Wilkinson's Winning Start - Reserves

Goals from Danny Thomas and Michael Hayward were enough to give the Bluebirds three points in the Pontins Holiday Combination league fixture, at Ninian Park. With the large number of injuries that has currently hit the City senior squad, the only first-team players in action were Martyn Margetson, James Collins, Scott Young, Layton Maxwell and Julian Gray. Stuart
Fleetwood, who played as a substitute in City's 4-1 League Cup victory over Leyton Orient, was also in action.

City started the game brightly, creating several good chances, and Julian Gray was within a whisker of giving City the lead in only the second minute. Gray ran through the Cheltenham defence, and found himself one-on-one with Robins 'keeper Steve Book. The on-loan winger, making his first Ninian Park appearances looked certain to score, but the 34-year-old 'keeper did well to block Gray's low drive.

However, City's opening goal was only minutes away with youngster Danny Thomas on the scoresheet. Julian Gray's corner was flicked on by Byron Anthony, and as the Cheltenham defence failed to clear the ball, it landed to the feet of Thomas who  hooked the ball home from an acute angle. Cheltenham rarely posed a threat to the home side, and City cruised their way through the rest of the half, in the bitterly cold conditions.

Paul Wilkinson made only one change at half-time, with Danny Parslow replacing Scott Young, a change that was planned before kick-off. Young came through his 45 minutes in the City line-up well, but is still clearly well away from returning to full
match fitness.

City again started well after the break, with the midfield linking up well with strikers Fleetwood and Thomas, and the Bluebirds secured the three points with their best move of the match with 52 minutes on the clock. Julian Gray played a neat ball down the left to Stuart Fleetwood who beat his marker before putting a low cross into former Liverpool midfielder Layton Maxwell.
Maxwell unselfishly fed the ball to Michael Hayward inside, who comfortably finished from about 10-yards out.
Stuart Fleetwood grew in confidence throughout the second-half and began to become a real problem for the Cheltenham Town defence. He nearly got on the scoresheet with a sensational 25-yard shot that beat Book, but bounced back off the crossbar.

Cheltenham only really gave Martyn Margetson anything to do in the closing minutes, with a couple of quite punchless attacks as they looked to earn some consolation, but their performance deserved little and City could and should have added more to their scoring tally.

A good performance overall though, particularly from some of the youth boys with Nicky Fish's hard-working display in midfield standing out. A crowd of 70 were in attendance, with the away following from Cheltenham not known!

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