Football When Lee came off the bench again to make it two goals in two games for City
LEE Matthews’ three years as a Bristol City player were blighted by a frustrating series of injuries.
But when the then 22-year-old striker scored as a substitute for the second successive game to seal a 3-1 second division win at Reading on Friday, March 23, 2001 there appeared no limit to what he could achieve with the Robins.
The previous game had seen Matthews introduced from the bench by manager Danny Wilson for his City debut against Millwall at Ashton Gate, having arrived initially on loan from Leeds United.
That was also a Friday night game and the newcomer marked it by scoring a last-minute penalty, awarded for handball against former City defender and now Burnley manager Sean Dyche, to secure a 2-1 victory.
It was a baptism of fire for Matthews in a tempestuous match which saw team-mates Tony Thorpe and Peter Beadle sent off, along with Millwall striker Paul Moody. But his goal made him an instant hero with City fans and the team headed to the Madejski Stadium seven days later with hopes of reaching the play-offs burning bright.
Wilson stuck with the strike partnership of Thorpe and Lee Peacock, who had both started against Millwall, so Matthews again had to be content with a place among the substitutes. Neil Maddison, signed on loan from Middlesbrough, had also made his City debut the previous Friday night, and lined up in a four-man midfield also including Aaron Brown, Simon Clist and Scott Murray.
The front cover of the match programme featured then Reading captain Phil Parkinson, who became a successful manager when his playing career ended and is now in charge at Sunderland.
City made a slow start and were soon a goal down. On eight minutes, Graeme Murty latched on to a James Harper pass and let fly from 25 yards with a shot which beat Steve Phillips’ full-length dive and went in off a post.
Phillips was by far the busier goalkeeper in the opening halfhour. But gradually his side gained a foothold in the game and were rewarded just before the interval. Reading full-back Ricky Newman lost possession on the edge of the box and Peacock took advantage to cross low for Thorpe to force the ball over the line from close range.
The second half began like the first with the home side dominant. Tony Rougier, later to have a short spell as a City player, sprang a poorly-worked offside trap to set up a clear chance.
Rougier, who along with Adriano Basso ranks as the most openly religious player I have seen wearing a Robins shirt, used to celebrate goals with a prayer. But there was no cause to contact the Almighty on this occasion as Martin Butler accepted his pass only to fire past Phillips and see his effort rebound off the foot of a post.
City weathered the storm and took the lead on 53 minutes. Brown fed Murray and the Scotsman’s cross was headed powerfully past Phil Whitehead by Peacock for his 13th goal of the season.
Reading boss Alan Pardew threw on former Bristol Rovers goal ace Jamie Cureton in a bid to get back into the game. The diminutive striker, who scored for Enfield last month at the age of 45, set up another great opportunity for Butler, who this time fired over the bar with only Phillips to beat.
Cureton headed over before, with his team under the cosh, Wilson sent on Matthews for Thorpe on 69 minutes. Six minutes later, the replacement wrapped up the points at the end of a brilliant team move begun by Murray tight to the right touchline.
His pass found Clist, who threaded a neat ball inside a defender to Peacock. An impudent back-heel from the centre-forward, signed for £600,000 from Manchester City the previous summer, set up Matthews to net with a deft finish from six yards.
Brian Tinnion, who had missed three games through injury, returned as a substitute for Brown, while Robin Hubert took over from Clist for the final five minutes.
City’s three-man back line of Matt Hill, Louis Carey and Joe Burnell stood firm and their team saw the game out comfortably to end Reading’s 11-match unbeaten run.
The Royals would go on to finish third in Division Two before losing to Walsall in the play-off final at the Millennium Stadium
Matthews, signed permanently for £100,000, started four of City’s remaining nine league games, but failed to find the net as the team managed only two wins to end up in a disappointing ninth position.
The following season he was used mainly as a substitute, but gained further hero status with supporters by scoring twice in a 3-0 LDV Vans Trophy win over Bristol Rovers at Ashton Gate. It was a rare high spot in a campaign which brought a serious ankle problem, which required surgery. Then, after regaining his first-team place early in the 2002-03 season, Matthews suffered a back injury in a 3-1 home win over Queens Park Rangers.
At the time Wilson said he had taken him off because he couldn’t afford to lose him long-term. But the diagnosis of a slipped disc ensured a lengthy recovery programme and Matthews missed the remainder of the season. After more substitute appearances in 2003-04, he was allowed to join first Darlington, then Bristol Rovers and finally Yeovil Town on loan. He eventually left to join Port Vale on a free transfer the following summer.
In the latest article of our flashback series, , former Bristol City reporter for the Bristol Evening Post, recalls the time the Robins boosted their Division Two promotion push with a 3-1 win at Reading in March 2001. The sides meet in a Championship game at the Madejski Stadium tomorrow