Saturday 21 February 2004 - The Moorlands - kick off 3.00pm Dr Martens Premier Division

Whilst the ease of the victory was a surprise, City’s recent improved form, the win means they are unbeaten in four league outings which is their best run of the season, plus the goalscoring run of Scott Partridge meant that it was perhaps not the huge shock it first appears. And almost from the first whistle they took the game to the Birmingham-based side. There were two changes to the starting line-up that had beaten Havant & Waterlooville the previous Saturday – Frankie Bennett and Sam Bailey replacing Jeffries and Drew Shore – and both played a major part in the victory. These changes also saw Matt Coupe switch to right-back and Jim Rollo pushed up into midfield. Fittingly, the first opening of the game fell to City with Bobby Ford testing keeper Rachel from distance. At the back City were looking as solid as they had at any time this season. Bailey was dominant in the air and Steve Jenkins was having far and away his best game in a City shirt. A wonderfully timed tackle on Doyle from a Haarhoff cross was a perfect example of this. With the majority of possession, City were slowly beginning to stretch the home side. A quick throw-in on 22 minutes by Partridge gave Darren Hawkins room to shoot only for the Bristol City youngster to slice his effort well wide. Four minutes later City almost gifted the Moors an opening goal. Keeper Paul Evans had already flapped at one cross when he mis-kicked an attempted clearance straight to Haarhoff. However, he redeemed for this error by saving at the strikers feet as he tried to run around him. With the escape to wake them up City went on to dominate the remainder of the half. Rollo almost got on to the end of a Ford free-kick on 28 minutes and then Partridge forced a fine stop out of Rachel seven minutes later. From the resultant corner Jones saw his header cleared off the line by Doyle. Shots from Ford and Owers were blocked before Bennett wasted a great chance two minutes before the interval. Hawkins lifted a pass over the defence that Bennett looked favourite to reach. However, he seemed to take his eye off the ball and only managed to crash into Rachel. There were a few half-hearted penalty appeals but these came to nothing.

Playing down the slope in the second half City continued to control proceedings and within eight minutes of the restart they deservedly took the lead. Bennett turned well on the halfway line and sent Partridge racing clear with a perfectly timed pass. He still had a lot to do but the way he calmly curled a shot past Rachel showed that City may have finally found the goal-scorer that have been desperate for all season. Despite the knock he had received at the end of the first half Bennett was now at the heart of most of City’s good work. His strong run and cross on 62 minutes almost saw Robinson put through his own net, something Trainer almost managed as well later in the half. Jenkins then headed a Partridge cross inches wide. A rare attack for the home side saw Elmes’ weak effort easily saved by Evans. The second goal arrived on 73 minutes and it was another excellent finish from Partridge. Evans’ long clearance was flicked on by Bennett to free the ex-Weymouth striker again. He was forced slightly wide but this made no difference as his low shot found the corner of the net. From then on it was the Partridge show. He was denied another one-on-one finish by a smart block from Rachel after 80 minutes, saw a goal-bound shot hit Sanders and then headed a Ford cross narrowly wide. However, he wasn’t to be denied his first senior hat-trick. Another long kick by Evans was allowed to find the City no.10. He left two defenders trailing before a third, Faulds, clumsily brought him down three yards in the box. He was sent off for the foul and Partridge got up to send Rachel the wrong way from the penalty spot. There was time for Moor Green to almost grab a consolation goal, Dowdall’s shot crashing against the bar in stoppage time, but by then the celebrations from the 80+ City fans who had made the trip were well under way and 387 days of hurt could finally be put behind them.