FLEETWOOD 2 CITY 1

IT WAS the stage where Edin Rahic and Stefan Rupp cavorted joyously in front of sun-kissed away end.

The memory of the owners pumping their fists before an adoring claret and amber masse suddenly seems a lifetime ago.

Forget fanciful recollections of being Wembley-bound. Right now, most struggle to think of where the next point is coming from.

Highbury had also been the scene for what proved to be Stuart McCall’s final win at the City helm on New Year’s Day.

That was before the roof caved in on Valley Parade and toxicity oozed into every nook and cranny. The annus horribilis of 2018 shows little sign of abating.

Rahic was there again on Saturday; his profile considerably lower than before.

Well after the final whistle, he sat stony-faced staring at the pitch, lost in his own thoughts.

You wonder if one of those is the consideration that his plan to revamp and revolutionise the club he proudly inherited from Julian Rhodes and Mark Lawn is doomed to disappointment and defeat.

Michael Collins, the internal coach he promoted so unexpectedly in the summer, continues to find the top job a tall one. He is not helped by a bunch of players still struggling to match reputation with performance.

The seagulls were circling as he spoke strongly after another let-down; not quite the vultures yet but even a novice head coach in his first few months in the role will know the nature of the beast.

Now another tricky week beckons before an away trip to the west coast. It’s déjà vu.

As the frustration of the fans builds towards boiling point, some are starting to vote with their feet.

The 853 stalwarts in the Percy Ronson stand was well down on previous visits. You can hardly blame the stayaways.

City hit rock bottom at Blackpool in April with a 5-0 whitewash that left every travelling supporter angrily questioning the team’s credentials for wearing the shirt.

The forthcoming return trip could face a similarly volatile atmosphere unless the current lot can suddenly rediscover a spark once again so woefully absent at the weekend.

Collins’ hand was forced with selection because of injuries. Sean Scannell, who is likely to sit it out for several weeks with his groin problem, was a big miss.

The extended absence of Jake Reeves and Alex Jones continues to bite.

It’s got to such a suspicious state around the club now that their absence from last week’s team photo was viewed as something underhand, rather than the real answer that the duo have been given time away in a hope their long-standing issues will eventually calm down.

With Nathaniel Knight-Percival also missing for personal reasons – and he is expected back training today – that left the bench at breaking point.

The seven subs could boast only 24 league appearances and one goal between them. Though, once again, Jordan Gibson delivered his own damning comparison on those going through the motions around him.

At least the young lad is prepared to have a go – something that still eludes several supposedly senior heads.

The build-up had once again talked of redemption and reaction. Buzz words and meaningless empty ones.

Anthony O’Connor had come out with a no-holds-barred assessment of those players not showing any pride in their efforts. The gauntlet wasn’t so much thrown down but smacked around the chops of the under-achievers.

But little changed.

True, there was an effort about the team that had been lacking in the dismal loss to Wycombe. But basic running around should not be lauded as some special ingredient.

When the chips were down – and Fleetwood were a man down – City simply never looked like delivering.

Card-happy referee Andy Haines, usually one of the more understated officials, and his assistants could not have done more to aid the cause.

An early disallowed goal against Ched Evans, a soft penalty in City’s favour, then the straight red for Wes Burns before half-time – it appeared the planets were aligning.

All it needed was the team themselves to take matters by the scruff of the neck. Show some willingness and determination against opponents numerically inferior for an entire second half.

Instead, there was one effort from right back Kelvin Mellor.

If anything, it was the men in black who looked one short. You could argue more than one given the patent lack of belief among several in this side.

Fleetwood got their noses back in front soon after the break – and suffered very little discomfort in seeing the job through to maintain their early push among the play-off places.

Their conviction had been clear from the off as the lively Ash Hunter twice caused panic from crosses. Evans was thwarted by an eagle-eyed assistant and then Ashley Eastham pinged the post.

Jack Payne rattled the Fleetwood bar in response but City’s failure to stop crosses – a recurring theme in the opening month – proved their undoing again straight after.

Hunter was the provider once more and Evans got above Adam Chicksen’s half-hearted challenge to head home, Ryan McGowan only able to help it into the roof of the net on the goalline.

But City were level midway through the first half as another assistant picked up on George Miller’s gradual fall from Jason Holt’s challenge in the box.

Miller looked to go down in stages – and Joey Barton led the home protests – but the loan striker’s non-stop running all afternoon deserved some reward.

Eoin Doyle tucked away his first City goal with the penalty and suddenly all seemed calm.

City were holding their own, without actually threatening, and the sight of Burns trudging off ahead of the break raised hopes of another comeback win like under McCall before.

But it was the ten-man hosts who capitalised on a loose pass from Payne to strike again. Hunter started and finished it after Evans had brushed too easily past Chicksen to set up his near-post volley.

Mellor shovelled a close-range shot straight at Alex Cairns but otherwise the home keeper was untroubled by the desperate but toothless attempts from the visitors.