NLS: Bath City v Torquay United 7:45pm 20/08/2024

2-1 away win. Great result.

Decided to go up for this one with my son, but it was always tight picking him up from work just after five in Paignton and when I hit the queuing traffic in Exeter actually thought about turning back. Persevered though and drove past the ground a minute before kickoff although by the time we parked up and walked back, missed the first 10 minutes, but were there for the opening goal.

I thought we were the better team early on and with a number of chances perhaps should have scored more. Bath did gradually come back into it as a half went on although their finishing was woeful with the chance right on half time being a case in point and not sure how we got away with that. The officials were below average and the Lino got a lot of stick for the rest of the game after missing a ball going out of play right next to him as he concentrated on running up the line and not even looking at the ball.

We were certainly under pressure in the second half, but generally dealt with it well and when we got a rare attacking chance with a free kick Palmer was there at the far post to head back across the goal and into the net to the delight of the fans directly behind it. I would like to see their goal again as not sure how they got the cross in and felt we could have defended better but obviously this was right up at the other end of the ground. Made for a nervous last 10 minutes with quite a few corners conceded which we dealt with it well and when we did get a break in early stages of injury time, Cooke was very cynically felled and their player was lucky to get away with a yellow. That took over a minute to sort out and when we did get another break the ref blow up for full-time bang on the five minutes of injury time that was indicated.

Good to get a nice early away win and still feel the team is developing and will get only better.

It's a far cry from two seasons ago when you had to wait until November for our first home win!