Truro City
Matches
Tue 15 Mar 2016  ·  National League South
Truro City Football Club
Truro City
3
1
Bath City

Match Preview

Truro City Football Club28 Mar - 09:41
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Match Preview by ColinBradbury.

On Saturday, Bath City travel to Treyew Road for the second part of a festive double-header with Truro City.

The first match, in front of 800 fans at Bath’s Twerton Park on Boxing Day, ended in a convincing 3-0 victory for the White Tigers. While the home team had a couple of good early chances, they were denied by a resolute Martin Rice and from there it was all downhill for the Romans. Three quick goals from Green, Vassell and Brett meant that the game was as good as dead by the first minute of the second half and Bath looked despondent by the end.

However, Truro won’t be assuming that the return match on Saturday will be a stroll. A Bath City team that raced to a five point lead in the National League South with six straight wins at the beginning of this season, and which was undefeated until mid-September, is not one to be taken lightly.

However, they suffered a sharp reversal of form soon after that early run and have taken just seven points from the last eight games. The period also saw the club knocked out of both the FA Cup and FA Trophy by lower league opposition.

However, Bath’s ability to spring surprises was demonstrated by an impressive 1-0 victory over league leaders Ebbsfleet the week before Christmas.

Before looking forward to Saturday’s match, a bit of historical context. Bath City spent two seasons in the top flight of non-league football – finishing 10th in their fist year – before being relegated to the Conference South in 2012.

Those seasons in the Conference Premier took a toll as Bath struggled with the financial demands of playing at that level. Relegation went hand in hand with the biggest financial loss in the club’s history. And, unlike many other Conference clubs, Bath didn’t have a deep-pocketed benefactor to fall back on.

The financial fall-out is still being felt. The club’s ‘Big Bath City Bid’ at the start of this season was an effort to raise funds to turn Bath into a community owned club. Sadly, despite attracting the public backing of luminaries such as Eric Cantona and Ricky Tomlinson, the campaign fell short and financial questions remain.

So the teams go into Saturday’s match with Truro City eighth in the National League South, two places and five points ahead of Bath City.

Bath City have enjoyed stable management for the last eight years thanks to the presence of experienced duo Adie Britton (Director of Football) and Manager Lee Howells.

In terms of players to watch, David Pratt was Bath’s leading goal scorer in the last two seasons – with 18 and 22 goals in each – at the same time earning consecutive Player of the Year accolades. Although he leads the goals table again this year, six at the half way point of the season is a relatively disappointing strike rate for the 28 year old who is in his third year at Twerton Park.

Other key players include captain Andy Gallinagh, a defender in his third year at Bath who previously played 150 times for Cheltenham Town.

Right back Sekani Simpson is a product of the Bristol City Academy and has made more than 350 appearances for the Romans in his nine years at the club.

Dan Ball is a defender in his fourth year at the club, with almost 150 appearances. He also came from the Bristol City Academy.

Steve Phillips was an important summer arrival at Twerton Park. The veteran goalkeeper has the unusual distinction of playing for both Bristol clubs, notching up almost 400 appearances for Rovers and City. He then played more than 100 times for Crewe Alexandra in both League Two and League One and has appeared in every league game for Bath so far this season

And finally, of course, Andy Watkins. A very familiar face to City fans, the Launceston man played 295 games for Truro, including the 2007 FA Vase victory. He has made 90 appearances for Bath since signing in the summer of 2013. Watkins came on in the 64th minute on Boxing Day.

Colin Bradbury

National League South Fixtures

Tue 15 Mar 2016KO: 19:45
Bishop's Stortford
2
Whitehawk
1
Tue 15 Mar 2016KO: 19:45
Weston-Super-Mare
1
Maidstone United
2
Tue 15 Mar 2016KO: 19:45
Maidenhead United
2
Dartford
1
Tue 15 Mar 2016KO: 19:45
Hemel Hempstead Town
1
Chelmsford City
1

Head-to-Head

Sat 26 Dec 2015
Bath City
0
Truro City Football Club
Truro City
3

Match details

Match date

Tue 15 Mar 2016

Kickoff

19:45

Location

Attendance

472

Competition

National League South
Team overview
Further reading

Team Sponsors

Kit Supplier 2021/22 - MJM Sports
Shirt Sleeve Sponsor - Man Down Cornwall
Shirt sponsor - Truro and Penwith College
Kit Sponsor 2021/22 - Errea Sport
Club Sponsor - Tribute
Programme Producers - Footie Print & Digital