So in the penultimate game of the season City serve up a veritable feast of fast-flowing football to delight the frankly disappointing 1782 who could be bothered to give an Arsenal Champions' League semi final on the telly a miss and support their local club on a still and balmy night at the Park. City lined up: Rice; Jones, Seaborne, Todd, Woodards; Moxey, Gill, Challinor, Farrell; Mackie, Phillips

You'd be forgiven for thinking Crawley hadn't bothered turning up tonight, and I'm sure it was fully ten or twelve minutes before one of their outfield players touched the ball, such was the utter stranglehold City had on the game. They stroked the ball about magnificently, with pass after pass after pass. Each one confidently executed and each a joy to watch.

It was, however, not until the fifteenth minute that someone actually managed a shot - it would be folly to call Challinor's long range effort a mere ten seconds into the game a shot - and what a sweet move it was that led to it. A long ball pumped forward was superbly controlled by Phillips with his back to goal. He laid the ball off to Woodards who scampered down the right and returned the ball to Phillips on the edge of the box. Sensing nothing for himself, he pushed the ball back into the path of Challinor who spoilt the whole thing by smashing high over the bar from a good 25 yards.

After swapping referees on the half hour - some form of muscle strain, I believe - City finally broke the deadlock deservedly two minutes later. A quick break upfield saw Challinor slip a sumptuous defence-splitting pass through to the galloping Mackie who left defenders trailing in his wake. He hit for home from the edge of the box but somehow the keeper got a glove to it and took all the sting - and direction - out of the shot. Mackie had his wits about him though, and continued his run towards the ball to roll it into an empty net from a yard or two out to put City one up.

And there was more to come. A mere three minutes after taking the lead it was two. The ball was fed to Phillips lurking around the penalty area who chested it back to Mackie near the edge of the box who in turn lashed the ball ferociously towards the top corner only for the keeper to bravely deflect for a corner. His relief was short lived though - a laser guided cross from Farrell found the shiny bonce of Seaborne unmarked ten yards out who gleefully butted his first senior goal for the club into the roof of the net.

But still City weren't finished! With half time, and some temporary respite for the poor Crawley team, five minutes away, City sealed victory with a somewhat fortuitous third goal. A long raking Gill diagonal free kick was picked up by Farrell some 30 yards out. A quick shimmy later and he lets loose a fairly innocuous daisy cutter that the keeper gets down easily enough to smother. Or so you'd think, as somehow he managed to let the ball squirm under his body and trickle into the net, almost to the embarrassment of the grateful Farrell!

With such a one sided game, you did wonder whether Crawley were going to chance their arm in the City half at all, and in the 45th minute they didn't disappoint, although they didn't reckon Rice remaining alert - despite having virtually nothing to do since kick-off - as he palmed a vicious drive around the post to ensure City kept a three goal margin.

The second half soon got underway, with City continuing to dominate much like the first. After ten minutes a long free kick found Farrell ten yards out towards the edge of the box and his howitzer into the top corner was clawed away magnificently.

At the other end Rice was called into action once more as Crawley finally decided to make a game of it. The ball pinged through to a lurking forward ten yards out and his lash was deflected onto the post as Rice stood up well.

As the hour mark approached, the goal of the game. A very quick bit of thinking by Mackie sent Deano scampering down the touchline from his throw in, and after chasing down and beating the defender, Deano lifted the ball over the advancing keeper and from the absolute tightest of angles slotted the ball home magnificently.

Midway through the half and again the Crawley defence was ripped apart as Mackie chased a booming Seaborne clearance into the corner and, spotting the rampaging Gill, squared the ball delightfully into his path only for Gill to beat not only the keeper but unfortunately also the post by the merest of inches.

With fifteen minutes remaining Billy Jones was given a well earned rest as Chris Vinnicombe made a rare appearance, and then almost immediately Rice was awoken from his slumbers for a third time, this time showing superb reactions to plunge to his left to keep out a bullet of an overhead kick from the edge of the six yard box.

The final action of a truly pulsating match was the brief introduction of Danny Clay for Jon Challinor in the dying minutes, and without having the chance to make a contribution of any note, the ref called time.

But what a game! To say 4-0 was being kind to Crawley would be something of an understatement. Rarely have City shown such dominance, and it was at times literally minutes of pass after pass before a Crawley player touched the ball. Everyone eased the ball around with confidence, and it was great to watch City keep possession and patiently build up attacks from the back without the constant fall back of the long hoof upfield.

Of the players Rice made three superb stops, and had virtually nothing else to do all game. He did nothing wrong, and his general handling and distribution were impeccable. Of the full backs it appeared Woodards the more keener of the two to get forward - and when he did he did it exceptionally - but neither were really put under any undue stress during the evening. The centre backs were fairly untroubled too, and although not quite as impressive as his debut against Dagenham, Danny Seaborne continues to impress and scored a typical defender's bullet header of a goal too.

In midfield the two wide men caused untold problems, with Farrell having a particularly fine game with some gorgeously subtle dinks and flicks. On the other side of the pitch Deano scored a fantastic individual goal, and in the middle twice Challinor split the defence wide open with passes delicious enough to eat, but for me the Man of the Match was Matthew Gill. From first whistle to last he had time and space. He knew where to pass, and he knew when to pass. And it was unerringly simple and accurate. It didn't matter where the opposition were or how hard or fast the tried to charge him down, he always knew just what was needed, and executed it with masterly aplomb.

Up front Phillips seemed strangely subdued. It seems unusual to score four and Phillips not be amongst them, but it wasn't through lack of effort. He worked tirelessly to hold the ball up and wait for support, and helped set up or was involved in the build up to all the goals, but he didn't seem his usual barnstorming best. Maybe it's just the long season catching up with him, but I imagine the season is ending too soon for Jamie Mackie. His effervescence was contagious, and his running and chasing unstoppable. His quick thinking led to a goal for himself and another for Deano, and were it not for the artistry of Gill he would have been my Man of the Match, but as it is it's no disgrace to come second to such a performance.

Of the subs, it was nice to see Vinnicombe given a run out, and he slotted in well to Billy Jones' position and added a little bit of experience to help the back four out. Unfortunately for Danny Clay he was only on the pitch for a moment or two before the whistle blew, so perhaps he'll get a longer run out against Scarborough on Saturday as Alex shuffles the squad in preparation for next season.

And speaking of Scarborough, I really do hope you turn up for that one seeing as most of you weren't there tonight. After the display put on by the players tonight, I really do wonder how you could even consider not coming at the weekend, especially given it's the last chance to see the lads before it all starts up again on August 12th. Surely you'll need at least one City fix before then, so make it Saturday, because there's an awful long time to wait before you get to see them in action again. Bring it on!