith.

Stanway had soaked up the pressure and were finally rewarded after 36 minutes. George Okoye left Alfie Mason in the dust after an expert turn, Chatting received the pass and allowed Jamie Bennett to lob an effort over Philp and into the far corner of the net from the edge of the penalty area to give the visitors a clinical lead.

City looked to hit back immediately as Mason had a cross blocked, then Babalola sent a tame shot wide.

Just shy of half-time, Stanway had the chance to double their lead. Zack Littlejohn struck the crossbar with a well timed header from a free-kick, Philp then punched away to clear. Stanway remained in the lead at half-time.

City started well in the 2^nd half. Randell hit a shot over the crossbar after a returning pass from Hockey put the captain in a prime position to score.

A poor kick from Philp followed, Bennett sprinted into the box for a cross but City's defence cleared the danger away.

Goalscorer Bennett then went on to beat 3 City players on his way to fashion a shooting opportunity, but his effort then flew comfortably over the bar.

After 62 minutes, Stanway had another chance to double their lead when Debell shot just wide of the upright after good work from Alfie Cutbush. Reece Harris then had his own effort trickle just wide 7 minutes later.

Bennett then went on a winding run to send in a cross that Aaron Williams-Bushell cleared out for a corner. Philp then collected the corner delivery.

With less than 10 minutes to go, City won a corner on the right side. Thompson took the corner and Warman's flick-on was initially headed back out, then Shaun Mavididi tried his own header that clipped the underside of the crossbar and dropped in to give City the equaliser and their first goal in over 6 hours of football.

Just a minute later, Stanway looked to retake the lead. Substitute Alex Bolovan and Okoye combined on the right-hand side, with Okoye letting a shot go that Philp did well to parry round the post and deny the Stanway man.

Then the game turned. Williams-Bushell played a long ball up towards Hockey, with Debell following suit. Hockey stumbled and fell, with the referee awarding a free-kick after Debell had fouled Hockey. The defender was then given his marching orders with the red card coming after Debell had been the last man. Thompson's cross from the free-kick was headed in by Njie, but the celebrations were cut short when the assistant's flag signalled the offside.

Littlejohn then fouled Smith outside the penalty area with them coming together after Smith reacted to the Stanway player. Both players received a yellow card and nothing more.

City then pushed for the winner but couldn't find one, even after Littlejohn almost headed into his own net after trying to defend Njie's lobbed cross. The full-time whistle came soon after and the spoils were shared. The visitors had the 2^nd best away record in the league, but they couldn't topple City on their own patch, with the draw eclipsing the return fixture result in early December.

City will now look to add to their 2 match unbeaten run away at Concord Rangers next Saturday; the Lilywhites will be hoping to avenge their defeat to the Essex side after losing 1-0 in the fixture on 10^th January.