Southern League Premier Division
Saturday 4 February - Amy Lane - kick off 3.00pm
half-time: 1-0 result: W1-0 attendance: 304
team: Evans, Rollo (c), S Jones, Coupe, G Jones, Harris, Bird (Holland 90), Holloway, Walsh, Partridge (Sandell 63), Sykes (Davidge 71). subs not used: Power, Astley.
man of the match: Gethin Jones
scorers: Walsh (36)
bookings: none
officials: to follow
league position: 5th form: WdWLDW next match: Hithcin (H)
Report taken from by Richard Gadsby

They got there in the end but Bath City almost fell foul of their inability to kill-off teams after putting in another 'just good enough' performance against struggling Chesham. For almost 70 minutes there was more chance of Sol Campbell appearing at Amy Lane than a Chesham goal but City allowed their Buckinghamshire opponents back into the game and had to endure a nervy final spell before celebrating a deserved win. For all their late effort, Chesham never seriously threatened Paul Evans' goal and City's outstanding back-line always looked in control against an imposing attack. Matt Coupe and Gethin Jones have been the basis of that back four, but Steve Jones and Jim Rollo were also in excellent form and, with the Phil Walsh-Tony Bird partnership blossoming up front, it was always City's game to lose. At 1-0, though, the visitors were never allowed to relax and a late deflection very nearly robbed them of two points. It should never have got to that stage, with City failing to make the most of their numerous openings.

Walsh wasted the first effort after curling a nice through ball from Steve Jones over the bar when Bird was unmarked on the penalty spot after four minutes. Partridge and Bird then fired volleys wide and Partridge had keeper Andy Brown scrambling for a 25-yard effort that went just wide on the half-hour mark. Colin Baker flashed a cross across the face of goal after latching on to a quickly taken free-kick but City immediately exploited Chesham's only attack of the half with the game's only goal. A ball into the box caused confusion in the Chesham defence and Partridge's initial shot was scuffed straight to Walsh. Walsh's effort was hacked off the line by John Bacon but the lanky City forward blasted home the rebound. Minutes later, Bird pounced on a poor back pass but his attempted lob fell short and Brown plucked it from the air to keep the home side in it at half-time.

More City pressure came after the break but they created few clear chances. John Bacon headed the ball just over his own net after 54 minutes and Jon Holloway fired wide from the resulting corner. Chesham's best spell of the game followed and they had their first shot, of any note, after 56 minutes when Matt Miller's speculative 30-yard effort was smothered easily by Evans. A looping header forced Evans into another comfortable save moments later and City's lead suddenly seemed a lot more fragile. Walsh had another effort blocked at the other end but Chesham continued to push forward and Coupe was forced to hack the ball clear of a crowded six-yard box when Evans spilled a corner with quarter of an hour to go. Bird came very close to poking a poor back-pass past Brown for City's second, but the resulting 50-50 tackle flattened the Chesham shot-stopper for five minutes. Chesham's frustration boiled over and Bird was lucky to avoid a booking - not for the challenge but for raising his hands as the home side tried to provoke him. The delay put the skids on Chesham's surge forward but a close-range shot from Bacon span off Coupe and only just crept wide with Evans beaten. City sensibly played into the corners after that and held on comfortably.