Earnshaw Sure Earns His Reputation

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By Edward
August 9 2003

Cheltenham Town 1 - 5 Cardiff City - Friendly - Tuesday 29th July 2003 at Whaddon Road. And it all started so well...........!

Cheltenham fielded a 4-4-2 formation (or was it a 4-3-3?) comprising Book, Griffin, Victory, Cleverley, Duff x2, Devaney, Yates, Brayson, Odejayi and McCann and started brightly and adventurously, taking the game to the rather more cautious Cardiff.

McCann, Brayson, Odejayi and Devaney all came close in the first twenty minutes or so, although Cardiff always looked dangerous on the break.

Odejayi broke the deadlock in the 22nd minute with a fine goal (in spite of being jersey-pulled from behind) and Cheltenham were unlucky not to be at least two up by the interval after further fine efforts from McCann and particularly Brayson - who came close on at least three occasions, one great shot rebounding from the upright and being side netted by the excellent Odejayi.

It all went pear-shaped in the second half, however, as Cardiff turned the screw and opened up the class divide.

Brayson and McCann were replaced by Corbett and Cozic after the break, and this change unsettled Cheltenham so much that Cardiff were two goals in front within ten minutes of the restart.

Firstly, Cheltenham conceded a soft mis-hit goal to Gabbidon, after making the fatal error of fiddling around with the ball on the edge of the penalty area, and then the magical Earnshaw - surely destined for the premiership - took a pass thirty yards out, flicked it up in the air and blasted it past the hapless Book.

After this, substitutions (mainly by Cheltenham) came thick, fast and confusingly and Cardiff seemed destined to score at will. By the time they were 1-3 up (Weston) after 55 minutes, Gould even replaced the goalie, but Higgs conceded another two goals (Maxwell and Campbell) before the relief of the final whistle.

Where Cardiff shone was that the tightly marked Earnshaw in possession was hungry to score, but if the chance wasn't there he passed accurately without fail to an equally hungry supporting player. And of course Cardiff converted their chances.

Whereas the Cheltenham strikers often found themselves, after a fine quick break through the middle, shuffled to the wings by the resolute Cardiff defence, and without sufficient and in some cases any supporting players to pass to.

Nevertheless, it was an interesting game to watch, and the energy, skill and confidence of Cheltenham's younger and newer element - particularly Odejayi, Cleverley, Corbett and Cozic - were extremely encouraging pointers for the forthcoming division three season. Other Cheltenham second half substitutes were Howells for Griffin, Fyfe for Cleverley, Brough for M. Duff and Dobson for Odejayi.