City comfortably won their first game in this midweek competition for four years at New Lodge on Wednesday but what was more important for manager Gary Bellamy was that it gave his side valuable match practice after a blank weekend.

He also gave debuts to new signings Steve Morris and Keith Newby, the former particularly impressing before he was forced to leave the field in the second half with a slight knock but not before he helped Ollie Berquez to open City's account three minutes into the second half.

The busy Newby, who operated efficiently down the right wing, also looks a good capture on this showing and will bring much needed pace and strength for the side.

In the end City ran out easy winners, having dominated the game throughout, although not scoring all their goals until the second half, against a side that were torn to pieces, resulting in four of their players being booked and fortunate to not have had a couple sent off.

Included in the visitors' line-up was former City midfielder Mark Jenkins, although missing through injury was another former Stadium favourite, Dave Rolfe.

During the first half City did all of the attacking, and created several chances with Tesfaye Bramble and Daniel Reeve forcing Manor goalkeeper Scott Barrett into fine saves to prevent goals.

Despite all their pressure, City, with Reeve and John Bishop commanding at the back, never really looked in any danger and should have been well ahead at half time.

After a first half in which City should have scored three or four goals, all their pressure paid off in the second period, with Bramble adding the second goal in the 61st minute and four minutes later Berquez netted his second by scoring direct from a corner.

Substitute Gavin Crane split the visitors' defence wide open in the 75th minute to score a fine solo goal by which time Bramble, having been crudely fouled, had limped off, leaving City with only 10 men.

Six minutes from time there was an unusual incident - City's veteran midfielder Mark Kane scored a goal with his head!

It crowned an excellent performance from the 38-year-old and capped a fine all-round team performance.

Chelmsford City: Kelly; Dobinson, Wardley (Shirley), Reeve, Bishop; Newby, Bailey, Kane, Berquez; Bramble, Morris (Crane).

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