What a difference a week makes.

After the awfulness of the game against Gosport Borough, and the postponed game against Farnborough (who at the time of writing, have been readmitted to the league, sans their stupid Paddy Power inspired name changing stunt) City reconvened at Twerton Park to take on the second promoted team in a week Concord Rangers.

Concord Rangers are from the Essex, Canvey Island to be precise. I have to admit to being shocked that Canvey Island could support another reasonable sized non league team, given Canvey Island’s FA Cup exploits of a few years ago, and given the population of just under 40,000 I am still surprised by this fact. However, since Canvey Island FC resigned from the Conference in 2006 due to financial difficulties, Concord have become the pre-eminent team for the island.

Concord’s unusual name comes from the beach they used to train by when formed, and contributes to their “Beach Boys” nickname.

City restored Keats to the line up in place of Burnell, while Will Salmon, who has joined on a short term contract, started at full back. Salmon has an uncanny resemblance to Ben Adlesbury, and led to constantly having to explain to people who was actually on the ball.

The Beach Boys started strongly and almost scored within the opening moments when a curling shot was lashed from range which left the post shuddering, thankfully some good vibrations for City (sorry…)

Concord were dominating the early stages of the game, but City slowly started to get into the game, and scored a cracker on 15 minutes. City were awarded a free kick about 20 yards from goal, Ross Stearn lined up the free kick and hammered a dipping shot that crashed against the underside of the bar and bounced into the net before the keeper had even moved. An absolute stunner of a free kick, that Cristiano Ronaldo would have been happy to score.

After this City took firm control of the half, and in reality should have scored again. David Pratt, who was lively all afternoon, robbed the keeper and once he took control of it tried to chip it into the net, unfortunately the keeper back peddled quickly enough to manage to get a clawing hand to the ball, which dropped just wide.

The half time whistle blew with City in the ascendancy and looking good for their lead. So, rather typically after half time the tide turned a bit. Rangers were attacking with a bit more fluency, although their eventual goal had more than an element of farce about it.

Just before the hour, Collin’s collected the ball, and fired off a fairly tame shot that was straight at Jason Mellor, the big keeper went down to collect the ball, and in a scene reminiscent of Massimo Taibi and Matt Le Tissier, Mellor missed the ball completely and it rolled between his legs and into the net. The keeper looked crestfallen, but given his good form since wresting the number 1 shirt from Glyn Garner last year, he was due a cock up!

The stripes though, were not to be denied, and almost immediately regained their lead. Ross Stearn had switched flanks during an attack and found himself wide on the left, the winger moved towards the corner of the box where he received the ball, Stearn took the ball around a few defenders before firing in a shot from the edge of the area. The ball seemed to bounce, and I think the keeper may have got a hand to it but the ball ended up in the back of the net.

This goal seemed to lift the Romans, and City were then in complete control, the lead was increased on 69 minutes when they won a free kick in the corner. The ball was floated  across the box and Will Salmon headed the ball back across goal, Pratt was inches away from connecting and all thought the chance had gone, however, the ball rebounded off a player into the crowd in the six yard box and Mark Preece managed to get his foot up to the ball and put it into the goal. 3-1 and the game was won.

After the appalling performance in the last game, this was a welcome return to form for City, and left everyone leaving the ground with a much greater feeling than the week before. Bizarrely, an American online football show has decided to support Bath City for the season, so I’m sure there will be some cheers from them for the good win by the Romans.