Post by Keithsson on Oct 25, 2023 10:35:04 GMT
Perfect, just what we need, a nice easy game 
Match Centre - Link
Match Tickets - Bath City Site (advanced purchase discount)
Coach - Sold Out
Ground Guide - Twerton Park
So here we go again, Rebels v Romans round two...
Little point showing the Cup game as its so fresh in the memory so here's our visit to Twerton Park last season...
Bath v Worthing highlights (29/12/22) - YouTube
You'd think given this is being played just two weeks after what turned out to be a comfortable home win we'd feel good going into this game. But if a week is a long time in politics then a fortnight is an eternity in football. When we played we were separated in the league by just two points and two places... we're now five points and nine places behind them!
NLS Table - Link
While we were toiling away and busy getting nowhere last night they were thumping their local rivals Taunton, previously unbeaten on their travels, 3-0 at home (i'll add the highlights of that one when they drop). They come into this one therefore with their tails up as well as having a keen desire for revenge against us.
Looking at the form stats we usually use they're only in 9th for home and away form with nine points from the last available eighteen, no great shakes... until you look at ours! We now occupy one of the relegation places, form wise, down in 21st place with just 5/18.
Because our away form has done such a crazy gear change from overdrive to reverse since Dover we really can't keep trading off our earlier away form. So dropping the home/away form criteria from six games to the last four games... the sheer size of the task is shown for how monumental it really is. Over the last four home games Bath are the best home side in the league, 1st with 10/12 and a +7 GD. Over the same period away from home we are 22nd with just 3/12 and a -9 GD.
NLS Form (last 6 H&A) - Link
Make no mistake the stats have this as an absolute home banker. The only things in our favour is 1) that puts the onus squarely on them, and 2) the stats (and our performances going into it) didn't give us much of a prayer for the cup game either, yet we bossed that game. Sometimes a team just has something that another team can't deal with. However forlorn a hope it may be we will travel with hope.
Squad wise, who knows. You can try and read bits into last nights changes from the Yeovil game but there's always surprises when the team sheet comes out. Were the benched Kane/Robbo/Luque rested for Bath?, can we read anything into the timings and personnel of the substitutions made last night?
The complete absence of Bailey and Odei last night could either be good or bad news for this one. Bailey had a dead leg from Crawley, hence was only a sub for Yeovil, so was there a bad reaction at the weekend or was he just rested? Odei had a queried concussion at the weekend, his total absence last night might suggest a full concussion protocol is in play which would rule him out for Bath.
Bottom line whoever plays, whatever formation he goes with, every man jack of them need to put in 8's, 9's and 10/10's, just like they did in the cup to beat The Romans last time.
All weekend games...
Bath City v Worthing
Chelmsford City v Taunton Town
Eastbourne Borough v Slough Town
Farnborough v Dover Athletic
Hampton & Richmond Borough v Torquay United
Havant & Waterlooville v Weymouth
Hemel Hempstead Town v Dartford
St Albans City v Aveley
Truro City v Tonbridge Angels
Welling United v Chippenham Town
Weston-super-Mare v Maidstone United
Yeovil Town v Braintree Town
Another motivation for arresting this slide, were one even needed, is all those greens shown there, many playing each other. As quick as we're dropping the elusive win we're struggling to find would still put us right back in the race.
Safe travel to all heading over, come on you Rebels!
Match Centre - Link
Match Tickets - Bath City Site (advanced purchase discount)
Coach - Sold Out
Ground Guide - Twerton Park
So here we go again, Rebels v Romans round two...
Little point showing the Cup game as its so fresh in the memory so here's our visit to Twerton Park last season...
Bath v Worthing highlights (29/12/22) - YouTube
You'd think given this is being played just two weeks after what turned out to be a comfortable home win we'd feel good going into this game. But if a week is a long time in politics then a fortnight is an eternity in football. When we played we were separated in the league by just two points and two places... we're now five points and nine places behind them!
NLS Table - Link
While we were toiling away and busy getting nowhere last night they were thumping their local rivals Taunton, previously unbeaten on their travels, 3-0 at home (i'll add the highlights of that one when they drop). They come into this one therefore with their tails up as well as having a keen desire for revenge against us.
Looking at the form stats we usually use they're only in 9th for home and away form with nine points from the last available eighteen, no great shakes... until you look at ours! We now occupy one of the relegation places, form wise, down in 21st place with just 5/18.
Because our away form has done such a crazy gear change from overdrive to reverse since Dover we really can't keep trading off our earlier away form. So dropping the home/away form criteria from six games to the last four games... the sheer size of the task is shown for how monumental it really is. Over the last four home games Bath are the best home side in the league, 1st with 10/12 and a +7 GD. Over the same period away from home we are 22nd with just 3/12 and a -9 GD.
NLS Form (last 6 H&A) - Link
Make no mistake the stats have this as an absolute home banker. The only things in our favour is 1) that puts the onus squarely on them, and 2) the stats (and our performances going into it) didn't give us much of a prayer for the cup game either, yet we bossed that game. Sometimes a team just has something that another team can't deal with. However forlorn a hope it may be we will travel with hope.
Squad wise, who knows. You can try and read bits into last nights changes from the Yeovil game but there's always surprises when the team sheet comes out. Were the benched Kane/Robbo/Luque rested for Bath?, can we read anything into the timings and personnel of the substitutions made last night?
The complete absence of Bailey and Odei last night could either be good or bad news for this one. Bailey had a dead leg from Crawley, hence was only a sub for Yeovil, so was there a bad reaction at the weekend or was he just rested? Odei had a queried concussion at the weekend, his total absence last night might suggest a full concussion protocol is in play which would rule him out for Bath.
Bottom line whoever plays, whatever formation he goes with, every man jack of them need to put in 8's, 9's and 10/10's, just like they did in the cup to beat The Romans last time.
All weekend games...
Bath City v Worthing
Chelmsford City v Taunton Town
Eastbourne Borough v Slough Town
Farnborough v Dover Athletic
Hampton & Richmond Borough v Torquay United
Havant & Waterlooville v Weymouth
Hemel Hempstead Town v Dartford
St Albans City v Aveley
Truro City v Tonbridge Angels
Welling United v Chippenham Town
Weston-super-Mare v Maidstone United
Yeovil Town v Braintree Town
Another motivation for arresting this slide, were one even needed, is all those greens shown there, many playing each other. As quick as we're dropping the elusive win we're struggling to find would still put us right back in the race.
Safe travel to all heading over, come on you Rebels!
