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Saturday 24 July 2004 - Hand Stadium - kick off 3.00pm Friendly 
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| half-time: 0-0 | result: W3-0 | attendance: 128 |
| team: | Evans (Shuttlewood 45), Rollo (Brigham 74), Power (Lamacraft 45), Coupe, Monelle, Ford (c), Benefield (Taylor 74), Owers (Harvey 67), Tweddle (Stevens 80), Williams, Milton (Radcliffe 56). subs not used: none |
| man of the match: | Gary Owers |
| scorers: | Owers (67), Williams (79), Stevens (88) |
| bookings: | none |
| officials: | not known |
| league position: n/a | form: -LdLLW | next match: Manfield (H) |
After continually, and in truth correctly, expressing how unconcerned he was at City’s failure to score in their first four pre-season friendlies, it would have still been with some relief when Gary Owers himself rose to meet a 67th minute corner and head home. This was no less than his side deserved after they had controlled the game against Clevedon Town for long periods. Having rested a number of players in the 1-0 defeat at Frome Town two days earlier it was a more familiar line-up that started the game at the Hand Stadium, with Paul Evans, Matt Coupe, Graeme Power, Bobby Ford, Jimmy Benefield, Russell Milton, Steve Tweddle and John Williams all back in the side.
Despite this it was the home side that started off strongly and City struggled to cope with this lively opening. However, after Evans had confidently claimed a couple of crosses and Norris shot narrowly over the bar they slowly began to impose themselves on the game. Owers was pulling the strings in the midfield and Power was seeing a lot of space down the left flank. The former lifted one shot just over the goal and Tweddle put another chance into the side netting. Williams also saw a half chance come and go before he was given a great opportunity to open his City account ten minutes before the break. Tweddle’s neat pass sent him clear only for the big striker to allow Conti to save his effort with his legs.
The interval saw Justin Shuttlewood replace Paul Evans and the latest trialist from Torquay United, Richard Lamacraft, replace Graeme Power. This made little difference to the pattern of the game and it looked only a matter of time before City finally found a way through the Clevedon defence. Just before the hour mark Milton limped off to be replaced by Simon Radcliffe and eight minutes later the goal finally arrived. Owers rose above Conti to meet Ford’s right wing corner and, despite the presence of two defenders on the line, the ball found the corner of the net. Owers immediately replaced himself with Iain Harvey and within a minute the Seasiders should have levelled but Hapgood was denied by a good block by Shuttlewood. The big keeper spilled a cross minutes later but Coupe blocked the ball on the line then cleared the danger. With eleven minutes remaining Williams latched onto a neat pass from Lamacraft and lifted the ball confidently over Conti to make it 2-0. City saved the best to last as in the 88th minute substitute Dean Stevens collected the ball 25-yards out before blasting an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net. That completed the welcome and fully deserved victory and finally meant City’s pre-season campaign was up and running.