Bath beat Bradford in thrilling encounter

Both teams served up a game to remember as Bath City came out on top in this 4 - 3 goal-fest.

One pundit commented that this match should be taped and shown to any doubters of the beautiful game.

Striker Zoltán Harsányi gave Bradford the lead with a close range header in the 12th minute. An error from Gavin Hoyte allowed striker Jermaine Easter to score a real poacher's effort. Harsányi added his 2nd goal of the game with a placed shot on 39 minutes.

Young striker Vincent Adelaar pulled one back for Bath after 50 minutes with a placed shot. An error from Steve Williams allowed veteran centre-back Marek Nikl to score a good header from just inside the six-yard box. Striker Billy Paynter then equalised for Bath in the 69th minute with a powerful close range effort.

Striker Richard Offiong then clinched a late winner for the home side on 86 minutes with a powerful effort. Offiong's impact delighted the fans with his late goal.

With Bradford staring at defeat, there was controversy as midfielder Stephen O'Leary then had a penalty shout turned down.

Attendance: 2168

After our great start to the season, we left Charlton 1-2 down and out of the League Cup. As a Coca Cola Championship team it was always going to be tough getting a goal was about all we could ask for. We also fell to another 1-2 result on the Weekend with Gillingham taking the points.


Bradford was our first home game opponent and they were inn ominous form. It's depressinng to look ove rtheir roster as the talent they have justifies their odds on favouritism for the win. We knuckle down and attempt to keep it tight, but Zoltán makes an immediate impact and we're down in the first 15 minutes. By 1/2 time we're 0-3 down but just losing out to player brilliance.

In the sheds the boys got a spray. First home game, come on lads! Division 2, come on lads! If we don't go out there and at least peg a couple back we may as well go scampering back to conference. We get 2 back prety easily and we certainly have the run of the game as Bradford attempt to coast home. I'm happy, but there's still a lot of time on the clock. Offiong gets injected a little earlier than I planned, but his pace made an impact at the back. Paynter was the man to make the equaliser though as he latched onto one of the many crosses peppering the square.

With the game all square, Bradford come out of their shell and attack hard. We, too, are after more than a draw and finally it's Offiong's speed that allows him to break down the left at pace and place in a delightful shot to give us the 4-3 lead. They throw the lot at us, but it's a dream 2nd half for us and we won't be denied our comeback victory!

Us? dead and buried? NEVER!

City cruise to historic 2 - 0 victory

Tranmere Rovers 0 - 2 Bath City (Coca-Cola League 2)

A deserved 2 - 0 win for Bath City over Tranmere Rovers this afternoon was greeted with delight by the victorious team's fans and players alike.

The first noteworthy incident of the match proved to be controversial, with Bath seeing a goal disallowed. Then followed controversy as Tranmere were denied claims by striker Josh Macauley for a penalty. An error from Lee Molyneux allowed striker Billy Paynter to score a powerful effort.

Veteran centre-back Marek Nikl completed the scoring for Bath with a towering header from close range on 57 minutes.

Attendance: 5436

Looking over the squads in Division 2, it looked like there was a lot of work too be done on the squad. We already had 3 coming in at the July transfer window, but needed a whole squad revamp to keep us in the professional league. Luckily the board have also opened up some of the restrictions and we picked up another 4 coaches to keep the team in shape.

After the holidays, the dressing room had a nervous tension as the dream settled into reality. Nervous, too, for the new members on trial while we worked through th pre-season. In all, 4 long term loaners have joined us along with 5 new players that seem up to the division 2 pace.

Our first game of the league started a 3 game away run that also included our first foray into the league cup. Tranmere. The scouts tell us that the team average wage is 3 times our, but is still on the low side for division 2. The punters also have us leaving without a point at 4-1 against.

