British Gas Business Football League Premier Division
Tuesday 13 March - Ladymead - kick off 7.45pm
half-time: 0-0 result: D0-0 attendance: 450
team: Evans, Simpson, Rollo (c), G Jones, Holland, S Jones (Harris 65), Davidge (Green 68), Rogers, Edwards, Walsh (Paul 85), McKeever. subs not used: Coupe, Clarke.
man of the match: Sekani Simpson
scorers: none
bookings: none
officials: L Swavey (Devonport), G Davis (Torpoint), K Knowles (Falmouth)
league position: 1st form: WWWWDd next match: Wealdstone
Report taken from by Stephen Ware

Set for aleisurely stroll into Nationwide South four days ago, City's promotion path now looks like it could provide a more bumpy ride. Having only dropped two points from 33 before Saturday, John Relish's side have now conceded twice that in the last couple of games. They remain 13 league matches unbeaten, four points clear at the table top and two consecutive draws is hardly a crisis, but the laid back way in which supporters glanced at the league table assumed City will win their games in hand. If they do not, of course, things become a lot less comfortable and, though talk of promotion jitters may be premature, Adie Britton's post-match bating of referee Leonard Swavey and Matt Coupe's pitch side tussle with Chris Holloway suggests perhaps tension is beginning to tell.

City withstood an energetic opening from the hosts and had the first clear cut scoring opportunity in the sixth minute when Craig Davidge, playing a more accustomed wide right role, fizzed a dipping shot across goal and on to the roof of the net. Much of the first 45 minutes was played out in a full-blooded midfield battle, but got more scrappy and bad-tempered as the half wore on. Nathan Rudge got an important touch when he headed Jim Rollo's goal-bound drive over the bar on the quarter-hour mark. Chris Holland then prodded wide after a touch from Phil Walsh as the visitors appealed for a penalty following a suspected hand ball. City were not having it all their own way though. Rudge narrowly failed to get on the end of a Chris Vinnicombe free-kick and Paul Wyatt was only denied a clear run at goal by the linesman's flag. Mike Booth went close, connecting with an inviting Jamie Mudge cross on 32 minutes, before, at the other end, Danny Barker comfortably gathered Holland's near post header. Tiverton came closer to breaking the deadlock at the end of a scruffy first period when Paul Evans had to get down sharply to gather another curling Vinnicombe set-piece.

Mudge volleyed way over soon after the restart before the game reverted to a physical midfield stalemate. City seemed unable to find the extra gear used to brush aside similar spoiling tactics faced in recent weeks and took 15 minutes of the second half to trouble Barker when Scott Rogers skied a long-range shot. Steve Jones was the first casualty of the bruising midfield bout as he had to be replaced by Adie Harris after being flattened by Rudge, who received a booking. As the game wore on, belief among the home side players grew. They put Bath under a spell of sustained pressure and should have taken the lead when substitute Dean Stamp raced clear before smashing into the side netting. Darren Edwards had a shot blocked and Walsh was just beaten to the follow up as Bath countered. But it was the hosts who were looking more likely to score and Booth might have pinched it for Tivvy when his deflected volley rolled wide of the upright with Evans scrambling.