Page 34 - Bath City v Peterborough Sports - Saturday 16 January 2020 - FA Trophy 4th Round

LOOKING BACK 1989/90 CONTINUED

Dover had taken advantage of City’s cup distraction Tony Ricketts and Keith Brown were booked as tempers
against Fulham by regaining top spot, and with the became frayed.
Kent side matching City’s three points at Corby with This was City’s first goalless draw since the visit of
a 1-0 win at Moor Green on the following Saturday, Dartford to Twerton Park in September, and saw them
they went into December with the Kent side two points extend their unbeaten away record in the league to
ahead. seven games. Unfortunately, the solitary point wasn’t
City had a Tuesday evening trip to Bromsgrove enough to wrest the top spot away from Dover, the top
Rovers coming up, which would hopefully see them two positions now looking like this:
pick up maximum points and regain top spot to give 1. Dover P17 W12 D2 L3 F32 A18 Pts 38
them a psychological boost ahead of Dover’s visit
in a couple of weeks. Before that though they had a 2. City P18 W11 D4 L3 F30 A 15 Pts 37
3rd Qualifying Round tie in the FA Trophy – the sixth In one of the earlier articles, I mentioned that City
competition they had taken part in that season – at had entered seven different competitions this season,
home to lower league Witney Town. and they completed the set with a visit to Keynsham
Perhaps mindful of the game coming up on Tuesday, to begin their defence of the Somerset Premier Cup
City started slowly against Witney but had a chance which they had won by beating Mangotsfield 7-1 on
to go ahead in the 12th minute when Gary Smart aggregate the previous season.
was put clear. He was fouled on the edge of the box, Ten years before, Keynsham had stunned City by
Witney’s Austin receiving a yellow card, and 10 lifting the trophy with a 1-0 win at Twerton Park in the
minutes later Tyrell joined him in the book, again for second leg of the final. There was to be no upset this
an illegal challenge on Gary Smart. time though, and although this was City’s third game in
City did eventually outwit the Witney defence in the five days, they fielded a full strength side. The outcome
24th minute, John Freegard’s initial shot from Rob never looked in doubt as goals from Paul Randall, John
Cousins’ left wing cross being blocked before he put Freegard and a Gary Smart penalty eased them to an
the rebound in with the help of a post. emphatic 3-0 victory.
Paul Stevens suffered a head injury late in the first half, LES BINGHAM
forcing City to make a change at half-time and Witney
almost took advantage of some hesitant defending,
Dave Palmer having to clear off the line after Lewis had
chipped the ball over Jim Preston.
City doubled their lead in the 54th minute when John
Freegard scored his second goal of the afternoon (his
16th of the season, 11 of which had come in cup
games) after Phil Underhill’s cross had deceived the
goalkeeper, and in truth they were in little danger after
that. He was denied his hat trick twice by the crossbar
and Paul Randall almost scored an audacious 40-yard
goal after spotting the keeper off his line as City
comfortably went through 2-0.
City had beaten Bromsgrove 3-1 at Twerton Park early
in the season and were looking to record their third
‘double’ of the campaign, with the Worcestershire side
still languishing in the lower reaches of the table.
City’s team included new signing Peter Gocan, a
speedy forward who had joined from manager
George Rooney’s former club Worcester City. He
started strongly but wasn’t able to inspire City to the
three points in a disappointing game of few chances
that was largely dominated by the respective midfields.
If anything it was Bromsgrove who had the better of
the game, although the best opportunity, that either
side had to break the deadlock, fell to City just before
half time when John Freegard headed narrowly over
the bar from a Chris Smith cross.
The second half was largely devoid of action, although The Programme from the meeting with Bromsgrove
Rovers at the Victoria Ground in December 1989.
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