The game started well with a new 4-2-2-2 formation to help utilise an overabundance of strikers. We're playing tight, but breaking out to the wings when we have the ball. The speed of Vincent Adelaar and Antonio German helped us get a lot of good ball crossing into the centre. With a packed centre, it gets a bit rough and we lose out on a good penalty claim. Lots of corners too, and we get our 2nd corner into the back of the net through a good near post poke by Paynter. Nikl, our tall Czech defender, heads in another corner after 1/2 time and it seems all too easy.

We're off to a flyer and a great step toward fitting in with the pros.

Bath win in Blue Square Premier Playoff Final

Bath City 2 - 1 Aldershot Town (Blue Square Premier Playoff Final)

Bath City won a hard fought battle against Aldershot Town on a fine spring afternoon at Wembley. A brace from Amadou Kouman helped Bath to victory.

Midfielder Amadou Kouman got Bath off to a flyer by scoring a placed shot on 6 minutes. Kouman doubled Bath's lead with a placed shot on 17 minutes.

Aldershot also saw their 22nd minute strike questionably chalked off. Striker Danny Hylton managed to grab the consolation for Aldershot in the 65th minute with a powerful close range effort.

Attendance: 38817

We managed to hold out for a 0-1 scoreline against Kettering to take the semi-final into extra time. With our squad riddled with injuries and spent from the FA Trophy, we hobbled around the pitch hoping for the coin toss of penalties. Goal chances are few and far between, so off to penalties we go! Letheren saves one and we make it through. Luckily there's a week to rest up before the finals.

Kouman comes out of the blocks firing and nails 2 into the back of the net. It feels like the AM pattern is running well, so we exploit the middle and hope for more. Many chances, but nothing else goes in for us. We look pretty comfortable at 1/2 time and seem to have their measure. Aldershot finally blast one through in the 2nd half, but we are still getting more solid chances than they are.

With 5 minutes to go we shut up shop and hope they don't strike it lucky. The game fizzles toward a 2-1 win to us. We're going up to Division 2, but memories of our FA Trophy defeat are still fresh in our minds. Seems like we got something out of this month, but not entirely what we were expecting. Hopefully the achievement will sink in more through the coming days.

May is going to be fantastic for the budget. The Kettering semi final leg at Twerton Park broke $75K, then 2 apppearances at wembley brought in another 500K to double our total gate receipts for the year. We now have a healthy cash position to help us buy up for the entry into the professional league.

Bath powerless to resist as Rushden dominate

Bath City 1 - 3 Rushden & Diamonds (FA Trophy Final)

Bath City were on the end of a deserved defeat at Wembley as they were completely outplayed by their opponents. A brace from Raymond Putterill helped Rushden to victory.

The match began in controversy with Rushden seeing a goal disallowed in controversial circumstances. Rushden also saw their 20th minute strike questionably chalked off.

Rushden finally took the lead when winger Raymond Putterill scored a well timed close range finish on 43 minutes. Putterill doubled Rushden's lead with a powerful close range effort on 46 minutes.

Striker Billy Paynter gave the Bath fans a glimmer of hope after 64 minutes with a powerful effort. Full-back Curtis Osano completed the scoring for Rushden with a screamer from the edge of the area on 73 minutes.

Young winger Jack Boyle then summed up his team's performance by nearly gifting Rushden another goal on 83 minutes.

Attendance: 24069

Powerless sounds about right. Rushden has been dominant this season and finished well clear on top of the table. Our last encounter with them ended badly, and with tired legs going into this match, it wasn't looking like we had many options. By 1/2 time we were still in the game on the scoreboard, but they had the majority of posession and shots on goal.

The fans left despondant after the final whistle as it wasn't a pretty game. Most seem to forget that it was far above our expectations of even getting to the final, let alone be in a promotion playoff that had caused the match congestion.

At least we're still in with a shot at the playoffs. Our 3-2 lead in the first leg of the semis over Kettering only 3 days before the FA Trophy caused our lack of sting, but hopefullyy we can keep it together in the return leg to make it to the finals.

Fans jubilant after Dover result

Supporter spokesperson Darren Kean feels the fans are delighted with Bath's convincing 3 - 0 Blue Square Premier victory over Dover.

