Saturday 27 March 2004 - Twerton Park - kick off 3.00pm Dr Martens Premier Division

City showed their intention to approach the game positively by switching Frankie Bennett back to a more familiar right wing role in place of Jim Rollo and recalling Steve Tweddle to partner Scott Partridge up front. The opening ten minutes were uneventful before City began to gain the upper hand. Bennett raced past the lumbering Walker and swung in a perfect cross to Jamie Cook. He headed back across goal but the effort dropped a yard wide. Moments later Partridge and Matt Coupe combined only for the latter to blaze over the bar from 15 yards out. Dorchester were looking every inch a side who hadn’t won away from home for three months and Partridge should have done better than shoot straight at Bradshaw after Coupe’s long ball forward dropped to him but when Cook got the rebound ahead of a statuesque-like Wood it appeared that the pressure had finally paid off. When the dopey Dorchester defender finally realised his error his only answer was to pull Cook back. It was as clear a penalty as you could imagine but to the stunned disbelief of the whole ground the referee waved the appeals away. Twice after this Tweddle spurned half-chances, shooting the first wide and then seeing Browne, the one Magpie defender who at least appeared to have some clue, block his effort. A rare attack by the Dorset side ended with a weak 20-yard Keeler effort straight at Paul Evans. Another penalty appeal fell on deaf ears (and blind eyes?) when Bennett had his heels clipped then Partridge wasted another great opening. Bennett and Cook were involved in the build-up that sent Partridge clear. His first shot was well blocked by Bradshaw but the keeper knew little about his follow-up effort that smashed into his face and away for a corner. Dorchester were now resulting to every trick in the book to disrupt City’s momentum, niggling fouls (mostly missed by the referee), staying down when clearly not injured and disputing the rare decision that went against them, and for a short spell this approach seemed to work. Browne headed Wood’s free-kick just over the bar and then Evans was forced into his only difficult save of the game from a Keeler shot. The final City chance of the half was again created by Bennett, his low cross flashing across the face of goal and just evading the incoming Partridge.

As in the first half City were slow out of the blocks in the second but it wasn’t long before the chances began to arrive again. Bobby Ford’s perfect pass found Cook and his cross was fired wide at the near post by Partridge. On 53 minutes Bradshaw saved another Partridge shot and within moments Tweddle just failed to take Cook’s pass in his stride and the danger was cleared. On the hour mark it appeared the referee had finally released what everyone else in the ground already knew and an appeal went over the tanoy requesting a replacement official. However, it transpired this was due to tight hamstring rather than an acceptance he wasn’t up to the job and as nobody could be found he had to continue. Three minutes after this Cook almost caught Bradshaw off his line with a 40-yard effort that dropped just wide and then Tweddle blasted a shot straight at the keeper. Town almost grabbed a shock goal after 68 minutes with Keeler’s thumping volley flying narrowly wide. A minute after this City brought on Andy Williams for the tiring Tweddle and his introduction nearly paid off immediately when he broke clear down the right. With three team mates to pick out and just one red shirt in sight he managed to play the ball between them all. With 12 minutes remaining the City substitute was crudely felled by Harris (not even talked to be the referee) and the resultant free-kick seemed to finally convince City it wasn’t going to be their day. Gary Owers cracking shot flew past Bradshaw only to thump against the bar. City continued to press but with less and less conviction and with five minutes remaining the game finally boiled over. Keeper Evans went down after taking a goal kick but the sporting visitors refused to knock the ball out of play. When they lost possession City tried to take advantage of this and Williams ran at the heart of their defence only to flattened by another dreadful challenge by Harris. The referee was about to finally book the defender when forty yards away Steve Jones was remonstrating with Keeler for his side’s lack of sportsmanship. In response the Dorchester no.11 headbutted the City captain. In the melee that followed Evans threw a punch at Walker but it was incredibly Jones that followed Keeler off the pitch and into an early bath. Once order had been resumed and the free-kick had come to nothing City were setting themselves for a last desperate push but this was all brought to a premature halt when Mr Greenwood put a perfect cap on his performance by ending the game right on 90 minutes despite numerous stoppages throughout the half..