Saturday 21 January 2006 - Meadow Park - kick off 3.00pm

Southern League Premier Division
half-time: 2-0 result: W2-0 attendance: 521
team: Evans, Rollo (c) (Holloway 45), S Jones, Coupe, G Jones, Harris, Bird, Clarke, Walsh (Holland 88), Partridge, Sykes (Power 75). subs not used: York, Davidge.
man of the match: Tony Bird
scorers: Sykes (22), Partridge (27)
bookings: none
officials: L Sinclair (Newcastle U Lyme), A Luckett (Dudley), S Tranter (Tipton)
league position: 5th form: LWDWdW next match: Mangotsfield (A)
Report taken from by Richard Gadsby

Alex Sykes returned to haunt Gloucester as City rubber-stamped their play-off ambitions with a professional performance at Meadow Park. It was hardly an inspiring game but John Relish's side had to overcome the pitch as well as their opponents to grind out three points. They were worthy, if workmanlike, winners in the end and the result leaves City with a bit of breathing space in the play-off zone ahead of two crucial league matches against King's Lynn and Salisbury. City may have played Gloucester at the end of October, but there was nothing familiar about the home side's line-up this time around with no fewer than five players receiving first team debuts under new manager and ex-City head coach Tim Harris.

A bright opening spell saw keepers Matt Bath and Paul Evans forced into good saves in the first two minutes. A poor Adie Harris ball allowed Jody Bevan to turn and shoot straight at Evans and, shortly after, Scott Partridge brought a diving stop from Bath with a 20-yard effort. Matt Coupe made a goal-saving tackle on Bevan just a minute later but after that the game became scrappy on one of the poorest pitches City have played on this season. Passes went astray and shots were sliced hopelessly wide but City slowly started to gain the upper hand and finally got their reward after 23 minutes when a high ball into the box from Scott Partridge was knocked back by Phillip Walsh. Alex Sykes, who has just returned from a month's loan at the Tigers, was the first to it and cracked a powerful shot which hit defender Neil Mustoe on the line and went in. Gloucester's heads sank and, for once, City made the most of it. A Jim Rollo cross into the box caused confusion in the Gloucester defence and a partial clearance was lashed home by Partridge from eight yards. Gloucester tried hard to pull a goal back before the break but apart from an angled Michael Whittington shot that skimmed Evans far post City's defence held firm.

The home side were forced to go in search of the game after the break and upped the tempo from the restart. It was City who had the first chance of the half, though, when Partridge fired over from just inside the box. Gloucester pressed after that but could conjure little in terms of clear chances despite their possession. Evans had to claim a couple of dangerous crosses and even used his head to cut out one attack, but the City defence dealt comfortably with most of Gloucester's breaks. Bevan came closest with a dipping shot that forced the keeper to palm over but the only real bit of second-half excitement was the arrival of a helicopter which at one stage looked like it might land on City's travelling support. City kept their heads, though, and held on easily for the win.