NO CHANGE

Bath 4 Yeltz 0

10 February 2001

I guess the headline's not strictly true. We're now 4 points off the bottom as several of our relegation 'rivals' once again gained points.

Two goals in either half meant an easy win for Bath, who to be fair haven't lost at home in the league since we beat them last season(!). Just to make things worse - if that could be possible - Steve Pie-arce was taken off injured too .

I hate to think what's going to happen on Tuesday when we visit top of the table Burton , before next Saturday brings Salisbury to The Grove.

Match Report from DJ

Bath City: Bibbo; Clode, Walker, Harrington, Towler, K.Lloyd, Tisdale, Colbourne, Fraser, Paul (Hughes 84), Allison (Gosling 78). Sub: Bodin

Halesowen Town: Quy; Crisp, Comyn, Wood, W. Lloyd (Mason 45), Ford, Carter, Piearce (Xiourouppa 32), Bowen (Sutton 78), N. Smith, Hines.

Booked: W. Lloyd (16) Referee: M. Gooding (Bristol) Attendance: 686

Bottom of the table Halesowen crashed to their worst league defeat for 10 years and were sunk by two early goals from Bath, who had previously failed to win themselves for six games.

Twerton Park had been a happy hunting ground for the Yeltz in earlier seasons so the travelling fans had hopes of claiming some points in the increasingly desperate fight against relegation. Nick Carter sliced his shot in the 11th minute after Neil Smith set Sam Bowen free but it was generally a dull start in soggy conditions. Bath then raced into a two-goal lead with the help of sloppy Halesowen defending. In the 13th minute Mark Clode's cross from the right found Sam Allison with all the time and space in the world to calmly slot past goalkeeper Andy Quy. Five minutes later Phil Wood fouled Martin Paul 22 yards out and Scott Walker hammered the free kick directly into the top corner beyond Quy to increase the lead. Quy then made a fingertip save from Martin Paul on the half-hour as the home side poured forward.

Steve Piearce limped off with a recurrence of an old hamstring injury to be replaced by Costas in the 32nd minute and with Bath in control an effort from Jimmy Fraser dipped just over the bar in the 42nd minute. The long suffering away fans had little to lift their gloom although Neil Smith reversed the one-way traffic in the 45th minute when he brought out a fine save from Sal Bibbo from a Nick Carter cross.

Manager Alan Moore and assistant Gary Hackett rung the half-time changes by replacing Wayne Lloyd with wide-man Michael Mason, but could not bring about a change in fortunes. Paul shot at Quy in the 52nd minute following a poor clearance by Phil Wood and at the other end Bowen headed straight at Bibbo from Richard Crisp's cross after good work by Mason. However, Bath pulled the plug on any Halesowen revival in the 63rd minute when Walker set up Allison to fire home from 10 yards off the post. Costas Xiourouppa worked through the Bath defence in the 80th minute but Crisp's resulting shot was blocked. Quy then made a great fingertip save from Fraser but Graham Colbourne completed the agony for the ragged visitors a minute from the end when he flicked the ball past Quy after a cross from substitute Jamie Gosling. This was far from ideal preparation for the visit to league leaders Burton Albion on Tuesday evening.........