Southern League Premier Division Saturday 25 March 2006 - Twerton Park - kick off 3.00pm

Report taken from by Andrew Kerslake

In the opening stages of Saturday's return match, it looked like business as usual. A run from the returning Tony Bird down the left ended with a perfect cross to Scott Partridge. Instead of shooting, the leading scorer cut inside for a better position only to see his shot smothered and the rebound effort from Phillip Walsh sail over the crossbar. The cost of that miss became apparent just seven minutes later. In a team liberally sprinkled with City old boys, it was the ever-youthful Dave Elsey who was the first to rejoice in a return to his alma mater. A free-kick expertly curled across the goal area saw the defence dither and Darren Edwards pop up to easily head home for the visitors. Just a minute later and Elsey nearly repeated the trick, only this time his free-kick was punched clear by shaken City keeper Paul Evans. The home side looked stunned and took the rest of the half to recover as the match increasingly became bogged down on a heavy pitch with any chance of free-flowing football being equally hampered by referee Mr Hines whistling with the rapidity of a startled blackbird.

In the second half, while scarcely dominating, City did begin to regain a little of their swagger. Andy Sandell had a long-range shot parried by keeper Tony Court and Partridge was left with just a tap-in to put his side on level terms. Instead he hit the upright and, within minutes, Yate had punished the home side with a second goal. This time, substitute Steve Campbell put in a stinging long-range shot which Evans could only parry. Again it was the class of '99 that pounced, this time Mike Wyatt stabbing home from close range. Only two weeks previously, City had given Banbury a two-goal lead and then stormed back to win 3-2. Could they do it again? For it time it looked possible. Another Sandell run down the left resulted in a cross only half-cleared by the Yate defence. But Jim Rollo gazed in despair as his dipping volley from the edge of the area bounced back off the bar. Seven minutes later, with Sandell again providing the cross, Rollo shaved the post with a header. With Yate down to ten men after another former City player, Lee Vickerman, earned his second yellow card, City pounced. Partridge, hemmed in by defenders, tried to turn in the box but could not pivot on the increasingly sodden turf. Instead he passed to substitute Craig Davidge, who, twisting and turning, with the agility of a diminutive cobra, went round two defenders before shooting back across the keeper and into the net. Twerton Park came to life and City spent the remaining 15 minutes of the match laying siege to the Yate goal.A brace of corners, a Tony Bird shot and even Matt Coupe - going for his first goal of the season - all failed to breach the visitors defence. For Yate, the victory maintained the faintest chance of earning a play-off place, while for City the loss may have cost them a chance of the title. With four teams now level on points at the top, it makes a victory tomorrow night at current league leaders Salisbury all the more vital.