City pleased with result

This is an edited report from the Official Bristol City Website of this afternoon's friendly at Edgar Street.

Steven Gillespie bagged a brace to help City defeat Hereford United by four goals to nil at Edgar Street this afternoon. The striker helped City into a two-goal lead inside the first 18 minutes and Cole Skuse added a third goal before the interval.

The second half for long periods was a non-event, that was until Dave Cotterill steered home four minutes from time.

A total of 317 City supporters took up seats inside Edgar Street to watch Marcus Stewart make his debut. And they only had to wait seven minutes for the former Sunderland man's first telling contribution. Cotterill fed Stewart, who in turn found Gillespie unmarked at the back post for the opening goal.

At the other end a Jon Brady free kick from 25 yards forced City trialist keeper Colin Stewart into a fingertip save. Livewire winger Rob Purdie's jinking run moments later set up Carl Jones in the area, but the trialist's header landed safely into the arms of Stewart.

But Hereford's short spell of pressure was ended on 18 minutes when Stewart and Gillespie combined well again for City's second goal of the afternoon. A brilliant step over by Stewart allowed his colleague a clear run on goal and the former Liverpool man finished in style.

A Craig Woodman cross three minutes later almost saw Stewart open his City account. However the 32-year-old, who joined on a Bosman free from Sunderland in the summer, fired straight at Craig Mawson from just ten yards out. Gillespie should have celebrating a hat-trick ten minutes before the interval when Stewart's header found him free in the box, but with the goal gaping the 20-year-old blazed high over the crossbar.

Gillespie looked desperate to bag a hat-trick and curled a short against the crossbar soon after the restart. The afternoon ended for Stewart and Danny Coles on 67 minutes as Jamie Smith and Luke Ballinger entered the fray. Gillespie sent a long-range effort just wide of the Hereford goal on 76 minutes and was soon replaced by Academy youngster Dean Grubb. Further Academy products Mike Taylor, Jennison Williams and Griff Jones all followed from the bench.

Williams had an immediate impact, crossing for Cotterill to slot home City's fourth and final goal of the game.

---