| Team Bath have their critics. If we'd have lost I'm sure we'd have had a good moan, but the result went our way (again) so who cares! |
| They didn't help themselves over criticism of inferior facilities at the Sports Training Village. Any City fan who turned up in a state of hunger would've been disappointed owing to the mobile burger bar selling out it's stock to spectators of a hockey match on an adjacent pitch. Double burgers were on the menu at half time but by then most had given up! |
| City only made the one change from the side that saw off Cirencester last week. Tom Webb was unavailable so Dave Wilkinson took his place in the centre of midfield. It seems as though everything is going right at the right time as Burnsy has virtually a full squad to choose from with just Lee Jeffries not fully fit. |
People have criticised some of the Team Bath players for not being students. I suppose it would be fair to have season ex-professionals like Peter Beadle and Andy Tillson there just as coaches, but having them play every seems to go against what they're supposed to be about. Both played against us and also featured were two ex-Tigers in Luke Prince, now sporting flowing blonde locks and goalkeeper Alistair Hines, sporting no locks whatsoever.
|
|
|
| City got off to the best possible start in the third minute after Dave Wilkinson's run was abruptley ended with a Team Bath foul. Chris Burns sent a free kick out to the edge of the area and Andy Hoskins' header fell nicely for Wilko himself to turn and score with a half volley into the bottom left hand corner. |
| The swirling wind present on top of Claverton Down, although not as bad as it's cousin from Evesham a few weeks back, saw both teams struggle to make advantages count. The nearest either came to threatening was from corner kicks as both teams spurned one each. |
| Ali Otto became the first player to enter the referee's notebook when he brought Wilko down to earth with a bang. Little did he realise that he'd be a spectator a handful of minutes later. Back to the football, and with the wind at their backs Peter Beadle arrowed a free kick at the City goal from a long, long way out. Thankfully Matt Bath had a good view of the shot and clung onto it as it hit the target. |
| As had happened in the FA Cup replay in September, a Luke Prince run down the flank was abruptly ended by Lee Smith and again a yellow card was shown to the City man. The ex-City man almost had Neil Mustoe booked too after winning a dubious looking foul. Andy Hoskins wasn't having much change out of Andy Tillson either as the experienced defender won everything or ended up being fouled by the City striker. |
The danger signs were there for all to see when Matt Townley found room at the far post from a long cross but could only tamely volley into the side netting. However, the students got a leveller when Caleb Kamara-Taylor glanced a deflected cross in off the far post. Matt Bath just stood and watched as the ball bounced off the upright, rolled along the line and in. It was something of a sucker punch and from there I feared the worst.
|
|
|
| City might've been shell shocked by the goal but looked hungry to take the lead again and they only had a few minutes to wait. Adie Harris took the ball to the touchline and was tripped as he easily skipped around his man, but as everyone stopped the referee motioned for Harris to get up and carry on. He did, and eventually crossed the ball into the box where Otto shifted his shoulder to block the ball. That was a penalty but surely not deserving of a second yellow card that brought a premature end to his game. |
| After a short delay Andy Hoskins easily netted from the spot to spark celebrations among the City fans. More cheers were to come as Beadle approached the referee to complain about the decision and was promptly shown a red card for his troubles. |
| Obviously being a fan of paperwork, the referee booked Chris Thompson for kicking the ball away before Team Bath replaced Townley with Mark Canham to restore some balance to their line up. |
| Despite having nine men, the students made a real go of it and almost scored but were denied by the legs of the City keeper. Another yellow card was shown when a late challenge by Kamara-Taylor saw Adie Harris in a heap on the floor following a clearance. |
The half finished with City on top and another booking for the students. This time it was shown to their midfielder John Nichols.
|
|
|
| Another fould given against Team Bath in front of their bench was too much for their mentor Ged Roddy as he made his feelings known to the official. He became the third person from the home team to be sent off, although I never understand why referees feel the need to exert their authority in this way. Power crazy comes to mind. |
| City were looking to use their two man advantage to seal the win and Lee Smith was enjoying the amount of room he had down the right wing. His shot was blocked and the rebound from Wilko flew just wide. The wing back was then uncerimoniously pulled down in the box but no penalty was awarded. As the pressure continued centre half Adam Howarth came close to netting his first for City but his header went just over the bar. |
| With just a few minutes of the second half elapsed, Keith Knight was brought on at right wing back to replace Smith, surely a tactical move owing to the referee's willingness to brandish yellow and red cards. |
Another break and with Chris Thompson looking good in midfield he rammed a vicious shot goalwards that would've flown in but for the positioning of the keeper. At the other end, as much as the students may have had posession, they couldn't turn it into chances as City always had at least one man over.
|
|
|
| City breaks were getting more frequent but the crossing was poor and more often than not ended up with the brave goalkeeper. On one occasion Hosk almost got there but ended with something of a clash and accusations of the City man stamping on the grounded number one. |
| Team Bath made another change although it could've been for nothing as a Mustoe pass put Jimmy Cox into space only for Hines to come off his line to close the angle and make a superb block. Dave Wilkinson came close to getting his second when he sent in a wicked lob with the outside of his boot that had Hines scrambling back to touch the ball around the post. |
| Luke Prince lured another City player into a foul and this time Neil Griffiths became the man to be carded. City wasted another chance when Hosky shot over having been played in by Cox after the pacy striker had robbed Andy Tillson. Then Bath took off Kamara-Taylor, their goalscorer and most dangerous looking player. |
After the glut of wasted chances Andy Hoskins finally put the game out of the students reach thanks to a combination of passes from Harris and Thompson and a slip by the defender. The over-exposed backline was easily breached and the City striker bore down on goal before calmly lifting the ball over the advancing Hines to net his twenty-fifth league goal of the season and put the result beyond doubt.
|
|
|
| Adam Hemming came on for another taste of action as a striker, again replacing Jimmy Cox before Neil Mustoe went off without a replacement. Having already seen a player red carded for dissent, Muzzie obviously hadn't learned as he made his feelings known to a linesman after a foul was given against him. Before the game could continue, the less important man in black went into a flag waving frenzy to alert his senior colleague and before you could say "Muzzie, you prat" the City man was shown a red card. |
| Still having a man over, the last five minutes were played without incident and City gratefully claimed the three points. But it wasn't all over, even after the fat lady had sung. |
| The referee even went into overtime to deliver another red card as Ali Hines stupidly approached the official as the players headed off the field to give him a piece of his mind. That wasn't then end of it though as Neil Mustoe tried to talk to the whistler en route to the sanctuary his changing room, the man in black had to shut the City man out as he took refuge in his portakabin. I bet it was dark by the time he finally came out of hiding! |
| It has to be said that it wasn't a dirty game and how it ended with five dismissals in simply down to an attention seeking referee. I know these guys sometimes have a difficult job to do, although usually it's themselves who makes it hard for themselves, but to red card a player for nothing to do with the game should be outlawed. I don't suggest that they should have to take abuse, but it shouldn't affect the outcome of the game. Players should be banned for future matches but shouldn't be sent off at the time. |
| Having now faced four of the league's better teams in the past five games and remained unbeaten, City now come up against three also-rans and strugglers in Clevedon Town, Swindon Supermarine and Cinderford Town. Current form suggests those games will net maximum points for the Tigers so Redditch will have to keep winning to avoid the title race going to the wire. |
|
