| It was men against boys at Meadow Park tonight as City took on Tiverton Town, well, it seemed like men against boys as their team of Goliaths took the field before kick off. |
| The Devon side suffered an incredible fall from grace last season as just a handful of wins in the second half of the campaign saw them dive from the top six to 'relegation', or the failure to make the Conference South cut. |
| Reading their fans comments on the Internet it would seem that they're suffering from a bout of Bathcityitis, suggesting that their team is better than their peers and they only need show up to earn three points. To me, they're neck and neck with the Romans as to who picks up this years Mangotsfield United 'Superiority Complex' award. |
| With ex-City player Martyn Rogers at the helm trying to plot The Tigers' downfall, his game plan seemed to revolve around having his defenders bully the ball off of their opponent before lumping it upfield to Jamie Mudge. Former Exeter City player Mudge seemed to be the only one from the Ladysmead club to possess any kind of natural talent whilst his teammates based their efforts around their physical stature. |
| Chris Burns kept the same starting eleven that took to the field against Banbury on Saturday, a team that again saw Jimmy Cox start on the bench. New signing Daryl Addis continued to impress, although it will be nice to see when his first goal finally arrives. |
| Paul Milsom, a robust striker who'd featured for City during John Murphy's era in the mid-nineties and also a target for Forest Green last season was on the bench for the Devon team. He couldn't force his way into the frontline including Kezie Ibe, the striker who'd broken City hearts during the FA Trophy Quarter Final at Aylesbury. |
| Rob Cousins, another player who'd been a regular at the Lawn lined up with seven foot tall freak Nathan Rudge at the back and chris Vinnicombe, the Exeter City player who made a big money move to Glasgow Rangers a decade ago had the task of containing Lee Smith on the left hand side. |
| For a team at the bottom of the league and on a cold, wet Tuesday night it was good to see that there was a coachload from Tiverton. Well, I assume it was a supporters bus, although judging by the number of blue rinses on board it might've been the Tuesday Luncheon Club outing that had got lost. |
| One of the occupants took his place at the end that the Tigers were attacking during the first half and proceeded to 'entertain' the City fans with his running commentary of the game. He seemed content with their kick and rush gameplan, but then he also sounded like someone off of Bo Selecta. |
| The lure of Champions League football on ITV deprived Meadow Park of as big a crowd as Saturday but it was encouraging to see more than the usual Tuesday average in attendance. |
| The referee from Dursley didn't endear himself to the City fans when he whistled in favour of Hagrid, the Tiverton number five whilst the game was a few minutes old. Marvin Thompson charged down the defenders clearance with his midriff and headed for goal. With desperate shouts of handball covering the fact that the Tiverton defender was tugging Marv back, a free kick was awarded to the away side. |
| With so many big players in their ranks set pieces were always going to be a source of danger and Tivvy should've really scored with a header from a corner that flew wide off a fifty pence shaped head. |
| Smith made a run through the middle but was crudely pulled down from behind (no booking, not even a word) and the free kick by Mustoe was wasted as he tried to pick out a Griff run to the far post seconds before it started. |
| Tiverton should've taken an early lead as they had the ball in the back of the net, but the linesman had his flag up for offside. City were awarded a free kick even though it looked as though Lee Smith had passed the ball. |
| Mark Ovendale, Tivvy's number one with bags of Football League experience made a great save from Marv even though he probably didn't know too much about it. Lee Davis picked out his namesake Smith and the latter threaded a great ball across the six yard line where Thompson knocked the ball back where it came from, but Ovendale threw himself down to block with his legs. |
| Wilko put pressure on his opponent as he brought the ball out of his own area and it paid of with a block tackle that fell to Addis. The striker sent in a waist high cross that, given his due, Rudge did brilliantly to acrobatically get a toe to and divert it away from danger. |
| Mudge was losing his defender and finding space with alarming regularity, so it was really no surprise when he got behind the City defence to score. With the ball over the top forcing him slightly wide, he hit a shot under Matt Bath with his left peg to give Town the lead. |
| With the Devon side looking a real threat, City weren't quite clicking and it was apparent as another superb breakaway from Addis ended with a cross that came in too soon for Davis. This was countered with another ball over the top for Mudge which Bath had to save. |
| A superb move down the right between Daryl Addis and Lee Smith, two players who have already shown signs of a real footballing understanding, saw Smith into the area with just Chris Vinnicombe for company. The defender got his body between Smith and the ball and knocked it back to the keeper, who dived on it, yet no indirect free kick was given to City for the backpass. |
| A Tivvy player tested Matt Bath from well outside the area with a shot on target, before a similar opportunity presented itself for Mustoe, who could only slice his effort hopelessly wide with his left foot. |
| It was apparent that Tiverton's game plan was based on Wimbledon's so the City players were keeping a their hands between their legs to defend themselves at corners and free kicks. Another long ball gave Mudge a chance, which he couldn't finish. That guy's gonna have a really bad neck when he's older if he keeps playing for this team. |
| Lee Smith challenged Vinnicombe for the ball and the Tiverton Manager gave a foul against the City man, well, the referee blew up but only after prompting from Rogers in the away team dugout. |
| It's fair to say that Tiverton were having the better of the chances and looked more likely to score, and the ball was fizzing around the box as City desperately cleared their lines. But football's a funny old game, and all of their possession stood for nothing as the Tigers clawed a goal back. |
| Wilko thrust himself into the lead as City's top scorer with a great equaliser. Against the run of play the ball was played up to Daryl Addis, who easily sidestepped the defender but found his path to goal barred by another. Wilko arrived on the scene to Addis' right, crying out for the ball and when he got it he slid it into the far corner. |
