Southern League Premier Division Saturday 8 April 2006 - Cheshunt Stadium - kick off 3.00pm

Report taken from by Richard Gadsby

The Southern Premier Division became a one-horse race on Grand National day after Bath City slipped to a surprise defeat at struggling Cheshunt. With third-placed King's Lynn also losing, leaders Salisbury are galloping away with it in the final furlong, but, dodgy racing puns aside, City can count themselves a tad unlucky not to come away from Theobalds Lane with at least a point. They were the better side on the day, something a quick look at the match stats will show, but they were undone by a familiar problem that has dogged them since the start of the season as Tony Bird, Scott Partridge and Scott Rogers all lined up to waste a succession of golden goalscoring opportunities. In short, City just were not clinical enough in front of goal. For all their superior shots on target, corners and free-kick ratios there's only one statistic that matters at the final whistle and City's second defeat in four games has effectively ended any title ambitions they may still have been harbouring.

In the disappointment of defeat, it is easy to forget that John Relish's side did not play badly, especially in the first half, despite the notable absence of several key players. Things boded well when, with less than ten minutes played, Partridge dispossessed Nick Gyoury and tried to catch keeper Martin Peat out with a hopeful long-range strike. Stumbling backwards, the Cheshunt shot-stopper fell over as he tried to get back on his line and could only watch from his prone position as the ball sailed inches wide of his left post. Predictable, yet no less amusing, cries of 'dodgy keeper' from City's large travelling support could not have been further from the truth though as Peat responded with a near-faultless performance to almost single- handedly keep City at bay. First he was on hand to keep out deflected shots from Alex Sykes and Partridge and then saved well from a long-range Gethin Jones effort. In the space of a minute, George Gregoriou wasted three half-chances for Cheshunt as they finally offered some sort of attack, but the rest of the half was all City and the improving Rogers forced Peat into two more fine saves before the break.

Cheshunt improved in the second half but the game was still there to be won for City and when Bird's superb take-down from a Chris Astley punt set Partridge through it took another wonderful save from Peat to keep the scores level. Cheshunt's best spell of the game followed and the warning signs were there when a free-kick from Michael Deane, awarded on the edge of the City box after Astley handled outside the area, bounced back off the inside of the post and rolled to safety. Minutes later another Deane free-kick from a similar distance was beautifully curled over the wall into the bottom right-hand corner to give Cheshunt the lead. City brought Phil Walsh on for Matt Coupe and changed to a 3-4-3 as they chased the game, but two sweet strikes from Bird were again dealt with brilliantly by Peat and Partridge failed to prod home in a goalmouth scramble as the home side held on.