| Much of what has been written on these pages in the last month has seen the Taunton game in early January used as a focal point, so it was nice that today's win has finally enabled us to put that night behind us. |
| Before we start, tribute has to be paid to the band of supporters who came to Meadow Park on Saturday morning to clear a huge puddle on the far side of the pitch and ensure that the game went ahead. I'm sure the Taunton contingent will echo that because they made a wasted trip to Gloucester last season and wouldn't have liked to see lightning strike twice. |
| City kept the same starting eleven that had seen off the challenge of Bromsgrove on Tuesday night, the only change being the inclusion of new signing Adam Howarth on the bench in place of Karl Bayliss. Town fielded what looked like the same team that had dealt us 'that' pasting at Wordsworth Drive four weeks earlier. |
| We started the game as if we had a point to prove, and to be fair we did. A Jimmy Cox cross found Andy Hoskins at the far post and the City top scorer saw his volley deflected wide for a corner. Keith Knight's set piece was easily won by Chris Burns' run at the edge of the box and Neil Griffiths was handily placed to flick the ball home for only his second goal of the season. |
After picking up a knock in midweek, Knight was withdrawn as early as the twelfth minute when the injury flared up again. He was replaced in midfield by Dave Wilkinson, a player returning from suspension.
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| With City in control the opposition were limited to occasional counter attacks and on one of those Taunton striker Anthony Lynch got in behind the City defence and shot from a wide angle, luckily the ball hit the far post and bounced back to Matt Bath when a goal seemed certain. |
| A shot over the bar at either end followed. Ex-City man Grantley Dicks fired a free kick just over the bar after Wilko had comitted a foul on the edge of the box and then Adie Mings volleyed over from an angle at the left edge of the penalty area. Adie hasn't looked like scoring on his return to the club! |
| Despite City's early pressure and slight advantage overall, Taunton always looked as though they could threaten and won themselves a penalty after half an hour. The ever dangerous Lynch again found room and Tom Webb came across the back of him and bundled him over with a clumsly challenge. The referee looked embarrased as he gave the softest penalty ever and Lynch tucked it in the bottom left hand corner, inches away from Bath's dive. |
| It could've been two for the Somerset team before the break when a lobbed effort from outside the area fell wide of the far post, but Bath was confident that it would miss. A draw at the interval was a fair reflection. |
At half time Chris Burns replaced himself with youngster Adam Howarth.
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| City started the second half brightly and after one or two shimmies, Jimmy Cox tried to whip in a cross from just inside the box. However, the ball travelled a few feet before being blocked by a defender's hand. The referee had no hesitation as he pointed to the spot for his second penalty of the game. Unfortunately Andy Hoskins changed his style and unlike his successful effort on Tuesday, this time he shot wide of the right hand post. |
| Minutes later we should've had another penalty under similar circumstances but the ref must've been unsighted as the Taunton tactics for their defenders obviously included spells as 'rush goalie'. |
| An Adie Harris jinking run was interrupted on the edge of the area by an over the ball tackle and City were awarded a free kick. Neil Mustoe, who'd earlier been the subject of criticism from the terrace alonside the pitch left the keeper flat footed as he scored his first goal in anger in his City career. His only other strike was a successful spot kick against Tuffley Rovers in a pre-season friendly in August 2002. |
| Hosky could've made amends for his penalty miss when he got on the end of a Mustoe cross, but he jumped too late and sent his header over the bar. Jimmy Cox is finding chances few and far between with the new 'three upfront' formation but he was presented with a great opportunity when he ran in from the left corner of the box, however he took too long and the ball was cleared before he could shoot. |
Taunton made their first change when Danny Harris replaced his similarly monikered teammate Lewis. It might've been all square when Adrian Foster cleverly turned and shot in front of the T-End but Bath was relieved to see his effort just clear the angle of post and crossbar.
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| Andy Hoskins became the League's top scorer when he scored his twenty-eighth goal of the season with a wonderful thirty-five yard lob. A couple of short passes between Mings and Cox found room for Hosky and as he spotted the keeper off his line the City striker sent in a wicked long range shot that dropped under the crossbar to seal the victory. |
| It was to be the hotshot's last action, and indeed his last action for the next two games as he sits out a suspension. He was replaced by youngster Lee Davis for the final ten or so minutes. |
| Taunton's Martin Douglas made room at the far post, but Bath did well to block the winger's shot. Lee Davis might've added a fourth for the Tigers when Mustoe threaded a nicely weighted pass behind the defence, but the forward could only get a weak flick to the ball as he crumbled under pressure. |
| Jimmy Cox tried to add to the scoreline but shot over the bar after moving in from the left wing, however, Lee Davis was well placed in the middle and might've benefitted from a pass. |
| In the last minute Taunton's cumbersome defender Craig Russell became the only player to be cautioned in the match as City recorded a fine win to move them back into third place in the table. The next two games against Halesowen and Cirencester are going to be uphill battles so it was imperative that we won today to provide a firm base for the next two weeks. |
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