The Soccer Blog: Manchester City-Notts County Minute-by Minute Report (5-0 City, FT)

Sunday, 20 February 2011

Manchester City-Notts County Minute-by Minute Report (5-0 City, FT)

By: Thad | February 20th, 2011
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Manchester City have finally settled their Fourth Round FA Cup tie with Notts County, withstanding early County pressure to register a 5-0 victory. How did it happen? Read on!

Minute by minute commentary on the FA Cup Fourth Round replay between City and Notts County is here! Can City advance to the next round at home against lower division opposition?

On the pitch for City: Vieira, Zabaleta, Balotelli, Y Toure, Lescott, Hart, Kolarov, Silva, Richards, Dzeko, K Toure. For Notts County: Nelson, Darby, Edwards, Ravenhill, Hughes, Bishop, Pearce, Hawely, Gow, Westcarr, and HArley.

1st min. City kick off and immediately there’s a long ball into the box from City but the visitors get it away. This is a replay and we’ll have extra time and penalties if necessary.

2nd min. The winner of this has Aston Villa at home in the fifth round. Notts County with a free kick and Hart comes for it but doesn’t get there! Notts County then have a corner and head over from just 4 yards out! Hart again didn’t get there.

3rd min. Promising statrt from Notts County–have City come mentally prepared for this? Or are City already looking ahead to the important Europa League match against Aris later this week?

4th min. Darby works the ball down the right side but loses it and it’s a throw to City.

5th min. City have the ball but it’s a sloppy pass down the left by Zabaleta. City have been on the back foot early on here. Vieira called for a foul.

6th min. City cought it up in the back and Lee Hughes takes a shot from distance but it’s weak and along the ground. Hart goes down to save comfortably.

7th min. Decent crowd today at the Eastlands. Balotelli is sporting a new hair-do, specifically a new design of his mohawk. This is his first apperance in the FA Cup after missing over a month with an injury.

8th min. Kompany and Tevez being rested today, but are available off the bench. Shaun Wright-Phillips has been dropped completely. Another free kick from 40 yards out to County but it goes out of bounds on the left harmlessly. City bring it away and Kolarov is brought down–that’s a foul.

9th min. Dzeko tries to feed Kolarov down the left side but the Serbia made his run too soon and is offside. Kolarov is increasingly being used as a winger in the absence of Adam Johnson and with SWP seemingly out-of-favor again.

10th min. Yet another free kick to County, this time after K Toure bumps into Hughes’s back. This is within shooting range, maybe 27-28 yards out on the right of center. The shot from Gow comes in and Hart has to go down to save at his near post! Corner kick.

11th min. County win the first header but K Toure clears it out with his boot to the left. Thrown in on the left. K Toure needlessly concedes a corner.

12th min. Dzeko clears this corner, City try to break but Silva has it taken from him, County with a quick long ball back in but Hughes is offside.

13th min. Long ball from Hart to Balotelli. City need to find some focus here. That ball was knocked away over the sideline, but City’s throw in comes to nothing.

14th min. City now pass it around a bit.

15th min. Zabaleta with a cross from the left corner that nearly flies in the net! But it’s a yard over or so. Goal kick.

16th min Dzeko flicks that header on for Balotelli. But the Italian can’t get there.

18th min. City have a decent spell of movement forward but that move breaks down for a foul. City have not come remotely close to creating a chance so far today.

19th min. Kolarov up the left but loses it and County win yet another foul over the midway line. Notts County, in yellow today, are 18th in League One but they are on top in this match so far. County offside on that free kick, luckily for city.

20th min. Who sill step up for City and get things on track? To be fair, this is the first time Dzeko and Balotelli have played together, and Kolarov is still a relatively novelty as a winger. But this has not been good so far.

21st min. Hawely hits the post! Great curling shot from the left of the box had a diving Hart beat, but it hits the post and ricochets to safety. City clear it away.

22nd min. 4-0 in shots to Notts County. Maybe the home crowd need to find a way to inspire the home side.

23rd min. Now Richards gets behind the defense on the right and Dzeko heads his cross on target, but saved! That header had real power but was right at Nelson the keeper. The resulting corner is cleared.

24th min. City now with a throw down the left, nice cross by Zab but just over Dzeko’s head. Silva finds Lescott, whose deep cross is easily taken by Nelson.

25th min. Dzeko fouled this time getting on to Hart’s long ball after the back pass. City take it quickly. Richards comes again, he tries to find Balotelli but the keeper is alert and clears it with his foot.
26th min. Kolarov had a shot there that was saved, Nelson spilled it and Silva recovered, the next ball comes in from Zab and it’s deflected out for a corner.

27th min. Kolarov takes and Dzeko got there at the near post but it’s terribly off target and ends up going out of bounds on the right side. The Bosnian got his angles wrong there.

28th min. Another free kick from Kolarov comes in and Richards is closest to it but can’t get there. Bit of a scramble in the box on the other end but City get it away. Balotelli has it and puts a teasing ball in the box.

