City v Ebbsfleet

Reid and Pratt in line up, Low to bench.

City 1 up  

1-1 Watkins for City

is a kerslake coving match tonight if so wots the link plz

thank you Beau Nash

2-1 city

Get in - who scored?

Watkins again with another stunner

That's great. Fine player, deserves a few more goals. Hopefully confidence will make him even better, how long left?!

13m from now

2-2

Doh!Lets have a hattrick

Damn, need a win tonight. Let's gamble.

2-2 ft

Unbelievable improvement from the last home game. The reason must be obvious now for the flat performance then. Tonight everyone showed what they are capable of. We bossed the game from start to finish.

can't quite work out why we didn't win. ref was a bit erratic but can't really blame him.

Watkins had a great chance in the first half which was somehow blocked and Reid had an air shot with the goal at his mercy.

But an excellent match from a Bath City point of view and no doubt Ebbsfleet will be relieved to get a point.

Yes a very entertaining game and for the 2nd one running, 4 excellent goals. A pity we couldn't get that decisive 3rd but Ebbsfleet finished the game strongly and were showing flashes of why there are well placed. And a great turn out by Their fans - must have been around 50 in total which is more than most bring to TP on a Saturday.

at this level you will get up and down performances - it's not like the team ever goes out and plays poorly on purpose - so it was nice to see another entertaining game in quick succession after saturday

the 4-3-3 formation was an interesting one and showed that we might have a small squad but it is a versatile one and i think for the large part it worked well - it is very nice to see watkins' obvious quality is being transferred into goals at last - i hope he is happy to keep travelling all the way up here again next season

hopefully those supporters obssessed with having a bench that spend's the whole game on their feet shouting will see it isn't some magical spell for success - the ebbsfleet bench seemed to be confusing their players more than helping and apart from a short spell after their second goal i thought they were one of the poorest sides we've faced this season*

*which, of course, does make it a bit frustrating we didn't win

Well considering they prevented us from winning in one of our best displays of the season, I think that view of Ebbsfleet is a bit harsh. Yes, they were very average in the first half, but I think that was down to our energy and skillful football. Yes, their management did seem to overdo the tactical changes, but will argue it brought the desired result. Were ours doing anything as we started to fade, apart from making a couple of very predictable substitutions?

Watkins' first goal in particular was truly sublime. A decent game, I don't think the fleet were poor at all, and fair play to their supporters who came down in decent numbers and backed their team. Only negative for me was to see Stearn on the bench for the second game running (?!) is he carrying a knock?

maybe i'm exaggerating to say one of the poorest sides we've faced this season but particularly in the first half they time and again just punted hopeful balls forward - even some of the teams down near the bottom of the table played much better football

yes, they improved in the second half but for a team that looks nailed on for a play-off play it clearly wasn't one of their better nights

and i agree their support was good for a midweek game (shame about the drum, though)

Yes, that drum really went through you - horrible noise, too much bass! A good snare drum like they had at Dover last year can be good. Mind, anything is better than that awful England band which will drown out Wembley tonight and that twit with the trumpet at International cricket matches.

Peteboa wrote:Only negative for me was to see Stearn on the bench for the second game running (?!) is he carrying a knock?

I think his supporters will have to accept that he is not seen by the management as part of their best starting line up. He's had lots of opportunities in the past few months and rarely takes them.

comrade powell wrote:

Peteboa wrote:Only negative for me was to see Stearn on the bench for the second game running (?!) is he carrying a knock?

I think his supporters will have to accept that he is not seen by the management as part of their best starting line up. He's had lots of opportunities in the past few months and rarely takes them.

As one of his supporters I don't think he has been given any real opportunities. Often by the time he gets on the other players are so knackered that they can't get the ball to him or provide adequate support. Time after time he has stood out on the wing on his own, with his arms in the air, while the play gets switched into traffic on the opposite side.

Quite honestly he starred for WSM last season - he is wasted here.

I'm certainly in the Stearn supporters camp. Whilst I have to accept his displays have been a mixed bag of late I agree with BenE that he hasnt been given the opportunities. We dont seem to apply the same criteria to others in the team and its not like we are spoilt for choice in the right wing department.
Sadly he doesnt seem to have ever really been part of the management's plan. that is obviously their perogative and they know how they want to play but I'd give the guy a start every week. he provides an outlet, is always willing and has that possibility of creating a bit of magic every now and then. I am biased, I admit. I like the kid having talked to him a few times after games he does really care about winning for the club and is very disappointed when he doesnt perform.
Apart from anything else we dont have too many potential matchwinners so to see him regularly sat on the bench, assuming he is fit, I just think its a waste of a talent.