Darren believes the fans were pleased with how much more dangerous the team looked in the final third of the pitch.

Particularly impressive were players like James Nash, Jack Boyle and Billy Paynter and they quite rightly look to be keeping the likes of Florin Pelecaci, Jason Mycoe and Lewis Guy out of the side.

Lukins physio report

David Lukins has reported that Christopher Ramsey has suffered a pulled hamstring after the central defender attempted a sprint during the match against Dover.

Lukins advises you that Ramsey will be treated at the club. It is likely that Ramsey will be out for between 5 weeks and 6 weeks whilst he is treated.

David Lukins has reported that central defender James Nash has sustained a gashed arm following a strong challenge during the match against Dover.

Lukins advises you that Nash will be treated at the club. It is likely that Nash will be out for around 6 days whilst he is treated.

David Lukins has reported that left-back Matthew Dolan has suffered a bruised rib following an accidental collision during the match against Dover.

Lukins has indicated in his report that loanee Matthew Dolan's injury will be treated by the club's medical staff.

Lukins recommends we then reassess the player's medical status once he has recovered. It is likely that Dolan will be out for between 11 days and 2 weeks whilst he is treated.

We have our playoff spot, but at a price.

The Rushden game turned out as we feared, a brace of 2 goals in the first 10 minutes sunk us and we never looked like getting them back. Letheren, our tireless goalkeeper, had performed well throughout the season and I was mulling over giving him some of the spotlight, but this game ended badly for him. Cambridge also lost, so that kept them below us, but Histon also pulled within a point of us going into the last round. We held 5th outright, so all we had to do was win at home ...

Nash got us off to a great start by putting in a far post header, but went down with a gash to his arm. As I was contemplating a replacement, Dolan (playing at left back) is stretchered off from a collision. Ouch! Edwards headed out to replace Dolan while Nash had to persevere out there for the time being.

1/2 hour into the game and we're costing at 3-0 up, but Ramsay goes down with a pulled hammy. My back line is decimated! Ramsay plugs on for abit, but he doesn't recover and is eventually subbed out. Carlisle get the job of filling in the DC position as he's at least played defensively. It feels like we're going to bleed goals though.

The final whistle blows and we have kept our 3-0 lead mainly due to Dover's lacklustre firepower up front. We have the win we needed, but only 1 proper DC left in the shed for the playoffs.

Getting tight at the top

Bath City 3 - 0 York City (Blue Square Premier)

An efficient performance from Bath saw them run out 3 - 0 winners over York City at Twerton Park. A brace from Jack Boyle helped Bath to victory.

Young winger Jack Boyle gave Bath the lead with a real poacher's effort in the 27th minute. Boyle doubled Bath's lead with a fine header from point-blank range on 53 minutes.

Winger Michael D'Agostino completed the rout with a well timed close range finish on 90 minutes.

Attendance: 636

After walking away with a solid victory against York, we found ourselves in 3rd on the ladder as Crawley faltered. It's close. Real close. 1 point separating 3rd to 6th. Any spot in the playoffs would be fine as Rushden have sealed the championship.

2 more games to go. An away game against a jubilant Rushdent looks ominous, but that will be followed with a home game against cellar-dwellers Dover. All I need is for one to lose both remaining games and we're through.

Six of the best for Bath

Bath City 6 - 0 Wrexham (Blue Square Premier)

The final score of 6 - 0 didn't flatter Bath City as they totally controlled their Blue Square Premier game against Wrexham at Twerton Park. A brace from Billy Paynter helped Bath to victory.

Striker Billy Paynter got Bath off to a flyer by scoring a placed shot on 2 minutes. Guy had no trouble in scoring from the spot when Obeng conceded a penalty. Murray scored with a powerful effort in the 20th minute to extend the lead further. An error from Michael Jackson allowed Paynter to score a powerful effort.

Broomfield then increased Bath's advantage further with a powerful effort on 50 minutes. There were no prizes for guessing who completed the rout on 89 minutes as that man Broomfield popped up again with a placed shot.