| It had been pretty much all Tiverton, but the scoreline read 1-1! |
| Super Kezie Ibe had been rather unimpressive during the first half and only got noticed for the amount of hand holding a shirt pulling that he'd been doing to defenders. Incredibly though Neil Griffiths found himself booked for doing once what Ibe had been doing for the past half hour as he got away from the City defender. |
| Poor old Will Steadman had been sent off at Aylesbury as the last man against Ibe, but seeing how he was all hands I now think that Will was hard done by. Griff also looked to have elbowed Ibe in another exchange but nothing was done, I say it was just desserts against the striker on loan from Yeovil because football is a game play with your feet, not your hands. |
| The resulting free kick was a well worked three man move that needed a good save from Bath in the City goal. |
| If the save from the free kick was good, then Gordon Banks would've given Bath a standing ovation when a low cross saw the City keeper block the ball out to the far post where one of their men waited to tap in, but as we were all saying two-one Bath appeared to kill the shot with his right hand and send it out for a corner. And this guy's supposed to be injured?!! |
| With Tiverton's recent free kick in mind City were awarded one for a dubious handball on the edge of the box. Mustoe hit the ball around the wall and it kept going at head height towards the turnstiles testing any spectator that was unlucky to be in the way. This guy doesn't need glasses, he needs two pairs. |
| It's fair to say that Tiverton had had the best of the first half and the rocket up the ass that Chris Burns gave the City players was apparent as they came out for the second forty-five minutes. |
| The beautiful game suffered again as Addis used his pace to go around Rudge, but like a mother taking an infant to school the defender held hands all the way before pushing the City man aside and clearing the ball. |
| The Tiverton players could do no wrong in the referees eyes, but when Wilko jumped for a goal kick he clashed with one of theirs and was booked whilst his opponent sat blubbing on the deck. |
| Following a passage of play that was all City we were treated to more 'bonding with Ibe' as Town attacked. He was holding hands so often that it wouldn't suprise me if his house was full of Elton John CD's and Dale Winton DVD's! |
| Matt Bath made a save with his legs from Ibe before Ovendale nipped in front of Dave Wilkinson following Lyndon Tompkins' header back across goal from Mustoe's deep free kick. |
| The ineffective Davis was replaced by Jimmy Cox and a few minutes later former Team Bath 'student' Tom Stocco came on for Shaun Goff. Davis struggled against the WWE sized Tiverton defenders so it was good to see Tigers legend Cox thrown into the action. |
| Lee Smith was unlucky to see his stooping header deflected over the bar after a super run down the left wing from Marvin Thompson. What made the run so good was the number of hacks and slashes that Marv had to counter as he made his way up the line. |
| Another dreadful Mustoe corner led to a counter attack which really should've brought a goal for Tiverton, but as ever we have Matt Bath to thank for keeping the scores level. David Steele, the son of former City player Hedley, made a great run through the middle and was fed the ball with no-one near him. With just Bath to beat, he delayed and the City man made a great save. |
| Bathy could've followed his save with one of those moments where he just stands and watches the ball in as a volley from Jamie Mudge arrowed it's way juuuuust past the far post. Matt didn't move as the defence appealed for an offside decision that never came. |
| Lee Smith forced another save following a deep cross to the far post by Tom Webb that picked out his former youth team colleague before Ibe continued his grabbing antics at the other end. Neil Griffiths looked to be thrown to the floor with the Tiverton strikers grasp of his shirt and amazingly the referee saw nothing amiss. Thankfully Ibe isn't as good with his feet as he is with his hands and he made a mess of the opportunity that he'd created. |
| For once Chris Thompson was set free from his defensive shackles as he made a mazy run up the wing, something we need to see more of, before sending in a perfect head high cross that saw Wilko mistime a header away from goal instead of in. |
| The closest City came to getting a winner was from an unchecked Smith run from his own half that saw him play a one-two with Addis before firing in a low shot that Ovendale did well to get down to and push wide. The Oooh's from the T-End suggested that it was close. |
| Sympathies for Neil Mustoe as he picked up City's third caution for just knocking the ball away after a free kick was awarded against him. Tiverton had been very good at disguising their niggling, game spoiling techniques and amazingly hadn't picked up a card, yet we'd had three! |
| With the game fast approaching injury time Jimmy Cox dashed into the area, looked up and fed the ball back to Addis who was unlucky to see his first time shot deflected over the bar by Rob Cousins. Mustoe sent in a poor corner to the near post and it was headed back by a Tivvy defender. Then the City Captain tried again and hopelessly sliced the ball over the T-End. |
| Now I don't like to slag off players, but how much longer are we going to pay good money to see Mustoe's set pieces? On Saturday they worked out to great effect but they were complete rarities, but remember, even the sun shines on a dogs ass occasionally. |
| It was all over and despite not winning City had stretched their unbeaten run to five games ahead of Saturday's FA Trophy tie against Kings Lynn. |
| Quiet how Ibe is up for the FA Cup player of the round on the is beyond me. Current voting suggests that he already has one hand on the trophy, although, judging by tonight's show thats no surprise as he usually has his hand on a defender. |
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| Tiger Roar Man of the Match - Matt Bath |
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Matt Bath
Star Man |
Matt was a doubt for tonight's game after picking up a thigh injury on Saturday, but he played and you wouldn't have known he was carrying a knock. With a goalkeeper who has cost nearly £500,000 in transfer fees at the other end, Bath pulled off a string of fantastic saves and any neutral would've wondered who was the costlier keeper.
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