| 
lineup
mike
payne
gary
moran
andy
commander
adam
hart
andy
commander
danny
pitham
danny
hall
craig
dutton
dave
pearson
justin
marsden
michael
hegarty
subs
used
richard
wesley
tom
berwick
nick
matthews |
|
Team
Bath 2-1 Rugby United |
| competition
date
attendance
goalscorer(s)
|
Southern
League Premier Division
25th
February 2005
80
Danny
Pitham
|
Rugby United disappeared
without trace after Team Bath's Alex Ball tapped in
what proved to be the winner eight minutes into the
second half for a 2-1 defeat on Saturday.
And, if the Butlin Road outfit
want to hang on to their Premier Division status for next
term, then performances will need to improve significantly
over the remaining ten games of the season, writes Alan
Turner.
Playing at Bath City's Twerton Park ground, Valley made
an excellent start, Danny Pitham rising above the crowd
to powerfully head home Danny Hall's fifth minute corner.
Nine minutes later Justin Marsden - looking to end an
11 game run without a goal - found the net after latching
on to Michael Hegarty's defence splitting pass and beating
goalkeeper Darren Chitty with a neat lob as he advanced
off his line.
Unfortunately the Rugby striker's joy was short lived
as his effort was ruled out for offside. On the half hour
Dave Pearson might have tried his luck, but instead laid
the ball off to Gary Moran who blazed over from a much
more difficult angle.
The University side then started to make an impression
with Carl Heiniger curling a shot wide from distance,
before lashing a drive on target that forced a spectacular
save from United goalkeeper Mike Payne.
However, the equaliser came in the 39th minute after Pearson
needlessly lost possession on half way. The ball was hoisted
into the Rugby penalty area where it made contact with
the arm of defender Adam Hart.
Referee Brimming immediately pointed to the spot and Tomas
Jaukovic stepped up to easily beat Payne with the kick.
There was still time for the visitors to respond as they
piled on the pressure with a series of corners and free
kicks. But, the home side hung on to the break.
Soon after the restart United fell behind when a Dean
Smith corner in the 53rd minute found its way through
to Tom Gould who hit the inside of the near post.
United boss Dobson said: "We made an excellent start.
But, I thought the penalty decision was very harsh. The
ball seemed to bounce up and hit Adam on the hand.
"The winner came from a corner that should have been
cleared. Our forwards failed to hit one shot on target
all afternoon.
"Over the last few games we have been struggling
for goals and one thing seems to cost us every game. There
was the 90th minute equaliser against Halesowen and the
own goal against Bedford. Today it was the penalty."
Dobson admitted: "Some of the players that were good
enough to get us up last season are now finding it difficult
to cope at this level. We need some new faces to freshen
things up. We can't keep on reshuffling the same pack."
The rebound went straight across the face of goal into
the path of the unmarked Ball who tucked away the easiest
of chances from close range.
From that point on United looked down and out although
youth team striker Tom Berwick came off the bench to angle
a shot wide in the 75th minute from a pass by Hegarty.
At the other end Payne did well to deny Luke Prince at
full stretch, before Heiniger struck the top of the United
crossbar with Payne a helpless spectator. The game ended
with a melee in the corner at the United end that brought
down the curtain on a dreadful second half for the visitors
and earned Moran and Pitham yellow cards. Prince was also
booked for the home side.
|
