| Oh how I enjoyed this result! |
| Following the three points gained against Hednesford Town in the midweek game Chris Burns' side put themselves eight points clear of the relegation places with another win, this time against Gary Owers' team packed full of experienced ex-professionals. |
| In pretty much every position was a man who'd played in the football league, whilst City boasted just two. Goalkeeper Paul Evans was a South African international, Steve Jones was an ex-gumper and scummer who played for Swansea, Jimmy Benefield was with Leroy Rosenior at Torquay, player-boss Gary Owers played for Sunderland and Bristol City whilst John Williams needed no introduction as the flying postman, although these days his threat is more aerial than from his pace. |
| Alongside Williams up front was new signing Martin Paul, a striker who'd been a terrace hero during his first spell at the club but had seemingly burned his bridges with the fans preceeding a move to Newport County. However, following a spell with Chippenham Town (the highest ranked club in the locality) he re-signed for Owers' team last week and it was heartening to hear E***n style booing from the Bath fans when his name was ready out even though the fickle minority said they'd embrace him. |
| On the bench they had more talent including star striker Scott Partridge and ex-Oxford and Sheffield United man Bobby Ford. Partridge is so highly regarded by the home fans that in October they logged on to the FA's website for hours on end dishonestly clicking away to make sure that he was fraudulently voted the FA Cup player of the round. |
Burnsy actually changed a winning side by bringing back Jimmy Cox up front and pushing Lee Smith back into his more favoured right wing back berth. Cox had had a spell at Twerton Park five years earlier and was played as a winger but rejected after a handfull of games. The fans even labelled him 'Twinkle Toes' but as usual Cox had the last laugh with today seeing him notch his second and third goals of the season against his former employers.
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| The burglars in Bath must've been on overtime today with legions of fans, mainly Bath rugby but also a good number of Bath City fans making their way north to the home of sporting excellence that is Gloucester. I'd even gone to the trouble of putting a map on the website to give them directions around the new Castlemeads bypass, but many of them couldn't use it as I didn't include an A-Z of how to get out of their own arses first. |
| Onto the game itself and before you read you need to take heed of the disclaimer that this is a City site and my bias is naturally directed towards the Tigers. Now I'm not so petty to ignore the opposition but please remember that this was a real backs to the wall performance and you're free to assume that when City weren't attacking the ball was a yard from our goalline! |
| Bath came out of the blocks quickest and were always a threat to Matt Bath's goal. A good move down the right saw former FGR man King Rollo shoot at the near post and force Matt into his first save of the afternoon. |
| It wasn't only the City keeper who'd upped his defensive duties though and Neil Mustoe came to the rescue by heading a John Williams lob off the line after Bath had flapped at a cross. But with all their possession they couldn't score, yet the Tigers' first meaningful attack saw them go one up. |
| Matt Coupe had played half a dozen games for City after signing from Forest Green at the turn of the century. Unfortunately he'd just become a Tiger when the playing budget was slashed and as soon as the money was gone, so was he (although we should be grateful that he didn't linger on like Nigel Niblett and Nathan Wigg). So in the few games that we've faced the Frank Gallagher lookalike since he's always been a figure of hate. |
| He's not innocent though . It was a good job that Dave Wilkinson didn't react to such provocation as his header from Mustoe's free kick was only palmed down by Evans to Cox who slammed the ball home. |
Graeme Power, the slapheaded left back who was winning his duel with Lee Smith found time to get forward and ping in a long range effort that tested Matty and then the City keeper showed good awareness to race off of his line to claim the ball before Martin Paul could get a touch and round him to score.
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| With the sanctuary of half time fast approaching Bath were getting bodies in the box and how the ball stayed out was unclear as it looked easier to score when they had men over at the far post. But the 'Bath City 0' part of the scoreline remained unchanged and we stopped for a fifteen minute breather. |
| The start of the second period saw a notable change for the Romans. Dangerous (and no doubt expensive) striker Scott Partridge came on for Williams as a little for large type substitution, a move which would necessitate a change in the away side's gameplan. |
| Partridge had last played at Meadow Park during a pre-season friendly for Weymouth in August 2003 () and was part of Steve Claridge's dream at the South Coast club. However, things didn't go to plan at the Wessex Stadium as Claridge picked himself ahead of Partridge and the former Bristol City striker made the switch to Twerton Park in January 2004 earning cult status with almost a goal a game as the Romans narrowly failed to secure a berth in the new Conference South. |
| City almost caught Bath cold and really should've doubled their lead when Daryl Addis found room down the right wing and with Jimmy Cox making strides towards the penalty spot opted to go for the unmarked Tom Webb at the far post. Unfortunately Webby couldn't control the ball quickly enough to pose a threat and was crowded out by the retreating Bath defenders. |
| The referee took out his card for the first time to show it to Neil Griffiths whose trip on ex-FGR winger Alex Sykes was one foul too many. The free kick from a central position was slammed into the wall by Sykes himself before Gary Owers' shot from the rebound brought the best out of Matt Bath as he touched the ball onto the post and out for a corner. |
| With Bath pushing forward in the hunt for an equaliser holes were appearing at the back and Addis stole in on the right again, this time with a clear run on goal but couldn't finish as keeper Evans stood up well to deny him. |
Partridge was getting into the game now and he looked to have got free of the Tigers' back four but didn't count on Marvin Thompson sprinting back to pinch the ball off of his toe as he wound up to shoot. Marvin has had a disappointing winter following the fantastic start to the season that he had (not counting the three penalties that he gave away) but his pace can be such an asset and he showed it here today.
