It has taken them that long to regain their place in the highest level of non league football while we couldn't wait to get back after just five years. This season City are struggling to make an impression and that could be seen, just like us, as being down to money or the lack of it.
They came up with Newport County but whereas County can go out and pay good money for a player City have had to scratch around for theirs. Two notable captures have been striker Lee Phillips from Cambridge Utd and goalkeeper Terry Burton from Forest Green as was striker Kaid Mohamed.
They'll be without Scott Murray (ankle), Luke Ruddick (hamstring) and Joe Burnell (groin)and Gethin Jones (groin) long term and could also have to do without Lewis Hogg (groin), Hector Mackie (knee), Adam Connolly (stitches to ear) and Callum Hart (rib). Because of that injury list they have signed experienced midfielder Alex Russell on a non-contract basis. The 37yr old, who was once linked with the Harriers, was released by Exeter City in the summer.
Our only injury now is to John Finnigan and he could well be on the bench for the game. We have no other known injuries and Nick Wright should have recovered from his flu bug too.
We had a great win on Sunday against one of the fancied sides and that win against AFC Wimbledon extended our good run to six games unbeaten. The previous day City were up at Fleetwood, where we had also been a few days before that, but they lost 2-1 with a late consolation goal, a penalty, scored by Mohamed.
On paper we should be able to extend our run with a draw a minimum target but you know what this league is like. It's so bloody unpredictable that we could end up losing 3-0 or winning 4-0. Who knows?
Just as long as we don't get another Newport fiasco.
Teams:
Harriers from:
Lewis, Stevens, Vaughan, Mike Williams, Sharpe, Albrighton, Griffiths, Finnigan, Thorne, Byrne, Shaw, Briscoe, McPhee, Briggs, Hankin, Morris, Wright, Blair, Gittings, Hadley, Marc Williams.
Bath City from:
Robinson, Borhy, Burton, Simpson, Rollo, Harris, Connolly, Edwards, Phillips, Hogg, Mackie, Webb, Canham, Jombarti, Badman, Rieck, Mohamed, Watkins.
Links to Bath City websites here
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