Attendance: 624

After playing a rematch vs Chester to win through to the FA Trophy semis, we didn't have enough in the tank for Grays Athletic. We lost 0-3 and never looked in the game. With more FA Trophy matches clogging up the schedule, I pulled in another 2 loans; Seb Broomfield as a cover for our overworked strikers, and Matthew Dolan as left back and cover for our central defenders.

Both put in great performances dispite their lack of fitness and lack of preparation, but it was Paynter and Murray that really got the show on the road. Lots of direct chances, and it could easily have been more. By 1/2 time I let the guys rest it up as we had 4 in the bag and a busy week ahead.

Bowes praised for Barrow victory

Bath City assistant manager John Morling has praised manager Tony Bowes for turning things around during Bath's 2 - 1 Blue Square Premier victory over Barrow.

Morling revealed that words were needed with Bath losing at half-time and Bowes did what was necessary to overturn the deficit.

As I mentioned, this was NOT one to lose. We were playing Ok, but I wasn't going to lose to a goal like that. Let the boys know that they needed to pull their finger out in the 2nd half and tackle everything in sight. I don't care that we're the only ones with a mid-week match, we NEED this one. Team came out firing and I'm glad we got the result.

Classy Guy on form for Bath

A comfortable win for Bath City saw Lewis Guy named man of the match after Bath's 3 - 1 Blue Square Premier victory over Bromley this afternoon.

Guy had the quality to put the Bromley defence to the sword and finished the match with two goals.

Guy is a new signing at Twerton Park, having joined from recently relegated Doncaster in June.

Continuing on from his annihilating form against Glen Hoddle Academy, Lewis had a part in all the goals to stamp his mark on the team already. I feel confident that this season we're going to be promotion contenders.

Bath delight at 'unexpected' promotion

The City board have announced to the press that they are extremely pleased that the team have secured promotion from the Blue Square South.

In a brief statement, a spokesperson for the board declared that promotion had not been on the cards at the start of the season and the board wanted to put on record their gratitude to manager Tony Bowes for delivering the unthinkable.

Bath City 2 - 1 Braintree Town (Blue Square South Playoff Final)

Bath City battled to a deserved 2 - 1 (won after extra time) victory over Braintree Town on a fine summer's afternoon in their Blue Square South Playoff Final game at The Kassam Stadium.

Young striker Stefan Connor gave Braintree the lead with a powerful effort in the 20th minute. Braintree's Adam Bailey-Dennis received the red card for a professional foul with 45 minutes on the clock.

Midfielder Amadou Kouman then equalised for Bath in the 90th minute with an effort from the edge of the area. Better late than never for Bath and the fans were clearly delighted with Kouman's impact.

Then followed controversy as Braintree were denied claims by Connor for a penalty. Striker Billy Paynter then clinched a late winner for the home side on 116 minutes with a powerful close range effort.

Paynter's impact delighted the fans with his late goal.

Attendance: 2862

Tight old game, even with a 10-man Braintree. Finally got the breakthrough in extra time to seal the win and claim promotion. Paynter contributed again, a wonderful signing.

Overall the season went well. I thought that this season we were always going to be in with a shot, but it took a late charge in the dying stages to keep us there. Finished with a 15 match unbeaten run that has left the club atmosphere sky high.

Signed up for next year with a slight pay rise. Possibly should have waited until the promotion to push for more, but I'm happy to keep these guys going for a few more seasons. 27 signings to date and another cleansing of the reserves coming up to keep us under budget.

Amadou Kouman went on to pick up Player of the Season. He's been awesome as an attacking midfielder just inside the front two. He finished with 28 goals and 22 assists from 49 appearances and always seemed dangerous with the ball. The position also helped break down the standard 442 defence with many chances created due to the central defenders not being able to him and the two strikers at once.

