| Paulton Rovers. Where? Ask most folks. I know it's to the south of Bath, in the geographical void of the country that links Bristol with Yeovil. Maybe it would've been easier for the town and country planners to just fold the map rather than populate such an uninteresting area. |
| On the football field we have met before, although it took the matchday programme to remind me that it was in 1998 that it took an injury time winner from Steve Bennett to set up a tie against Sudbury Town which we eventually squeezed through by ten or so goals. |
| I'm not sure whether it's a fable or not but there was an FA Cup meeting between the two clubs in the past that was delayed because the ball kept getting kicked into a neighbours garden, a far too common occurance as far as the resident was concerned. The situation reached boiling point on the afternoon that City visited when having run out of match balls, the victim had had enough and refused to give the ball back! |
| Having paid just a couple of quid to watch the under eighteens on Sunday afternoon, it was with a mixture of disappointment and acceptance that I paid more than three times that to watch most of the youth team in action again. It was little wonder why the usual City fans hadn't bothered to come to the game, and those already there said they'd have thought twice about attending had they known the intended team. |
| Of course, the Southern League Cup represented our last hope of silverware for the current campaign but thats gone too now as City added to the shameful record of being knocked out at the first attempt in the other three competitions that they'd entered. With just a relegation battle to look forward to there won't be much to shout about over the coming weeks and months. |
| The team that Chris Burns put out to face the division one west side included just six first teamers, although it gave Lyndon Tompkins a chance to regain fitness and also a first start for Jamie Reid. Adam Bennett donned the number one shirt for the first time since 2001 and on the bench youth team keeper Dave Evans sat alongside his peers Micheal Noakes and Andy Varnam who had signed forms after the County Cup semi-final two days earlier. |
| Rovers' starting eleven had quite a familiar feel to it with a mixture of names that have either played for the Tigers or against us with the likes of Forest Green, Bath City or Chippenham Town among their numbers. On the bench was a now grown up version of Ian Hedges, who as a youngster had left Meadow Park for the bright lights of AFC Bournemouth in a £25,000 transfer. Starting at the back was Mike Kilgour, still going strong despite now being considered too old for many 'veterans' teams. |
| The game started slowly as the players not only got used to each other but also to the howling wind that was bringing Icelandic temperatures to Hempsted. Paulton settled well though and showed that they didn't come just to make up the numbers when their winger easily sliced his way past two City defenders before shooting over Bennett's bar. |
| The wind was again a major player as a scuffed kick from Bennett caught him off of his line but the attempted long range lob didn't bother the stand in keeper and it fell into his arms. |
| A Keith Knight free kick almost reaped dividends when it found it's way back to him and he sent in a shot that was cleared off of the line. |
| More probing from the Tigers saw Chris Thompson, for once in midfield, make ground along the left wing before whipping in a cross that was only cleared as far to Tom Webb who lashed a shot wide and away from the far post. |
| An early change for the visitors saw ex-Bath City and Chippenham schemer Mark Harrington replace Nick Bunyard. |
| We were getting closer though and the ball came within a lick of paint of going in when Lee Smith dashed along the right wing and sent in a pinpoint cross for Jimmy Cox to head across the keeper and onto the base of the post. |
| Adam Bennett had to make his first save when a corner was swung in, met by a firm header and would've gone in but for his intervention. However, the resultant corner saw the ball turned in at the far post by former Team Bath student Chris Lewis for the games only goal. |
| Jamie Reid was starting a game for the first time and although he didn't look out of place he'd have done better alongside the likes of Neil Mustoe and Dave Wilkinson rather than the mixture that was put out tonight. He worked hard though and a well timed tackle and pass opened a door for Daryl Addis but the striker's shot was deflected wide, although, the referee who should've gone to Specsavers gave a goal kick. |
| If the man in black was gaining notoriety for his lenient approach then he really announced himself moments before the break when he failed to book Richard Perry for pulling Knight back after he'd sailed past. In a moment of madness for the Tigers' assistant boss, Knighter swung his arm around but didn't seem to connect with the Paulton mans chops, although the ref was only interested in talking to the City man despite Perry's unsporting act. |
| Lea James was withdrawn during the break with Ian Hedges taking his place. |
| The second half opened quietly but a Knight cross was flicked on by Webb where Cox saw his view of goal at the far post blocked and so was his shot. But that was to be the end of the evenings action for the City striker as he and Lee Smith were replaced by Andy Varnham and Micheal Noakes. |
