British Gas Business Football League Premier Division
Tuesday 22 August 2006 - Twerton Park - kick off 7.45pm

half-time: 1-0

result: D1-1

attendance: 752

team:	Evans, Rollo (c), Green, Coupe, G Jones, Holland, Clarke (S Jones 65), Hogg, Walsh (Pepperell 77), Partridge, McKeever. subs not used: Holloway, Davidge, Ingram.
man of the match:	Lewis Hogg
scorers:	Partridge (25)
bookings:	Evans (68), Partridge (74)
officials:	A Newell (Bristol), A Vickers (Bristol), S Thomas (Bristol)

league position: 5th

form: ----WD

next match: Northwood (H)

Report taken from

by Richard Gadsby

They deserved it in the end, but Tiverton Town can thank the referee for coming away from Twerton Park with a precious point against British Gas Business Premier Division favourites Bath City. For all their energy and enterprise, the visitors rarely forced City shot-stopper Paul Evans into action until the man in black decided to give them a helping hand in the form of a diabolical back-pass decision. Only the most blinkered of City fans would have denied Town a point, though.

Despite a frenetic start, there were few chances for either side in the opening minutes with Tiverton shading possession. City were just starting to get the edge when they took the lead on 25 minutes. A Mark McKeever free-kick on the edge of the area was headed back across goal by Jim Rollo for the oncoming Scott Partridge to scuff home with a makeshift overhead kick. City started to take control after the goal with Lewis Hogg picking up the ball on the halfway line, running to the edge of the area and then blasting a shot just wide of Mark Rock's goal. With the break in sight, Tiverton upped the tempo and City keeper Evans was forced into a fantastic save from a deflected Chris Bale free-kick.

The visitors took their momentum into the second half and were guilty of wasting a series of good chances to equalise. Anthony Mason was culprit in chief with three close-range headers all going wide in the first ten minutes. Tiverton were still struggling to break through when referee Newell threw them a lifeline. A hopeful ball into the box was poorly sliced away by City defender Gethin Jones and keeper Evans just managed to smother it before it could go for a corner. The only person in the ground who thought it was a deliberate pass was the man in black, who duly blew for an indirect free-kick eight yards from the City goal. The ball was laid back to Bale who placed his shot through a crowd of players for a deserved, if ill-gotten, equaliser. The goal seemed to spur City on and the last 20 minutes proved the most entertaining of the 90. Both keepers had to be alert to keep the scores all-square with Bale looking a constant menace for Tiverton whilst Hogg's surging runs often had the crowd on their feet. A goal seemed inevitable with both sides sensing victory, even if Tiverton were the happier side to kill time. Partridge came close to wrapping things up only to be denied by a grasping save from Rock. At the other end, Evans, who was lucky to escape with a caution after protesting over the back-pass decision, made two reflex stops from Mason. Tiverton were still creating the better chances, with most of City's shots coming from outside the area, but there was little between the two sides as the game came to a close.