IT’S been a week of cup action for City that started well at Gillingham last Saturday.

Steve Cotterill made five changes to the team that had beaten Oldham in the league a week earlier. There were recalls for Adam El-Abd, Scott Wagstaff, Marlon Pack, Greg Cunningham and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, with Derrick Williams, Joe Bryan, Korey Smith and Aaron Wilbraham sitting on the bench.

It was great to see the ever-talented Emmanuel-Thomas back in the starting line-up and he did not disappoint. City took the lead in the first half following good work from Wagstaff, who put the ball into the six-yard box and Cunningham was on hand to finish with a powerful header.

But the icing on the cake for City came in the second half. Emmanuel-Thomas picked the ball up 50 yards from goal, dribbled forward and struck an unstoppable left-footed shot past the stretching Gills ‘keeper.

At 2-0 City were cruising but Gillingham got back into the game late on through a soft penalty. Despite a few heart in the mouth moments City held out and were safely in the draw for round two. Monday’s draw was kind to City and they will face a non-league team at Ashton Gate – the winners of Telford versus Basingstoke.

On Tuesday evening City played host to AFC Wimbledon in a JP Trophy quarter-final. The fixture followed the exact same pattern as the Gillingham game with City going 2-0 up through two Aaron Wilbraham strikes.

But Wimbledon struck back with a sweet strike from George Francomb to set up a tense finish. City had ‘keeper Fielding to thank for a fantastic late save from a free kick and now progress to the area semi-final, where they will face Gillingham, Leyton Orient or the winner of Coventry/Plymouth.

This Saturday City travel to Swindon Town for a big game at the top of League One (3pm). City will be backed by nearly 3,000 fans at the County Ground and a win could see us open up a nine-point gap over promotion rivals Swindon.