Tuesday 9 December 2003 - Twerton Park - kick off 7.45pm Dr Martens Cup 3rd Round

As in the Gloucester City win it was far from a confident performance from City but there were a number of positives to take from the match. Jason Eaton’s third goal in five matches since his return to fitness, further glimpses that Alfie Carter could become the major influence he keeps tantalisingly threatening to be and, most importantly, a defensive show that, despite coming under spells of pressure, was much more solid than recently, especially when facing set-pieces. City manager Gary Owers opted to rest himself along with Steve Jones, Mike Trought and Danny Cleverley, giving starts to Adam Howarth and Josh Jeffries, with Steve Jenkins returning after suspension. Early openings for Richards, shooting wide, and Fitch, forcing a fine block from Mark Bryant, showed that Cirencester would be no pushover. Jeffries almost fired City into the lead after 18 minutes only to see his goalbound shot deflect off Eaton and the danger was cleared. Then just past the half hour mark Jim Rollo’s fiercely struck volley was brilliantly pushed away by keeper Thompson. Moments later Town wasted a golden opportunity to break the deadlock. Bryant allowed Wimble’s shot to slip from his grasp leaving Bevan with what seemed a simple tap-in. However, he somehow managed to hit the post from just a couple of yards out and Bryant recovered to fall on the loose ball. This laughable miss became even more costly six minutes from the break when City took the lead. Carter chased an over hit cross and he hooked it back across goal where Eaton headed home from six yards out.

The visitors began the second half strongly and could have drawn level on 54 minutes as Bryant failed to claim a cross from former City player of the year Mike Davis but Wimble failed to punish the error. Bryant redeemed himself two minutes later though with a brave save at the feet of Constable. Against the run of play on 67 minutes City struck again. Again Carter was the creator as his ran past Davis and sent in a low cross that Jeffries poked home from close range. The game, and a place in the last 16 of the Dr Martens Cup, was safe for City although there was still time for them to put a slightly unfair gloss on the scoreline with a third goal. Ten minutes remained when a typically strong Mitch Counsell tackle left him with a groin injury which saw youth player Ricky Hulbert handed his first team debut. And it took him just two minutes and as many touches to get his name on the scoresheet. A mix-up between keeper Thompson and Fraser suddenly gave Hulbert a empty goal to find and he made no mistake from the edge of the box.