Right at the last City retained their Dr Martens Premier Division place with an incredible 1-0 victory over Worcester City at St Georges Lane yesterday. Fittingly the decisive goal came from top scorer Adrian Foster but every player played their part in a performance that saw City record the deserved victory. When Foster headed in his 21st goal of the season from Jason Drysdale’s cross City were left with over an hour to defend that lead. However, it was City who looked more likely to add to the scoring as Worcester failed to really threaten Mark Hervin’s goal. The final whistle saw jubliant scenes as City’s 300+ travelling fans invaded the pitch to mob their yellow clad hero’s.
City’s success condemned Newport IOW to a swift return back to the Eastern Division after they lost 1-0 to Hednesford Town. The other relegation spot was filled by King’s Lynn following their 2-2 with Crawley. At the other end of the table Kettering Town pipped Tamworth to the title. The Poppies won 2-1 at Tiverton Town while Tamworth could only manage a 3-3 draw with Folkestone Invicta.
City’s reserve side completed their season with a disappointing 1-1 draw against bottom side Warminster Town at Twerton Park. However, this still did not deny them a place in the Screwfix Western League Premier Division next season as runners-up to champions Frome Town.
Future in their own hands as City left to go Once More, With Feeling (23/4/02)
Following tonights matches City now know that a win at Worcester will see them retain their Dr Martens Premier Division status. The games saw Cambridge City overturn a half time deficit to beat Hednesford Town 2-1 and Newport IOW and King’s Lynn finish goalless. Despite these results seeing City slip back into the relegation zone the fact that Newport and Hednesford meet on Saturday means that a victory at St Georges Lane will be enough to overhaul at least one of them. Even a draw could be enough if there is a positive result at Newport.
I Only Have Eyes For You – chance to relive yesterday’s second goal (21/4/02)
In a first for the web page you can download a video of City’s second goal from yesterday’s 2-0 victory over Folkestone Invicta. To see Dan Cleverley blast home the rebound after Adrian Foster shot had hit the post click here. The quality is very good, although the volume does get loud at the end when the City roar celebrates the goal! Thanks to Paul Sheppard for providing this clip.
Yesterday’s victory lifted City back out of the relegation zone and means however the results go in the week their Premier Division future will go down to the final day of the season. Defeats suffered by King’s Lynn and Cambridge City saw them drop into the final two relegation spots, with Newport IOW also slipping below City after their draw with Ilkeston Town. The possible senarios are now frightenly complicated so rather than try to explain them here are the remaining fixtures and you can work it out for yourselves.
| Bath City | King’s Lynn | Cambridge City | Newport IOW |
| 27/4 Worcester (A) | 23/4 Newport IOW (A) | 23/4 Hednesford (H) | 23/4 King’s Lynn (H) |
| 27/4 Crawley (H) | 27/4 Havant (H) | 27/4 Hednesford (H) |
| Hednesford Town | Welling Utd | Chelmsford City |
| 24/4 Cambridge (A) | 23/4 Chelmsford (A) | 23/4 Welling (H) |
| 27/4 Newport IOW (A) | 27/4 Hinckley (A) | 27/4 Newport Co (A) |
And further success for a City side arrived last week when the Youth team beat Mangotsfield 3-2 to lift the League Cup. The side twice came from behind with Rob Spring, Simon Gilbert and James Billing grabbing the goals. This victory means the Youth team have completed the League and Cup double after winning the Forester Health South West Counties Youth League back in February.
Foster and Cleverley ensure that relegation fight will go All The Way (20/4/02)
Second half strikes by Adrian Foster and Dan Cleverley gave City a 2-0 victory over Folkestone Invicta this afternoon at Twerton Park to ensure that City’s survival hopes will go to the final day of the season. Foster broke the deadlock after 58 minutes when he evaded three challenges before curling a left foot shot past keeper Wietecha. Further chances came and went and just as City fans were beginning to look nervously at their watches City were awarded an 80th minue penalty. With Jason Drysdale already off the pitch Foster stepped up only to fire the spot kick against the post. However, the rebound fell to Cleverley and he blasted it into the roof of the net.
After the match Gary Thorne was unsurprisingly awarded the supporters player of the season award. Lee Burns was named reserve player of the year, with Martin ‘Bas’ Brush and Fraser Colebrook grabbing the supporter and young (!) supporter awards respectively.