29th min. Cleared for a throw in on the left. City now starting to get more into this match. Dzeko with some extra hustle there though it ends in a County throw.

30th min. More City possession. Balotelli bursts into the box getting on to that deflected ball, he went down with some contact from Westcarr but a corner is given, not a penalt.y Then Richards heads the corner over from 6 yards.

31st min. City are now even with County on shots at 4, all of City’s shots coming in the past 10 minutes. Now City get another free kick from 35 yards out dead on center.

32nd min. Dzeko was fouled there. Kolarov fires it on target with pace but comfortably at the keeper.

33rd min. County with a ball into the box but no one can reach it, Westcarr was closest. County come again but are flagged offside.

34th min. Still anyone’s game. Very poor pass by Y Toure over to Richards goes out of bounds.

35th min. Silva fires over from just inside the box, he had a bit of space there but seemed to rush it after collecting the cross–went well over.

36th min. Silva with a great run into the box to set up Y Toure and it’s a great save from Nelson, going to his left! City win another corner in quick session as Silva’s shot is blocked behind, it was a well-struck volley from 10 yards.

37th min. And there’s the goal for City! Veteran Patrick Vieira puts that corner from Silva in the net, his near post header from 6 yards is headed low and firmly, it may have taken a deflection but not enough to knock it off target. 1-0 to City!

38th min. Good spell of pressure resulted in that goal, with Silva in the middle of every piece of it.

39th min. Throw in up the right for County but it comes to nothing.

40th min City have more of the ball now, Richards tried to make the backdoor run on the right but is whistled for a little push on Bishop trying to reach that ball as it rolled through the box.

41st min. County now have an attack and Zab commits a foul on Darby, it will be about 35 yards out on the right. Gow takes and Hart takes comfortably, the cross just floated too much.

42nd min. Y Toure is now very upset after being called for a foul on Gow, replay shows that perhaps Gow made first contact with his arm. Dzeko now on the left, his first ball is blocked out but he finds Silva, now back to Dzeko, but his pass in tight space is cut out.

43rd min. Hart with a long ball forward, County recover it briefly but K Toure with a good header back to Hart on that long ball . Westcarr now down the right but Zab gets it off him. Another ball in the box from County but it’s headed out.

44th min. County with the throw down the right and Baloteli with a rash tackle on Gow that is a yellow card.

45th min. Gow takes and County had a chance to get something there as the ball fell in the box but contact was weak and Hart beat Hughes to it. Replay shows the ball came off a City player towards the goal.

46th min. Balotelli and Hawley each exchange shots that go well over on either end of the pitch. Wild effort by Balotelli. Silva now with the ball for City, Vieira loses it and county break but Richards gets a foot to it, City deal with one more ball in the box and that’s halftime.

Very competitive match, City don’t really deserve it but nonetheless lead 1-0. City did have about fifteen minutes of really good pressure, and in the end it told. Certainly this tie isn’t over yet!

46th min. The visitory kick off. City can’t afford to fall asleep or rest on their laurels. City need to get this 2 and then 3-0. Kolarov brings it forward down the left, then chooses to blast one right footed from 30 yards, well well over.

47th min. Bit of a waste that though he did have space. Hawley with an effort from distance of his own that is also nowhere close, on the other end.

48th min. Hart comes to collect that ball and City try to play it out of the back. Balotelli with some good work before he is brought down, no foul called but he clearly took a kick.

49th min. Free kick to County from near midfield, it’s floated into the box but Hart takes.

50th min. K Toure comes in and clears that one. Not much going on this half so far.
52nd min. Richards fouled there by Hawley late that’s a yellow card for the County man.

53rd min. Vieira with good work, he finds Dzeko, but Dzeko’s ball forward goes straight to County.

54th min. Silva to Y Toure, interesting ball to the left recovered by Kolarov, the cross comes in near Y Toure but is cleared away. K Toure with an important interception and Silva with a clever spi move to evade two defenders. Dzeko tackled there, he wanted a foul there as did the crowd but none given.

55th min. Pace has picked up a bit in the last couple of minutes. Lescott with a clearance. County have a bit of the ball just now.

56th min. Hawley works down the left but his cross is deflected and collected by Hart. Silva to Vieira to Kolarov, Balotelli is tackled.

57th min. Cross from Gow on the right and Hart has to go down to catch that one.
58th min. City get a corner kick that Kolarov will take on the left. Goal for City, and Vieira has his second! A near post run resulted in the goal, in the meantime Balotelli and Pearce had a clash of heads and are both on the grounds holding their head, they had a head-on collision as the ball sailed over their heads. Vieira with a free header from 8 yards.

59th min. Balotelli and Pearce have each found their feet and come to which is good to say, they have a quick word for each other. That was purely an accident. Balotelli is going to brought off in favor of Tevez which is a slightly surprising move given City’s 2-0 lead. Maybe Mancini thinks the fans haven’t got their money worth today.

60th min. Balotelli goes to the locker presumably to get checked out.

61st min. Play stoped for nearly 3 minutes but now we are playing again. That corner really came of almost nothing but it has given City a much bigger advantage.

