Next Match – Concord Rangers – Home

City will step out at Twerton Park for the penultimate time this season on Saturday to face Concord Rangers. The Essex side make the long journey from Essex battling to extend their 10-year tenure of the National League. They currently sitting at the foot of the table, nine points from safety, although they have got two or three games in hand on the sides above them and recorded a vital 1-0 win over second from bottom Hungerford Town last night.

There was little sign of the struggles to come when the Beachboys picked up seven points from their opening three games of the 2022-23 season. However, they followed that up with just a single point from their next ten league games, plus an FA Cup exit against Southern League Division 1 side Berkhamsted FC. A brief upturn in form followed with successive wins over Dover Athletic, Chippenham Town and Tonbridge Angels, but until the win over Hungerford they had recorded just two victories since the turn of the year, to leave them in such a precarious position.

They did reach the final of the Essex Senior Cup – beating local rivals Canvey Island in a penalty shoot-out on the way – but hopes of lifting the trophy for a fourth time were ended by league rivals Braintree Town in a 2-0 defeat at Colchester United’s Community Stadium.

Twerton Park has not been the greatest hunting ground for Concord, with just a single win in their previous nine league visits. This victory came in January 2016 against a managerless and struggling City side – Lee Howells had left the post earlier that week – thanks to a first half free-kick. They also enjoyed success in the FA Trophy four years later, goals from Roast and Noble making Ryan Brunt’s penalty nothing more than a consolation. The Beachboys would reach the final of the competition that season, although their big day out at Wembley Stadium did not take place until May 2021 due to the Covid pandemic, where they suffered a single goal defeat to Harrogate Town. This gave them a remarkable double of being the only side to lose in the FA Trophy to a Football League side (Harrogate having been promoted the previous May) and having still been in the previous season’s competition after exiting the current one.

Last season’s meeting at Twerton Park saw City edge a close fought game by two goals to one. Jordan Dyer had fired them in front on ten minutes before Green’s penalty eleven minutes after half-time levelled the scores. City secured the win with ten minutes left, Cody Cooke finishing superbly after latching on to Ryan Clarke’s long clearance.

Tickets to the fixture are available to purchase online now with all purchases reduced by £1 per ticket up until 23.45 on Friday 14 April. Alternatively, supporters can pay on the gate via cash or card.