Gloucester City manager Daf Williams described Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Wimborne Town as feeling like “another defeat” after a last-minute goal denied his side victory in Dorset.
The result means Gloucester City remain without a win after three Southern League Premier South matches and currently sit 20th in the early league table ahead of their home fixture against Hanwell Town next Saturday.
Ashley Hemmings scored his first goal for Gloucester City from the penalty spot shortly after the hour mark to put his team ahead. However, the hosts responded dramatically in the final minute of the nine minutes added on, when Charlie Wooding tapped in a goal following a long throw into the box, levelling the score.
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Reflecting on the match, Williams said: “Unfortunately that feels like another defeat. I am devastated; it’s not nice, especially given the position we find ourselves in."
“I was disappointed with parts of our performance on Tuesday’s 3-2 loss to Bracknell Town as well as that result, but I cannot fault the lads’ effort today in terms of doing the basics well – fighting, running, tackling – all the things you would expect. We still probably didn’t create enough chances, but it wasn’t a game built for that. Our primary aim was to keep a clean sheet and take the moments that came our way. We had one or two chances that we didn’t convert.”
Williams also commented on the penalty decision, saying, “We believe the ball crossed the line before the penalty was awarded, so it was a fine moment. Whether it was a penalty or not, it feels like a defeat, but we have to bounce back.”
The match started cautiously, with few clear-cut opportunities in a tight first half. Wimborne’s Max Bustamante had a volley on target that was deflected for a corner, and their new goalkeeper Harry Whitworth made a close-range save to deny Ashley Hemmings. Despite this, Wimborne didn’t seriously threaten Gloucester’s goalkeeper Jared Thompson during the opening 45 minutes.
In the second half, Gloucester City began positively. A corner just after the hour mark was headed towards goal but cleared off the line by Josh McQuoid. During a scramble in the box, Whitworth and Gloucester’s Ben Nugent fell as the referee awarded a penalty to Gloucester. Whitworth was forced off after that incident, leading to substitute defender Billy Walker taking over in goal. Hemmings successfully converted the spot-kick.
As the game neared its conclusion, Wimborne threw everything forward. In the final moments, Bustamante launched a long throw into the Gloucester penalty area. With Walker joining the attack in goal, he managed to nod the ball down for Wooding, who scored the equaliser.
Williams remarked, “We asked for a gritty, resilient performance, which you need when you come to Wimborne. We focused on a clean sheet mentality and returning to basics. After losing our opening two games - which we are obviously disappointed about - the players responded well in training on Wednesday. We emphasised fundamental qualities that represent our club values but that we have not fully shown so far this season.”
“Up until the 99th minute, I thought we executed our game plan well: we fought, we tackled, and we simplified the game. I have yet to see the footage of the last goal, but perhaps it was a momentary lapse in concentration or an unlucky bounce. That’s something we must address,” added the manager.
Despite the final scoreline, Williams encouraged his squad to take confidence from their overall performance. “If you disregard those final 30 seconds, everyone should be proud of their display. We faced a tough challenge here, and the lads performed admirably. However, ultimately, it’s the result that counts, and we are bitterly disappointed not to have won. We must now look at a few details to secure our first win against Hanwell this weekend.”
Williams concluded by reaffirming his commitment: “No one will work harder than myself, the players, and the staff to give us the best chance of achieving that victory.”
In other club news, Gloucester City announced that striker Kieran Phillips has left the club to take a break from football due to personal circumstances. A club statement said: “Kieran leaves with the club’s full support and our best wishes for the future. We thank him for his efforts during his time with City and respect his decision to step away at this time. Everyone at Gloucester City AFC wishes Kieran and his family all the very best.”
Gloucester City line-up against Wimborne Town: Thompson; Leadbitter, Lewis, Nugent, O’Regan; E Williams, Evans, Owen-Evans (Hanks 60); Thomas (Emmett 60), Dunbar (Cross 87), Hemmings (H Williams 87). Sub not used: Keyes.