62nd min. Tevez with a touch. Crowd are singing loudly now.

63rd min. Zab with a cross towards Tevez but it’s knocked away by County. Throw on the right. County intercept a slack pass and come forward, Hughes is stopped and County have a throw. K Toure boots that one away.

64th min. Zab on the left takes down a County cross in the box with his chest very neatly. City have it now.

65th min. Silva tries to burst through the defense but County tackle him. City now are passing it around with ease and County must chase. They might get worn down badly in the latter part of this game.
67th min. Silva with an intereception and quick ball forward that finds no one.

68th min. TV commentators are now analyzing Balotelli’s departure from the pitch and characteristic display of displeasure at being subbed, an indication this tie is probably just about settled.

70 th min. More possession from City, Richards now down the right side, back to Silva. Richards has played will in recent games. Tevez with a chance to shoot from about 28 yards and it’s just wide, with the keeper getting a slight touch.

71st min. This corner is dealt with by County. Hawley on the other end with a good turn in the box but his shot is right at Hart.

72nd min. Westcarr now with a shot from about 25 yards and it wasn’t a bad one but it’s still comfortably over. County need to get something soon, one feels.

73rd min. Through ball from Silva can’t quite be reached by Dzeko, who’s had another quiet day on the whole, apart from that dangerous header in the first half.

74th min. Dzeko with a good ball in there but can’t find a teammate in the box. Tevez with a little run in the center of the pitch, it’s cut out and Lescott has to win a foot race with Hughes, which he does.

75th min. County swing it over to the right, they had space for a moment but are closed down quickly and City recover it.

76th min. Vieira’s two goal day takes a turn for the worse as he is caught on the top of his head by his boot. He’s bleeding but not too badly and perhaps he’ll be able to stay on.

77th min. Free kick to County there, not sure why.

78th min. Gareth Barry prepares to come on and perhaps Vieira will not have a chance to grab an unlikely hat trick. Buthere’s a great shot from Gow and a really good save by Hart as well!

79th min. That was a volley from about 22 yards, left footed and bending, but Hart leapt and saw the bend to save it. Hughes then gets behind the defense but is offside, otherwise that probably woul have been 2-1.

80th min. Gobern comes in for Hughes for County. Vieira has stayed on for the moment spoting a white head bandage as well as new uniform (#60).
81st min. Barry does come on but it’s Yaya Toure who comes off. Harley with a throw-in on the left. Good exchange between Dzeko and Tevez and City will have a corner on the right as County intervened.

82nd min. Taken short, and Zab has a left footed shot that is deflected behind. Silva to Vieira, comes over to Dzeko whose shot in traffic is deflected–another corner.

83rd min. Kolarov thumps one away on the left side.

84th min. Tevez scores! Great move on the break. Silva to Barry to Dzeko to Tevez right down the middle, he got behind the last defender, rounded the keeper, and rolled the ball in from 10 yards on the right, the defenders were in fast pursuit but couldn’t stop it from going in.
85th min. Silva was fouled just outside the box on the left.

86th min. Really nice ball by Dzeko to set that goal up, it’s worth stressing. Silva will now come off and Jo will get a

chance for another garbage time appearance.

87th min. Vieira got there on the back post for another header off the free kick but this one is not on target–perhaps his

bandage bothered him because that was a good chance!

88th min. Dzeko tackled in the box and despite shouts for a penalty, nothing is given. Vieira to Richards to Barry to

Richards but he can’t get there.

89th min. City are now pushing hard for a 4th, much harder than they did the first 20 minutes of this match! Hawley

striking the bar early on woek City up. Tevez to Dzeko and there’s the 4th goal!! Tevez beat the keeper to the ball on the

right, then chipped it in to Dzeko who headed into an empty net from 3 yards. Barry had the initial pass, a lofted through

ball into the box. Inventive stuff from the Englishman.

91st min. Barry again for Dzeko and County must concede another corner. And there’s a fifth for City! Micah Richards with a

powerful left-footed half volley from 8 yards, he won the second ball off the corner and smacked it into the top corner.

92nd min. Well City have worn down County here–and Dzeko is in again for six but it’s saved by Nelson!
He tried to fake out Nelson but the keeper made a good kick save. That was as clear a one-on-one as you’re likely to see

but Dzeko couldn’t find an angle there.

94th min. Two more shots from County come in but they are blocked. Vieira fouls Gow and County will have one more chance

at a consolation. Westcarr takes and it goes over.

So there’s the final whistle and City advance 5-0, no doubt a flattering score but after City got the 2nd goal, a result

like this was not totally unexpected. Notts County gave a great effort but Vieira’s set piece goals saw it off and broke

the spirits of the visitors. Vieira and Ince with an embrace there and Brian Kidd has a big smile for the French veteran.

So City are still in the hunt in the FA Cup. They will play their delayed 5th round tie against Aston Villa, and by the end

of the day we will know who City might face in a quarterfinal–possibly Manchester United? I wouldn’t say no.

Category: Team News

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