There was a Bath City match today . . . .

. . . . and we won (despite going down to 10 men   ) !!!!   2 - 1     thanks to Donavan Wilson and Tom Smith .

Just thought I would mention it

We needed some good news.

I thought it was very much a 'Bath City' performance - as the commentator said more than once, Ryan Clarke (what a save late in the second half) and Jack Batten were tremendous although not really fair to single out any one player, and I thought young James Taylor really grew into the game as it went on. As for the referee...

A very welcome win! I feared for us in the first twenty minutes when their winger had Taylor on toast and put in several dangerous crosses. But the youngster, along with his team mates, gradually got into the game and the confidence increased. Wilson is proving to be an excellent signing while the defence and Clarke had their best game so far.
Agree about the officials but what was Frankie thinking....

Well we played agaist a decent side who we countered quite well, particularly in the 2nd half.

Unfortunatey we also had to contend with a referee who was determined that Dorking would have every oppotrtunity to get something out of the game. Respect to Dan Ball,  who got himself a  booking after a couple of  indifferent challenges in first half, to ensure the referee could not offer him another and therefore send him off.

I assume the lack of away fans meant that the referee was not reminded that his watch might have encountered a problem!

Anyway a welcome 3 points and we can now look at teams below us in the table.

Looked like a total absence of social distancing amongst the crowd. Like many grounds in the levels below which allowed fans in the Autumn, Meadowbank is too small for that size crowd at the moment.

I think there was some social distancing in the stands (slightly less so on the terraces).  There were empty rows of seats in between those being used, and empty seats between each household group.  Stewards were also polite and helpful whilst keeping the Covid measures in place. More importantly, the social distancing was clearly evident as people moved around (to the tea bar or the toilets), everyone was most considerate.

As for the two sendings off, I thought the referee was supposed to wait until the dismissed player had left the playing area before restarting the game, both Artus and Mehew were still walking around the edge of the pitch when play restarted.  However, I am still confused about how kicking the ball away earned Artus a red, rather than yellow, card.

Overall, City were possibly fortunate not to lose today's game comfortably, Dorking had so much of the play, and so many of the goal chances, it was some superb keeping from Clarke (and a fortunate goal line clearance from - was it Dan Ball) that kept the game close.  The one decent spell that City had was just after going 2-0 up.

Are you a Dorking fan now, Alan?

comrade powell wrote:Looked like a total absence of social distancing amongst the crowd. Like many grounds in the levels below which allowed fans in the Autumn, Meadowbank is too small for that size crowd at the moment.

Interesting that Weymouth have announced they will lower the number of supporters allowed into their next home game as a minority wouldn't follow the social distancing rules. And the Wessex Stadium is much roomier than Meadowbank.

That aside I didn't see anyone who had come from Bath in the crowd today.

The odd thing is before the game when I went to interview Jerry they were keen that I did it in a certain area to not flout me being out of the media zone, which is completely understandable. They added if it was caught on camera it could get them in trouble.

There was a free row in front of us and Michael and I had two spare seats in between, but just before kick-off two more supporters turned up with tickets and ended up next to us. With their media lot taking up a bit of the back row it was quite congested.

Seats wise it seemed like they spaced them out but the problem was on the terracing - by the dugouts there was just a line of people stood next to each other as normal and the near terrace behind one goal looked busy. That said after the game everyone seemed to be shepherded out well and on arrival they seemed to have things under control.

Personally think they should have limited the crowd more. Hampton had under 100 today and used it as a test event for example.

I also though the atmosphere was weird. Not sure if it was the circumstances or us frustrating them on the pitch, but in the second half it seemed very flat. A bit like being at a Dulwich game. Maybe people were just catching up with others.

Performance wise, yes, Dorking had far more chances and Clarke arguably had his best game, but our away displays this season have largely been ok and didn’t deserve the points tally. That was well earned today.

Finally - if Frankie gets a red for that (I am certain it’ll be overturned) how on earth can Gallagher only get a yellow for punching the ball into the net? Mehew’s first yellow was deserved but the second looked very harsh, admittedly from my odd view of looking through Perspex glass which blurred my vision in a third of the pitch. Sadly I doubt that will be rescinded and he will be a miss, I think he’s a terrific player.

Just need to carry it into Tuesday now.

Re Weymouth lowering their capacity after yesterday’s match, I wonder if that was partly due to the idiot who thought he’d invade the pitch to get his five seconds of exposure on BT.

https://uptheterras.co.uk/2020/12/05/statement-from-weymouth-football-club-23/

Some people just do not get the social distancing at all. There are markings on the floor of my local shop but you still find someone standing two feet behind you in the queue. When we went up to Shropshire people were much more up front about telling others to keep their distance ànd wear a mask.

It will be interesting to see what reason the referee gives for Frankie's red card. I had a look at the 2020 version of the Laws of the Game (yes I know I should get out more) and Law 12 allows a referee to issue a caution (yellow card) if a player or substitute delays the restart of play which I assume would be the offence here. I don't think I have seen a player sent off for deliberately kicking the ball away unless it lead to a second yellow.

Tom Mehew's first booking was a clear 'taking one for the team' foul but didn't see what the second one was for and isn't apparent from the highlights. Agree with Peter about Dan Ball, although his booking came shortly after the referee had spoken to him for a challenge that wasn't even a foul because he played the ball. Thought the referee's afternoon was summed up when the ball went out of play after City had taken a throw but neither he nor the assistant knew who it had come off of so he had the original throw taken again!

As for social distancing, apart from the stand it looked like a normal game with people stood next to each other - they can't all have been in groups of six or bubbles!

In a v-log blog thingy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXSEGBKG26w&t=332s -  the crowd are not socially distanced.  

There are some highlights of the game with the Frankie "kicking the ball away" bit, but hard to tell it was him as many players were blocking the view.

Dorking usually post highlights but as Dave says we may have to wait until Tuesday;  were you filming also Dave?

Looks from those highlights that Tom Mehew’s second yellow was for handball - not sure how he was supposed to get out of the way and he did turn away. Did the Dorking forward who had the goal disallowed get booked?

Yes Gallagher was booked. As was his brother for WBA today.

Mehew’s second yellow is ridiculous, as was me doing a Kamara and not realising he was cautioned, thought it was Smith and Mehew was being subbed.

Very hard to see what happened watching it live, and had to watch the replay of it a couple of times. Hopefully be a while before we come across that referee again.

Agree that the sendings off were absurd, but the ref did spot the crucial handball which disallowed their equaliser. I ma very grateful for that, at least.

In real time I assumed the handball for the goal wasn’t as blatant. Seeing it back it’s clear cheating to try and deceive officials yet it’s given the same punishment as Mehew’s for running over to try and block a cross.

I am just relieved that Mehew wasn’t in the box because presumably the referee would have given a penalty.

LB wrote:I am just relieved that Mehew wasn’t in the box because presumably the referee would have given a penalty.

....which I'm sure Ryan would have saved!

LB wrote:I am just relieved that Mehew wasn’t in the box because presumably the referee would have given a penalty.

Is the ref a Dorking resident?

Colin Voutt wrote:

LB wrote:I am just relieved that Mehew wasn’t in the box because presumably the referee would have given a penalty.

Is the ref a Dorking resident?

I'm surprised everyone feels the ref appeared one-sided.... watching the game on the stream he just seemed totally incapable to me.