Another 5 bagger

Bath City 5 - 3 Bishop's Stortford (Blue Square South Playoff Semi Final)

Bath City ensured an early start to manager Tony Bowes' birthday celebrations as they beat Bishop's Stortford 5 - 3 at Twerton Park. A brace from Wayne Gray helped Bath to victory.

Midfielder Amadou Kouman got Bath off to a flyer by scoring a powerful close range effort on 2 minutes. Striker Lewis Smith then equalised for Bishop's Stortford in the 8th minute with a powerful effort.

Striker Charlie Sheringham then put the away side in front after 17 minutes with a placed shot. Striker Wayne Gray then equalised for Bath in the 32nd minute with a placed shot.

Gray then added his 2nd goal of the game with a well timed close range finish on 39 minutes. Sweeper Sam Stockley had a chance to score from the penalty spot for The Blues on the 67 minute mark but missed his spot-kick.

Bishop's Stortford's Tyrone Berry however made the Bishop's Stortford fans forget the miss by scoring a close range header shortly after. Striker Billy Paynter put the home side in front in the 77th minute with a placed shot.

Experienced winger Florin Pelecaci completed the scoring for Bath with a curling shot from the edge of the area on 84 minutes.

Bath therefore win 10 - 5 on aggregate.

Attendance: 2674

A great crowd on hand to witness another goal-fest. Subbed out Letheren as we didn't need to leak goals at the back, but great finishing to everyone up front put the match beyond doubt. I was considering subbing our Pelecaci as he looked a little puffed, but then he netted a cracking shot from outside the box to bring a smile to my face. Happy Birthday Bowesy!

Quality of possession provides victory: 5-2

Bishop's Stortford 2 - 5 Bath City (Blue Square South Playoff Semi Final)

An efficient performance from Bath saw them run out 5 - 2 winners over Bishop's Stortford at Woodside Park. The highlight of the game was undoubtedly a superb hat-trick from Bath's Billy Paynter.

Striker Lewis Smith got Bishop's Stortford off to a flyer by scoring a real poacher's effort on 5 minutes. Bath also saw their 26th minute strike questionably chalked off.

Striker Charlie Sheringham doubled Bishop's Stortford's lead with a placed shot on 35 minutes. Striker Billy Paynter then managed to pull one back for Bath after 37 minutes with a powerful close range effort which hit the inside of the post before hitting the back of the net.

Things turned sour for Bishop's Stortford when midfielder Jamie Hand earned himself an early bath for persistent fouling on 55 minutes. Paynter then equalised for Bath after 56 minutes with an effort from the edge of the area.

Journeyman striker Clyde Wijnhard then put the away side in front after 66 minutes with a curling shot from the edge of the area. Midfielder Amadou Kouman went on to add to the lead with a well timed close range finish on 87 minutes.

Paynter completed the rout with a thumping header on 90 minutes.

Attendance: 1672

New signing Paynter didn't waste any time introducing himself to the fans by bagging a hattrick on debut. We've lacked a good, strong header up front and I'm glad he poked one in off a cross. 2 more individual efforts made him look good up front. I was a little concerned his lack of gameplay would catch him out, but he's dropped into the squad nicely. Efe has been complaining about his place in the team; now it looks all but gone.

Goals galore as Bath and Weston-super-Mare draw

Weston-super-Mare 3 - 3 Bath City (Blue Square South)

As fans left Woodspring Park they will no doubt have agreed that neither team deserved to lose this game.

In an enthralling match which saw both sides throw caution to the wind, it was football which was ultimately the winner.

Bath finally took the lead when striker Wayne Gray scored a powerful effort on 57 minutes. Striker Josh Llewellyn then equalised for Weston-super-Mare in the 67th minute with a placed shot.

Experienced striker Marc McGregor put the home side in front in the 75th minute with a well timed close range finish. Bath's equaliser came through Amadou Kouman as he seized on Clayton Fortune's mistake to score a real poacher's effort. McGregor then added his 2nd goal of the game with a close range header on 84 minutes.

