Tuesday 24 August 2004 - Twerton Park - kick off 3.00pm Southern League Premier Division

City’s starting line-up saw two changes from Grantham with Russell Milton returning to the side to replace Dean Stevens and Mike Trought restored to the defence in place of the unfit Steve Jones. And they began strongly against a Tiverton side featuring former City midfielders Iain Harvey and Rob Cousins. Williams, showing the urgency and effort that had been so conspicuous by its absence at Grantham, provided a teasing cross on nine minutes that Jimmy Benefield just failed to get on the end of. For all of City’s possession and superiority in every department two minutes later the visitors should have gone ahead with their first attack. Cousins’ free-kick was flicked on by Rudge to an unmarked Mudge. He looked odds-on to score but Matt Coupe recovered to deflect his effort behind for a corner. With Owers and Bobby Ford winning almost everything in the middle of the pitch City were soon pressing forward again. Steve Tweddle nearly took advantage when City won possession on 20 minutes, dragging a shot wide, and then Benefield brought a fine stop out of keeper Ovendale after Tweddle had set up him. In fact, Tiverton had to be thankful to their keeper on a number of further occasions as City continued to search for the opening goal. Benefield’s 40-yard dipping shot was one of his easier claims. Tiverton were showing signs that they were still a danger, Mudge’s well-struck shot flying narrowly wide moments later. However, it was still City who looked the more threatening, Owers’ bringing another smart stop out of Ovendale from a free-kick and Williams heading just over, and with a minute remaining in the half they went ahead. There looked to be little danger when Stocco tried to shepherd the ball out in the corner but Tweddle never gave up and stole possession. His cross was perfect for Williams to crash it home from six yards out.

The Devon side, who were forced to wear City’s old yellow third kit after a mix-up with their shirts, were clearly becoming increasingly frustrated at their failure to threaten City and several petulant challenges disrupted the flow of the game but also earned Winter, Vinnicombe, Mudge and Rudge yellow cards. Just eight minutes after the break City replaced Tweddle with Reinier Moor and the summer target for Tivvy was soon tormenting his former suitors with his pace and direct running. He also came within inches of doubling City’s lead with a dipping 30-yard shot that dropped narrowly wide. To their credit Tiverton were trying to play football rather than resulting to a Grantham-style hit and hope approach but on several occasions this almost proved their downfall as they gave away possession in dangerous positions. Owers, Milton and Ford all had shooting chances from such incidents only to fail to hit the target and then Moor broke clear but didn’t notice a completely unmarked Owers down the middle. Benefield also failed to take advantage of a break that had the Tiverton defenders outnumbered. Moor then produced some trickery near the corner flag that would not have been out of place in La Liga. However, for all this dominance, going into the closing ten minutes City still only had their slender one goal advantage. And they were nearly made to pay with six minutes remaining when Shuttlewood failed to claim the ball through a crowded six-yard box only for Coupe to clear the danger from right under his own bar. This turned out to be the only close escape and City comfortably held on to put the Grantham disappointment behind them and move into fourth place, just a single point behind early season leaders Chippenham Town.