Bath City (0) 0 Cheltenham Town (0) 0 – Saturday 9 July 2022 – Pre-Season Friendly – Twerton Park
Match Report by Mark Stillman.
The heat was the winner at Twerton Park as neither side could find a breakthrough in a well-contested friendly between sides three divisions apart.
In temperatures rising to 27 degrees, the players required three drinks breaks in a good exercise for Jerry Gill’s men.
City started well with Alex Fletcher having a shot well blocked by Town keeper Max Harris on four minutes, with Tom Smith’s follow-up scrambled away from the line.
Joe Wright did well to deny George Lloyd twice in the first half as the League One outfit sought an opener.
Fletcher dragged just wide after good work by Dan Hayfield, before Cheltenham came the closest to break the deadlock on 57 minutes when Charlie Brown’s header was superbly nodded off the line by Kieran Parselle with Wright beaten.
Cheltenham made nine substitutions on 75 minutes and within 60 seconds their new-look defence were nearly undone by Cody Cooke, but the forward poked his effort too close to Shaun MacDonald after a determined run.
Wright was called upon to deny Zac Guinan before the Romans nearly snatched a last gasp win on the counter when Elliott Frear was freed on the left, but MacDonald did well to deny him with his legs and preserve a goalless draw.
Att: 434
City’s Line-Up: Wright, Raynes (Trialist 61), Greenslade, Batten (Trialist 61), Parselle (c), Fletcher (Cooke 61), Smith (Frear 61), Lines (Spokes 61), Jaiyeoba (Fletcher 84), Mannings (Trialist 61), Hayfield (Trialist 72). Sub not used: Clarke.
Scorers: City – none; Cheltenham – none
City Bookings: none
Officials: C Scriven, D Flynn, K Gould