| Noakes had burst onto the scene at the end of November with a late, late winning goal at home to Chesham but injury and reluctance to travel to away games on Saturdays have curtailed his burgeoning City career so far. |
| The blonde left winger was into the action straight away and it was his crossfield pass that picked out youth teammate Reid to send in a stinging drive which Paulton keeper John Rendell had to be alert to beat away. |
| At the other end there was almost a comical own goal as a low cross made it's way into the City six yard box but a combination of Adam Bennett, a lucky bounce and no white shirts present saw the ball turned behind for a corner. |
| However the focus of attention was turned from that attack to revelations that City fan Joe Green was involved in a woman beating incident on Saturday night, although bookmaker Darran Pearce was laying favourable odds that it was the woman that did the beating. |
| Real controversy followed the Joe Green soap opera when Daryl Addis was tripped in the box. He turned his man, who was so bamboozled that he fell on his ass and from his horizontal position altered Daryl's relationship with gravity as he skipped past. The referee wasn't impressed by Addis' appeal and the City fans weren't impressed with the referee. |
| Paulton's final change came in the shape of Dan Cleverly, a man who scored the winner for Bath City in the FA Trophy against us last season being replaced by another ex-Twerton Park favourite, Steve Tweddle. |
| Mike Kilgour gave us a reminder of his style of defending when he made a clearance that sliced it's way towards the River Severn and he even took the 'club foot' jibes in good heart telling the City fans that he's still enjoying his football. Fair play to the guy. |
| Getting towards the end of the game now and looking to hold onto their slender lead Paulton tried to employ time wasting tactics. The flag was raised for offside, the whistle was blown but Tweddle continued regardless, smacking in a shot that was aimed for the goal but ended up on the T-End. As though it was a gesture to appease the home support the former Chippenham striker was booked, although one voice from the crowd suggested that "It's too late for that now you prick". |
| City made their third and final substitution when keeper Bennett made way for the youth team number one Dave Evans. The Brockworth man, signed as cover two weeks earlier had had a sound game and could've only really been criticised for his erratic kicking, although he was punting the ball into an icy cold wind that was blowing straight at him. |
| It wasn't long before the rookie keeper was tested when he held a powerful drive from Josh Jeffries at the second attempt and had to be alert as he was pressured by Tweddle. |
| City were going forward with all of their might and a deft header from Varnham almost found the target before a Knight free kick smacked the post and away to safety with no yellow shirt able to touch in the rebound. |
| With City now pushing up in numbers there was an ever present danger of the counter attack and Evans showed his mettle when he stood up to a breakaway to make a memorable save. It was all about the timing though and a second earlier or later would've seen his City debut last no more than five minutes. |
| Having waited three quarters of the game to produce a yellow card, even though he might've got a strained shoulder from raising his arm too often, the referee took Lyndon Tompkins' name as he pulled back a Paulton attacker when he had the beating of him. |
| Having already hit the post, Knight gave up the set piece taking duties to Dan Avery as the young defender had scored a cracking free kick in the County Cup game on Sunday. This time though the ball couldn't penetrate the wall but it fell kindly for Reid who hammered a shot to goal only for Tweddle to bravely / stupidly (delete as applicable) put his head in the way to clear the danger. The young midfielder was denied again when his shot from the resultant corner was deflected wide. |
| Deep into injury time and City finally got the goal that they had deserved when two of the youth teamers linked up, or they thought they'd got a goal. Noakes and Knight combined to send the former towards the goalline where he lofted a pinpoint cross to the far post where his youth team captain Varnham rose to head the ball home. |
| However the celebrations were brought to an abrupt halt because Chuckles the linesman was stood there with his flag aloft and his partner in crime ruled out the goal. Quite why the goal was chalked off is a mystery although Knight, who had earlier audibly made it known that he didn't want "extra f*cking time" wouldn't have been too disappointed. We were though. |
| As the final whistle went so did our hopes of salvaging any success out of what has been a difficult season. With the vicous circle of budget cuts versus falling gates looming larger and larger the club has to ask itself whether the policy of treating this competition with such contempt was the right one. |
| I for one am extremely disappointed. |
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| Tiger Roar Man of the Match - Jamie Reid |
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Jamie Reid
Star Man |
Having made a suitable impression on the side when he's come off of the bench in recent games Jamie was given his first start and remained busy throughout. Even up to the final whistle he was a threat and was never afraid to shoot from distance, something his elder teammates often seem shy of.
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