Saturday 17 December 2005 - Twerton Park - kick off 3.00pm Southern League Premier Division

Report taken from by Richard Gadsby

City hit the ground running and created a steady stream of chances straight from the kick-off. Good work from Andy Sandell and then Jon Holloway put Scott Partridge through after five minutes but the striker failed to find the target and, moments later, a delightful first-time flick over the keeper from Barry McConnell bounced back off the bar to safety. The City crowd could sense an early goal but it almost fell to Cheshunt on 15 minutes when George Gregorio, with his back to goal, flicked a bouncing ball over the head of Coupe for Dewayne Clark to run onto. Gethin Jones did well to keep up with the pacy striker, who could only fire wide under pressure. Partridge wasted a free header from ten yards out when he opted for precision over power on the half-hour mark and an off-balance Sandell saw a low, hard drive well saved by keeper Michael Kalli after a sly nudge from the last man broke the winger's stride. Clark broke back for Cheshunt and cracked an excellent shot against the crossbar, but City still looked the more likely to score. McConnell, whose last game for the club was also his best, saw a good strike stopped by the keeper's legs with two minutes of the half left and when Partridge could only fire the rebound wide with Kalli on the floor it looked like City's dominance would count for nothing. Cue Walsh, who rose unchallenged to head home a Sandell corner right on the stroke of half-time.

The goal could not have come at a better time for City with Cheshunt already starting to drop men back in numbers and the visitors were forced to come forward after the break in search of a leveller. Sandell struck a powerful shot straight at the keeper from a Walsh cross on 50 minutes but, after that, a game that City had controlled for almost an hour seemed to slip out of their grasp. Cheshunt made the most of some poor passing from City but were constantly turned away by a well-drilled defence. A rare slip from Coupe almost let Steve Obeng in six yards out on 65 minutes but the winger got the ball trapped under his feet and a no-nonsense clearance from Steve Jones ended the danger. Two long-range efforts from Lee Allen fizzed wide of Evans' goal as Cheshunt gave up trying to break through and with ten minutes to go, City finally started to make inroads again. Kalli had to make a double save after palming a Jim Rollo shot to Sandell, whose chip back into the box was headed goalwards by Walsh. And when new fans' favourite Craig Davidge clipped the outside of the post with a fierce drive after being teed up by Sandell with two minutes to go, it looked like City would have to endure a nervy last few minutes. But, at the start of injury time, Walsh chased down a hopeful punt downfield and somehow managed to get a toe on the ball ahead of the last defender. Even then it looked like it would go for a goal-kick but the lanky striker just kept the ball in play and delivered an inch-perfect cross to the unmarked Davidge, who headed home his first goal since joining the club from five yards out.