British Gas Business Football League Premier Division Saturday 2 September 2006 - Twerton Park - kick off 3.00pm

Report taken from by Richard Gadsby

They arrived just moments before kick-off, but Stamford hit the ground running with two good chances in the opening three minutes. Matthew Oswin saw an effort blocked with just over 60 seconds played and then Scott Taylor should have put them in front with a close-range shot straight at Paul Evans. They got their deserved, if debatable, goal just four minutes later when a long ball downfield found Rob Harris. Strong offside appeals fell on deaf ears and the Stamford striker coolly side-stepped Evans to tuck the ball into an empty net. A Mark Angel free-kick almost put Stamford further in front, but City grew into the game as the half wore on and should have equalised. Visiting keeper Ian Pledger did well to parry a Scott Partridge shot after some good work from Mike Green. The resulting spell of pressure saw City win two corners, with Chris Holland and Green both spurning chances. A sucker-punch from Stamford saw them double their advantage just three minutes later. Angel pounced on a Gethin Jones error and then crossed for Harris for a simple flick home from six yards out. A Matt Coupe header was stopped on the line and Lewis Hogg blasted over with a half-volley from eight yards as the home side tried to reduce the deficit before half-time.

Stamford should have killed the game straight after the break. Mark Foster managed to drag two City defenders out of position on the left before laying off a simple ball for Wilson to run clean through down the middle. The winger should have scored but instead spooned the ball well over from the edge of the box. City were way past wake-up calls by then, but the missed chance seemed to spur the home side on and they created, and wasted, a hatful of chances. They finally got their reward when Lewis Hogg's fierce drive was palmed away by the diving Pledger, only for Partridge to dink the loose ball back into the net. It could have signalled the start of a Banbury-style comeback, but instead City seemed to take their foot off the pedal with only Partridge playing with any urgency. Partridge then smashed a ferocious drive off the crossbar from the edge of the area after a good turn and lay-off from Phillip Walsh. City controlled the game after that but created surprisingly few clear chances until the final minutes. Substitute Jon Holloway missed arguably the best chance of an equaliser with an injury-time header from a long throw that sailed over.