Saturday 18 December 2004 - Twerton Park - kick off 3.00pm Southern League Premier Division

City came into the game on the back of two excellent away victories and Rubgy, in contrast, after two home defeats and the opening exchanges gave the impression that these runs would continue. Penned into their half the visitors conceded a corner after just three minutes. Alex Sykes’ centre was only cleared as far as Reinier Moor and his looping header was tipped over the bar by Payne. Sykes and Moor were the two changes to the side that had beaten Hemel seven days earlier, with the returning Futsal international taking over from loan signing Ben Cleverley on the left. Moor replaced top scorer John Williams, who was struck down with a flu-bug, and despite giving 100% City clearly missed the extra physical presence of Williams. For all Moor and fellow striker Scott Partridge’s effort, attack after attack floundered on the sky-blue wall. On 18 minutes City were given a warning of what was to come when Rugby made a rare break forward. A corner was won which Williams lifted in toward Commander. His header was on target but Bobby Ford was well-placed to clear the danger. Soon City were back on the attack as Gary Owers burst forward before finding Sykes on the left wing. He sent a perfect through ball to Partridge but Payne was equal to the challenge and turned away his shot. Moor then shot straight at the keeper following a poor Williams clearance and it just looked a matter of time before City went ahead. However, as the half proceeded their dominance in possession began to create fewer clear chances. With Sykes and Jimmy Benefield coming infield they were lacking the width to really hurt Rugby and too often aimless balls forward were easily dealt with by United back four (or, to be more accurate, eight). Steve Jones continued his recent good form with a timely block when a slip by the otherwise solid Sam Bailey saw Pearson get a sight of goal. Fittingly the final chance of the half fell to City when Partridge raced past Moran only to fire over the bar.

The interval saw City replace Benefield with Cleverley and within five minutes of the restart they had two strong penalty appeals turned down. The first, and clearest, saw Partridge pulled back by Hart as he raced into the area. He still managed to get a shot in which Marsden blocked. If the referee had correctly played advantage he had now to blow for a spot-kick. However, incredibly the whistle never came and after Partridge had stabbed the rebound wide City were just left even more frustrated. Moments later Ford was felled right on the edge of the box but once again the referee just waved play on. These mistakes became even more costly on 55 minutes when the only goal of the game arrived. Pearson collected the ball on the right, cut inside Jones and fired in a dipping shot that flew into the net leaving Justin Shuttlewood rooted to the spot. If the Warwickshire side were negative before this it was nothing to their approach now they had a lead to protect. The ineffectual referee tried without success to hurry them up and for all City’s effort they couldn’t build up any momentum to find a way back into the game. Ford sent in one shot that Hart deflected away for a corner and Owers shot over after good work by Cleverley. Slowly City’s first half failings of no width and pumping high balls forwarded returned and hope began to seep away. Another penalty shout fell on deaf ears, this time for a pull on Sykes by Moran, and Owers again failed to hit the target when well-placed. Any slim hopes of a comeback almost disappeared completely five minutes from time when a deep cross picked out an unmarked Douglas. However, Shuttlewood produced a stunning point-blank save which allowed City another couple of chances to salvage a point. Cleverley hit the first of these straight at Payne and then, when Sykes couldn’t even manage to be this accurate in the closing seconds, the game was well and truly up.