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| Still under the cosh and against the run of play we got another goal. A Matt Bath goal kick was allowed to bounce by eighteen year old centre back Sam Bailey and old twinkle toes crept up behind him before pinching the loose ball and stroking the ball past Evans who was caught in no mans land. |
| The T-End went ballistic and once the cheering had died down there was a distinct sound of laughter around Meadow Park. What was more disturbing though was the sight and sound of Coupe ripping into the youngster on the field of play and with Owers in earshot one wonders why the gaffer didn't step in to halt the character assasination. |
| As long as they argue among themselves they'll continue to underachieve. |
| City seemed to almost laugh in the face of Bath's superiority now and were frustrating their opponents at every opportunity. Good play by Martin Paul on the edge of the box saw the ball fed to Jimmy Benefield who unleashed a fine shot that would've found the right hand corner had Matt Bath not flung himself in it's way and pushed it aside. |
| At the other end Daryl Addis wasn't enjoying the best of afternoon's in front of goal and was living up to his tag of the striker that doesn't score goals. How his scissors kick volley from eight yards stayed out is a mystery though as Evans produced a remarkable save to deny the City man. |
| We could've been three goals clear but in an almost carbon copy of his shot from a few minutes earlier Benefield rifled home the ball as Matt Bath stood and watched and the Romans had cut the Tigers lead in half. |
Power became the second name in the ref's book when he clashed with Lee Smith as they both jumped for a high ball, although, no arms were raised and it was difficult to see what the Bath man had done to earn his caution.
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| With the clock ticking down Chris Burns brought an early end to Addis' afternoon by replacing him with Adie Harris and shifting Smith up front in his place. It's vitally important that Adie gets a few games under his belt so that he can give Chris Burns an extra option over the next two months. |
| With City now throwing themselves in front of everything that Bath could aim at them it was inevitable that mistakes would be made. Lyndon Tompkins mistimed his tackle on the edge of the box and caught his man instead, even though the Bath player didn't have the ball. The burly centre-half had his name taken for his fourth booking of the season. |
| The ensuing free kick could only find the wall but it didn't matter as that was to be Bath's last chance to get anything from the game. As play switched to the other end City could've put the icing on the cake when Harris slid a low cross along the six yard line but nobody was quick enough to slide it in. |
| The final whistle went amid celebrations among the City fans although it was too much to bear for Sam Bailey, the man who's contribution to the Tigers' second goal cost his own team dearly. He allegedly headbutted a City player who joking thanked him for playing his part and had to be seperated from the Gloucester players by the referee. However, the man in black soon turned from friend to foe as he produced a red card for Bailey. |
| The joyous Tigers faithfull continued on their way whilst the away fans who were closest to the action reacted like a pack of rabid knobheads. |
| To be fair this has been a great week for the Tigers. Who'd have thought that following on from the show at Aylesbury that we'd take maximum points against Hednesford and the Romans. They were well received considering that next week we face the long away trip to Kings Lynn without the suspended duo of Neil's; Griffiths and Mustoe and even the most optimistic of Tigers fans will think we can get a point up there. |
| And what of Bath? Well, they look increasingly likely to fail to reach the playoffs and will not be looking forward to the possibility of playing league games against the likes of Mangotsfield, Clevedon or Yate Town next year. |
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| Tiger Roar Man of the Match - Jimmy Cox |
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Jimmy Cox
Star Man |
OK, it was a superb defensive display that eventually bagged us all three points but Jimmy gets todays award not only for his two goals but also to reward his bouncebackability following his midweek dropping.
Lyndon Tompkins would otherwise have picked it up, not least because he was like a rock at the back but also for his role in the after match altercation!
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