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06.09.2008 at 15:00 Twerton Park

Attendance : 160

Team Bath

2 - 0

St Albans City

Referee : Mark Russell (Bristol)

Blue Square South

Goalscorers

Ben Thomson (67)
Steve Abbott (69)

None.

Opening squads

Jake Meredith
Matt Lock
Micky Bell
Dean Smith
Gary Warren ©
Shaun Lamb
Matt Cooper
Marc Canham
Josh Llewellyn
Steve Abbott
Ben Thomson

Paul Bastock
Hassan Sulaiman
Scott Cousins
Ben Bowditch
Ben Martin
James Quilter
Paul Hakim
Simon Martin
Jonathan Hunt
Lee Protheroe
James Fisher

Substitutes

Rob Hobbs
Joe Arnold (65)
Mike Perrott (77)
Andy Caton
Owen Dunn

Alex Bailey
Gary Cohen
Sean Ridgway
James Archer
Lee Clarke

Substitutions

Joe Arnold -> Josh Llewellyn (65)
Mike Perrott -> Matt Cooper (77)

Sean Ridgway -> James Quilter (26)
Gary Cohen -> Simon Martin (63)
Alex Bailey -> Lee Protheroe (73)

Yellow cards

Steve Abbott (43)
Shaun Lamb (85)

Paul Hakim (85)

Red cards

None

None.

Match report

Two goals in three minutes midway through the second half brought St Albans City's resurgence to an abrupt end at Twerton Park on Saturday as university side Team Bath chalked up a merited Blue Square South victory in the first ever meeting between the two clubs.
City lacked the attacking spark seen in good wins over Eastleigh and Bishop's Stortford in the previous week but the match turned on two first half incidents. The first saw striker Paul Hakim intercept a poor clearance by Team Bath keeper Jake Meredith, go wide of the stranded keeper but then, to the astonishment of the sparse crowd, slide the ball wide of the most open of open goals.
The second turning point could have more far reaching repercussions for City as midfielder James Quilter limped off on 26 minutes suffering from a slight hamstring injury. Much of City's recent improvement has be credited to Quilter since his switch to midfield and the loss of his physical presence in the middle of the park was quickly evident.
Steve Castle made one change to his starting XI from the side that defeated Bishop's Stortford with the fit again Lee Protheroe coming in at right back in place of Alex Bailey. Having performed so well against Stortford Bailey could consider himself unfortunate to be placed back on the bench.
Team Bath, the university funded side, are making a fine start to their first season at this level and it is not difficult to see why. Physically strong, extremely fit as befitting what is essentially a full time outfit, and very well organised. The side coached by Andy Tillson proved themselves capable of playing both a passing and long ball game when the situation demanded.
And early on it was a fast passing game by Bath City's lodgers that forced St Albans onto the back foot. On three minutes Bath striker Steve Abbott fired in a powerful shot that forced Paul Bastock into a tremendous diving save to the keepers right.
Two minutes later Abbott superbly controlled a cross from left back Micky Bell on his chest and swivelled before sending in a cracking drive that just cleared the City goal. City responded with Simon Martin sending the ball through to Hakim only for Gary Warren's excellent tackle to deny the Saints leading marksman.
But Hakim had no one but himself to blame on 11 minutes for a miss that may well have turned the course of the game. Students keeper Meredith miscued the ball straight to Hakim some 30 yards out and clear of the home defence. After advancing and neatly side-stepping to Meredith' left, Hakim was faced with a completely unguarded goal but his cushioned shot from the edge of the penalty area, quite unbelievably, rolled narrowly wide of the near post.
Despite those two scares Team Bath continued to look the more menacing unit and it was supported by an impressive back four. The City back line appeared equally resolute with skipper Ben Martin making two crucial interventions midway through the half.
But the visitors were rocked on 26 minutes when Quilter over-stretched himself and picked up a hamstring strain that led to his premature departure with Sean Ridgway thrown into the fray. Ridgway was soon called into action to send Hassan Sulaiman away down the right.
Sulaiman's deflected cross was fumbled by Meredith as Simon Martin closed in. The ball was scrambled away only for referee Mark Russell to call the play back for an alleged foul on the keeper who was still prone in the goalmouth. It was far from the only time when Meredith went to ground following what appeared an innocuous challenge.
Playing up the slight slope during the first half City would have been satisfied to go in on level terms but in added time both sides had chances to break the deadlock. St Albans struggled to clear a free kick before Dean Smith hammered a shot over the bar while City hit back with Hakim sending a gentle effort though to Meredith.
St Albans began the second period in encouraging fashion as Meredith, under pressure from Simon Martin, was forced to palm the ball away for a corner from a Jonathan Hunt free kick. From Hunt's ensuing corner kick a kind ricochet off Abbott saw the ball sit up nicely for Ben Martin but the defenders wild slash sent the sphere sailing high over the goal from 14 yards.
On a now sodden surface following a downpour during the interval players had difficulty keeping their feet and a stalemate began to look a distinct possibility. The Students, however, had other ideas and a good move involving Matt Cooper and Marc Canham ended with Smith having a shot that Bastock parried and then smothered.
Sulaiman came to the fore on 62 minutes when cutting inside and unleashing a low shot that saw the diving Meredith push the ball down into the ground and then be relieved to see it bounce up and just beyond his far, right hand, post.
Before the minute was out Team Bath counterattacked when Abbott seized on a rare error by Scott Cousins and sent the impressive Josh Llewellyn away. The diminutive forward closed in on the visitors goal only for his low shot to be well blocked by the legs of Bastock.
A minute later City replaced Simon Martin with Gary Cohen but the Saints seldom looked likely to take full benefit of the strikers lightning pace and on 67 minutes it was the Students that had cause for celebration.
Cooper whipped over an excellent cross from the Team Bath right and Ben Thomson, having found space at the back post, opened the scoring with a firm header inside Bastock's right hand upright.
With the majority of the crowd having travelled from Hertfordshire the goal was hardly greeted with uproarious glee and there were more dark clouds for the visitors on 69 minutes when Cooper slipped a precise ball inside to Abbott who clinically placed the ball to Bastock's right from 18 yards to claim his sixth goal of the season.
During the remaining time St Albans never really appeared likely to reduce the deficit and deep into added time the impressive Canham almost increased Team Bath's lead with a free kick that went just wide of Bastock's right hand post.