British Gas Business Football League Premier Division
Saturday 14 October 2006 - Twerton Park - kick off 3.00pm

half-time: 1-0

result: D1-1

attendance: 707

team:	Evans, Simpson, S Jones, Coupe (c), G Jones (Holland 50), Green, Rogers, Hogg (Davidge 75), Zarczynski (Pepperell 66), Partridge, McKeever. subs not used: York.
man of the match:	Matt Coupe
scorers:	Zarczynski (29)
bookings:	Hogg (34), Rogers (41), Green (53)
officials:	to follow

league position: 4th

form: DdLWLD

next match: Bishops Cleeve

Report taken from

by Richard Gadsby

It really should have been the day the Twerton Park jinx died, but Bath City once again managed to snatch a draw from the jaws of victory to make it eight home games without a win this season.Fans looking for a positive response from Tuesday's woeful 3-0 defeat to Clevedon got one in the shape of a much sharper, more passionate display, although it was far from the perfect pick-me-up. It has to be said City were very unlucky to come away with just a point. Luck is an excuse John Relish has arguably used too often during his reign at Twerton, but he had genuine cause to shake his fist at the footballing gods after this result. With the familiar centre-half pairing of Gethin Jones and Matt Coupe finally re-established at the back, a very-physical Yate hardly had a whiff of an attack - until a serious injury to Jones put Chris Holland on. City still looked comfortable, but, when Holland was briefly forced off the pitch with a broken nose, Yate immediately equalised with their first real opening of the game. What does not come down to luck is that City should have been at least two goals up by then.

A tight opening spell saw City slowly gain the upper hand and finally carve out the game's first chance after 20 minutes. A great one-two with Scott Partridge allowed Lewis Hogg to burst through three Yate defenders only to fire his final shot straight at the onrushing keeper Tony Court. City scored ten minutes later when a great throw out from Paul Evans found Scott Rogers on the left. The midfielder tricked defender Ashley Williams with a great dummy and then crossed into the box for Arek Zarczynski to head in off the bar. A Hogg strike almost made it 2-0 when the keeper failed to hold it and Scott Brice was forced to launch the ball over his own cross bar. Yate's only reply was a Dave Elsey free-kick which whistled past the post from 35 yards. The visitors were lucky not just to end the half only a goal down, but also with 11 men following a horrendously late, studs up two-footed lunge on Mike Green from Steve Jenkins which only earned a booking.

Yate started the second half much better and almost equalised straight after the restart when Elsey's header from six yards went over. City weathered the storm and Mark McKeever almost made it 2-0 with a shot which just went wide as City regained control. As the saying goes, anything can happen at 1-0 and it certainly did for Yate who were slightly fortunate with their equaliser which came against the run of play. Centre-half Holland was briefly forced off the pitch with a head injury as City waited to take a free-kick in their own area. The high ball was won on the halfway line by Yate, a backwards flick from Adam Mayo somehow found the temporary gap in City's defence and Darren Edwards burst through before slotting home a bobbling ball into the bottom left corner. The goal rocked City and Yate were the better side for the next ten minutes with Williams cracking a 20-yard shot against Evans' post as they looked for an unlikely win. City were on the ropes, but were given a hand, literally, when Elsey was sent off for trying to throttle Craig Davidge after the ball had gone out for a Yate throw. Davidge did well not to react to having a hand around his throat as referee Phipps finally reduced an overly-physical Yate to ten men. Predictably, City piled on the pressure in the closing stages and, again predictably, failed to find a way through, despite a very strong penalty appeal for handball near the end.