Monday 3 January 2005 - Ladysmead - kick off 3.00pm Southern League Premier Division

The omens were not good for City as they lost three players from the 4-1 win over Team Bath two days earlier, which forced a major reshuffle throughout the whole team. The three missing were player-manager Gary Owers (foot), Alex Sykes (ankle) and Graeme Power (thigh) which saw 17-year old Yan Klukowski in for his first league start and Mike Trought and Matt Coupe return to the starting XI for the first time in months. These changes meant Jim Rollo was pushed up into midfield alongside Klukowski, Ben Cleverley moved to the left flank and Steve Jones fill the left-back slot. One further unenforced change saw loan striker Luke Corbett replace Reinier Moor up front, with Scott Partridge only fit enough for a place on the bench following his ear infection. City almost defied their troubles two minutes in as Jimmy Benefield’s cross picked out an unmarked John Williams ten yards out. He got his shot on target but it did not have the power to beat Ovendale. By contrast the home side did score from the first attack. They won a corner down City’s right which Winter curled into the box. It looked an easy claim for Paul Evans but under pressure from Walker his could only deflect it into the net for an embarrassing own goal. Lifted by this lucky break Tiverton should have doubled their lead seven minutes later when an unmarked Winter somehow contrived to head a Vinnicombe cross wide from just six yards out. However, a minute later they did score a second and again it was a gift from City. Rollo and Klukowski appeared to leave the ball for each other allowing ex-City star Iain Harvey to steal possession. He threaded a pass through to Mudge who took the simple chance by rolling a shot past Evans. That was the end of Tiverton as an attacking force but for all City’s possession they could not find a way past the wall of yellow shirts. Their case was not helped by the shocking Ladysmead pitch which made City’s efforts to stick to their passing game all the harder although Corbett and Williams both saw half-chances come and go before the interval. They also had two strong appeals for penalties, both for handball against Rudge, waved away by the behind play referee.

Shortly after the break Cleverley blazed over following good work by Klukowski as City set about camping in the Tiverton half. Around the hour mark Corbett and Klukowski made way for Partridge and Moor but still City could not find that all important first goal. Benefield almost repeated his goal from the Trophy meeting between the sides, only this time his shot from a Moor cross was not hit cleanly enough to beat Ovendale. Moor then shot over and several times City got behind the Tiverton defence but the final ball failed to pick out a black and white teammate. With nineteen minutes remaining City came within inches of breaking through. Partridge’s shot looped up off Rudge and looked to dropping into the net but somehow Ovendale reacted to turn the ball away for a corner. To their credit City did not give up, knowing that even a late goal could be enough to herald a turnaround against such fragile opponents, and Benefield, Moor and Rollo all went close in the closing fifteen minutes. However, in the final minute City’s efforts were summed up when Partridge was given the chance he normally puts away without blinking only to completely miss Rollo’s low cross and with it finally end their hopes.