The Weston-super-Mare fans might have hoped that McGregor had scored the winner but it was not to be. Bath's equaliser came through Jason Mycoe as he seized on Tony Bedeau's mistake to score a placed shot. Better late than never for Bath and the fans were clearly delighted with Mycoe's impact.

Attendance: 509

We picked up a solid 1-0 win over Braintree to place us in 2nd, but Chelmsford still claimed a victory to keep them one point ahead. Going into the Weston-super-Mare game we needed Chelmsford to falter as well as peg a win for ourselves. Into the 2nd half we were relatively comfortable at 1-0 up, but 2 quickfire goals had us on full press to net some more ourselves. In the end a flurry of goals provided a great spectacle, but the 3-3 result meant our only hope was Chelmsford losing against Woking at home. It was not to be as they thumped in 3-0 to take the title.


Luckily Braintree and Salisbury both tied too, so we ended up 2nd overall. Not that it matters too much, making he playoff is enough to have a shot at promotion. Hopefully the finals campaign can help the bank balance.

Vintage display ensures Bath victory

Bath City 2 - 1 Salisbury City (Blue Square South)

Bath City taught Salisbury City a lesson at Twerton Park this afternoon. A brace from Paul Murray helped Bath to victory.

Midfielder Craig Rocastle got Salisbury off to a flyer by scoring a powerful effort from the edge of the area on 7 minutes. Journeyman midfielder Paul Murray then equalised for Bath in the 27th minute with a long range curling shot.

Murray scored what proved to be the winner for the home side in the 53rd minute with a screamer from the edge of the area. With Salisbury staring at defeat, there was controversy as full-back Christopher Wylie then had a penalty shout turned down.

Attendance: 1067

First of the double-header out of the way with a decent showing at home. This puts us 3rd, and only a point behind Chelmsford and Braintree. We should leapfrog Braintree too if we win against them in a couple of days' time. Chelmsford could still stay ahead though. We need them to lose or draw at least one game out of the remaining two to claim the title.

Bath in control as Sports are brushed aside

Eastbourne Borough 2 - 3 Bath City (Blue Square South)

Bath City battled to a deserved 3 - 2 victory over Eastbourne Borough on a fine spring afternoon in their Blue Square South game at Priory Lane.

Striker Wayne Gray gave Bath the lead with a powerful effort from the edge of the area in the 29th minute. Journeyman striker Clyde Wijnhard doubled Bath's lead with a well executed finish on 40 minutes.

Kouman scored with a powerful close range effort in the 50th minute to extend the lead further. Striker Andy Atkin pulled one back for Eastbourne Boro after 51 minutes with a placed shot.

Gray then had a chance to score from the penalty spot on the 54 minute mark but missed his spot-kick. Then followed controversy as Bath were denied claims by midfielder Chris Allen for a penalty. An error from Matthew Carlisle allowed striker Jamie Taylor to score a powerful effort.

Attendance: 480

One down, 4 to go. Both Chelmsford and Braintree won their home games 1-0, but Salisbury tied up there match to fall within 2 points of us.

Another away game before the big home double header vs Braintree and Salisbury.

Bath edge out opponents in close encounter

Bath City 2 - 1 Chelmsford City (Blue Square South)

Bath City won a hard fought battle against Chelmsford City on a fine spring afternoon at Twerton Park.

An error from Craig Holloway allowed midfielder Amadou Kouman to score a well timed close range finish. Striker Ian Armstrong then equalised for Chelmsford in the 27th minute with a placed shot.

Experienced winger Florin Pelecaci scored what proved to be the winner for the home side on 46 minutes with a placed shot.

Attendance: 602

Things are tightening up at the top now! This was a must-win game for us to keep our title hopes alive. We were 7 points in arrears of Chelmsford who have fallen off their early season pace, but still have the potential to win all the games remaining. Now that we've got one over them we're only 4 points away from the top and Chelmsford, Braintree and Salisbury are all equal on 77 points.


5 more games to go for the season and 2 of them are home games against Braintree and Salisbury. More must-win games, but I'm glad they are at home. This is going to be an exciting run to the finish!