MILTON KEYNES may feature 350-odd roundabouts, but it was London Colney turning in circles on Saturday, August 17, as the champions began the defence of their title with a 3-2 loss against a City side fast becoming the Blue Boys bogey team.

Micky Wright's team failed to beat Milton Keynes City in either league fixture last season, and suffered cup defeat to the Buckingham club the previous campaign, so it was perhaps no surprise a team stuggling to replace Lee Talbot and Gary Sippetts found the going tough.

Early signs were positive though, when Matt Chalkley squirted a shot under the City keeper for the opener before John Tipper was unlucky.

London Colney centre back Paul Jones then got his name on the score-sheet from a corner, but his looping header over Paul Sheridan came at the wrong end, and was controversially awarded despite Scott Dunne's clearance from the goal-line.

Adding insult to injury, the home team went in front a minute before the break again in debatable circumstances.

As the players took their positions for what they believed was a London Colney throw-in, the decision was given against them, and a quick throw caught their defence napping as City played in the space behind them.

A Dave Ross free-kick shortly after the break levelled matters, but by then a second yellow card for Young had given City a numerical advantage, which they finally capitalised on in the final ten minutes as the Blue Boys wilted in the heat.

There was still time for Jason Valentine to hit a post before the end, but Wright knows the importance of finding the right combination up front, and quickly.

While old boy Sippetts, seemingly marginalised at St Albans City, would cost too much to take back on loan, his young team-mate Craig Mackail-Smith is understood to be a loan target, and might appreciate first-team action.

August 23, 2002 11:00