City found some excellent form in the final home game of the season against high-flying Hinckley LRFC. Back-to-back draws look to have given the Lilywhites enough to secure their place in Step 4 barring a huge goal-difference swing in the final game.
City did look a little nervous in the open exchanges, Hinckley are a very good passing side and they dominated play but without creating too many clear cut chances.
There were 19 minutes on the clock when Ben Humphries picked up the ball and lashed a superb effort past the despairing dive of Kacper Kurylowicz from 20 yards out and the Knitters had taken a deserved 1-0 lead.
The goal seemed to galvanise City and they fought their way back into the game, Dylan Edge made a superb run into the box and was denied by an excellent save from Will Highland
George Scales came on at halftime to replace Liam Chadwick and it was the former Cambridge United U18 that made a vital interception in the Hinckley half, bringing the ball down and beating 3 players before releasing the excellent Pharrell Anderson down the right, a vicious shot from Anderson was again saved well by Highland but this time he parried the ball to the waiting Stan Leech who fired home left-footed from 10 yards.
Late on, Edge was denied the winner, again by Will Highland, a first time volley that was expertly tipped over the bar.
On the balance of play, a draw was a fair result, although mainly thanks to the heroics of Will Highland in the Hinckley goal.
Pharrell Anderson walked away with the man of the match award but the whole team deserved to take credit for a solid performance and demonstrating the passion and desire needed at this stage of the season.
We move on to our last game, away to Lye Town knowing that a point would mean absolute safety. The news that both Rushden and Rugby picked up wins means we are not mathematically safe, however, with the 2 teams below us needing to overhaul 6 and 8 goal deficits, the odds will certainly be in the City's favour.
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