Southern League Premier Division
Monday 17 April 2006 - Twerton Park - kick off 3.00pm
half-time: 0-0 result: L0-2 attendance: 2268
team: Evans, Rollo (c), Power, Coupe (Davidge 69), G Jones, Holloway, Rogers, Harris (Bird 57), Walsh, Partridge, Sykes (Sandell 57). subs not used: Clarke, Astley.
man of the match: Matt Coupe
scorers: none
bookings: Harris (1), Sykes (31), Coupe (45), Power (72)
dismissal: Walsh (22)
officials: P Forrester (Luton), M Treadwell (Banbury), R Cox (Banbury)
league position: 3rd form: LdWLWL next match: Aylesbury (A)
Report taken from by Richard Gadsby

Passion, goals, a controversial red card and more than 2,000 baying fans should have made for a thrilling, full-blooded Bank Holiday showdown between Bath City and the Bluebirds. Instead, this Easter encounter had more in common with a Halloween horror show, although it must still feel like Christmas to the Chippenham faithful, who saw their side record a league double over City after failing to beat them in any of their six meetings before this season. They were worthy winners in the end although City fans will point to the controversial dismissal of striker Phil Walsh early in the first half as the game's turning point. Whether it was the correct decision or not is, and always will be, open to debate. One thing that is certain is the game effectively ended as a sporting spectacle the moment a watery-eyed Walsh trudged off the pitch. Until then, the game had offered very little in terms of excitement anyway with neither side seizing the early initiative.

Dave Gilroy should have done better on 19 minutes after racing on to a lucky deflection from Jon Holloway, but the Chippenham striker lobbed the ball inches over the bar. A tedious opening spell exploded into life on 22 minutes when Walsh appeared to lead with an elbow in a high-ball tussle with Matthew McEntegart. The Chippenham centre-half fell to the floor and referee Paul Forrester immediately gave the lanky City striker his marching orders. In the ensuing anarchy, City assistant boss Adie Britton was sent to the stands. With Scott Partridge playing as a lone striker for City, Chippenham pressed for the opener and Jim Rollo had to clear off the line during a goalmouth scramble as City just managed to hold on until the break.

Their resistance was broken at the start of the second-half when Ross Adams flicked-on from a corner and Gilroy was on hand to head past the stranded Paul Evans. City changed to a 3-4-2 in response, with Andy Sandell and Tony Bird coming on for Adie Harris and Alex Sykes, but it only served to create more space for Chippenham and Gilroy made it 2-0 after tucking home an unselfish pass from Alan Griffin. The Bluebirds always looked likely to score again but, with the game drawing to a close, the tireless Scott Partridge came close to pulling one back with several half chances. City keeper Paul Evans was taken to hospital as a precaution immediately after the final whistle following a back spasm.