City’s Dr Martens Premier Division tenure was left hanging by a thread after two goals in as many minutes condemned them to a 2-1 defeat against fellow strugglers Newport IOW at St Georges Park yesterday. It had all looked so different as after a forgettable first half City had taken the lead on 66 minutes. Danny Bailey’s long ball forward found top scorer Adrian Foster and, to the delight of City’s 150+ travelling supporters, he lifted it over keeper Matthews. However, just seven minutes later Laws took advantage of a mistake by Hervin to level from close range and just another two minutes had passed when substitute Leigh fired home. In stoppage time Foster’s header from a Jason Drysdale free-kick grazed the outside of the post with Matthews beaten and City were left to rely on other results for the Premier Division future.
Former City Lover’s Walk with ease into Somerset Premier Cup Final (9/4/02)
City’s hopes of completing their difficult season with a piece of silverware disappeared at The Hand Stadium tonight after they lost 1-0 to Clevedon Town in the Somerset Premier Cup semi-final. In what was a surprisingly low key game the decisive goal came after 58 minutes and only a header by Jamie Gosling, well stopped by keeper Matthews, and a hooked shot just wide by Owen Bryant in the final minute looked like drawing City level.
In more important matters four of City’s relegation rivals were in action tonight. Despite all the sides playing at home none recorded a victory, with King’s Lynn going down by a single goal against Tiverton Town and Cambridge City, Newport IOW and Welling United all drawing. The results see City drop one place back into 18th spot.
Emms’ timely Intervention enough to keep City’s hopes alive (6/4/02)
In City’s current position it’s clearly a case of the result is everything. So based on that theory it was an excellent afternoon at Twerton Park as a single first half goal was enough to beat Salisbury City. That this strike was an own goal from White’s defender Roger Emms was perfectly typical of the game. If City had worried that the already relegated Wiltshire side would arrive relaxed and looking to claw back some pride after their fate was decided on Easter Monday they were in for a pleasant surprise. The only way Salisbury players could have appeared more disinterested was by not turning up at all. The only other highlights of the game were a disallowed Thorne goal for offside, the one shot that Hervin had to save midway through the second half and a typically inept refeering performance from Mr Green. Oh, and Adrian Foster set up the goal then limped off after an hour.
Relegation Shadow looms again as City find a path back to square one (1/4/02)
City failed to build on their excellent victory over Worcester City on Saturday losing 3-1 against Tiverton Town this afternoon at a wet Ladysmead. And they also suffered another blow with an injury to Paul Milsom that’s looks likely to see the vital player miss the remainder of the season. The knee ligament injury to Milsom came midway through the second half shortly after a Jason Drysdale penalty had got City back into the game after Ovens had put the home side in control with strikes in the 5th and 48th minute. However, hopes of a comeback disappeared with 15 minutes remaining when Ovens completed his hat-trick.
Chance to vote for your 2001-02 season Bath City Superstar (1/4/02)
You can now vote in the annual web page player of the season poll by clicking here. As ever you can choose your top three City players plus the most improved and the worst player to feature during the last 9 months. I have also included the most disliked team from the choice of Yeovil ‘underachiever and proud of it’ Town, Bristol ‘mmmm, no strikers’ Rovers or Bath ‘DOH!’ RFC. Jon Holloway won the vote last season so for the chance to turn against your favourite current player and call him Judas next year just cast your vote.
Worcester left Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered by rampant City (30/3/02)
City kept their hopes of avoiding dropping into the Dr Martens Western Division well and truly alive as they demolished high flying Worcester City by four goals to nil at Twerton Park this afternoon. In easily their best performance of the season a first half penalty by Jason Drysdale was added to by second half strikes from Dan Cleverly, Gary Thorne and, scoring for the sixth game in a row, Adrian Foster. Worcester, with former City player of the season Jon Holloway in their line-up, responded with just two tame shots straight at Mark Hervin in the whole game and, in the process, became the first visiting side to fail to score at Twerton this season.
The victory lifts City back out of the relegation zone into 17th place above King’s Lynn and Hednesford Town who lost 3-2 at Stafford Rangers and 2-1 home to Moor Green respectively. Other results at the wrong end of the table saw Cambridge City beat Newport IOW 2-1, Merthyr Tydfil keep their faint hopes alive with a 3-2 win over Salisbury City, who will be relegated if they lose to Crawley Town on Monday, Hinckley and Ilkeston draw 1-1, Chelmsford City lose 1-0 at leaders Tamworth and Welling end up all square with Weymouth.