Pre-season Friendly Friday 20 July 2007 - Twerton Park - kick off 7.45pm

City continued their build-up for the 2007-08 Blue Square Conference South season with a tough but useful workout against Coca-Cola League 1 side Bristol Rovers. Despite heavy showers crossing Bath before the 7.45pm kick-off the Twerton Park pitch was in excellent condition, although this suited the visitors perfectly in the opening 45 minutes. Fielding the same starting XI (minus injured defender Ryan Green) that was victorious at Wembley in the League 2 play-off final back in May they tore City apart time and again to race into a 4-0 lead at the internal which, in truth, could have been even greater. Rovers changed their complete outfield line-up (plus kit!) and the second half was a much more even affair that City ‘won’ by two goals to one to finish the match on the wrong end of a 5-2 scoreline.

City welcomed back first choice goalkeeper Paul Evans following his return from South Africa and it was a familiar teamsheet with all the trialists on the bench and just new signing Dave Gilroy joining last season’s regulars. And the opening exchanges gave no sign of the events to come as City began brightly. An early corner saw Scott Rogers clear the bar with a rising shot then a mistake by Rovers’ keeper Phillips almost let in Lewis Hogg, his effort was blocked on the line. However, for most of the rest of the half it was the Gas Show as they producing a scintillation exhibition of passing football that would have undone better sides than City. It took just ten minutes for the opening goal to arrive when Igoe dispatched a great volley past Evans from Lambert’s cross. The provider was denied a goal himself by a superb one-handed save from Evans moments later and then Walker saw his delicate chip ruled out as the ball had gone out of play in the build-up. When the second goal arrived on 27 minutes it was controversial as Lescott clearly controlled Matt Coupe’s header with his arm before firing past Evans, but neither referee or linesman saw the offence and the goal stood. There was no such doubt five minutes later when Jim Rollo lost Disley at the far post, allowing him to head back toward Walker who fired home via the foot of a post. A rare break from City as the half reached it close saw Hogg felled just inside the box, only for the referee to make another important error and just award City a free-kick on the edge of the area, which came to nothing. And there was still time for Rovers to round off the half with their fourth goal, Igoe grabbing his second with a neat lob that just beat the despairing Sekani Simpson on the line.

Facing a completely different outfield side after the interval City also make three changes, with Jim Rollo and Matt Coupe – both who had suffered most at the hands of Rovers in the first half – making way for main target Paul Keddle and Gethin Jones, plus another trialist Jason Wood replacing Mark McKeever. And within a minute of the restart City pulled a goal back. Gilroy blocked an attempted clearance before feeding Darren Edwards who lifted the ball confidently past Phillips. Any thoughts of an unlikely comeback were dashed a minute later when Rigg’s close range finish from Pipe’s low cross restored Rovers’ four goal advantage. The game was now more of a contest even with City making a series of further substitutions including latest trialist Kyle Bassett, an under-19 Wales international recently released by Cardiff City. He looked lively alongside the more familiar face (and blond hair) of Phil Walsh up front but it was Wood who grabbed the scoring headlines with a 20-yard shot that flew into the net with 15 minutes remaining. Hogg then fired over when well placed and Williams was equally wasteful at the other end, so that was the end of the scoring.

Clearly, City will not face the sort of quality Rovers produced in the first 45 minutes when their league campaign begins in three weeks so will not worry too much about the events in that half, in fact as a fitness exercise constantly chasing Rovers players will have done them no harm at all. And despite the pressure the defence was almost constantly under Simpson and Chris Holland both impressed with their pace and aerial strength respectively. After the break it was another chance for the various trialists to show their stuff and, once again, the most impressive was left-back Keddle, who hopefully City will tie down during the coming week.