There were also starts for Darren Williams and Lee Bullock from the first team. Youngsters Curtis McDonald and Jamal Easter were given a chance.
City lined up
Martyn Margetson
Darren Williams
Anthony Taylor
Danny Parslow
Byron Anthony
Danny Thomas
Jamie Rewbury
Nicky Fish
Lee Bullock
Curtis McDonald
Jamal Easter
The goals came from defenders Byron Anthony and Danny Parslow, one in each half.
Line up courtesy of commentary on CCW.
This was City's first win in the Pontins Cup competition after suffering defeats in the previous two games. In the reserve league table City are currenty top after 9 games.
Match report from Paul Evans.
After all those years when we couldn't beat the wurzels, our reserves gained their third home victory over them this season this afternoon (I know it's not the same as beating their first team, but as we never get to play them lately, it will have to do!). The previous two meetings finished 3-2 and 1-0 and this time a pretty low key game ended at 2-0 with both goals scored by defenders from corners.
There was good news for those who have wanted some first team fringe players to have a run out in the reserves as, besides Martyn Margetson making a comeback after his injury, Darren Williams and Lee Bullock both played the full ninety minutes against a very young looking wurzels outfit none of whom, as far as I am aware, had played first team football.
The game got off to a quiet start with the first goalmouth action coming when Margetson made his only real save, a sharp, near post stop from a shot by Cotterill. City were generally having the better of the opening exchanges, but weren't creating much as they struggled to come up with the sort of service that a strike pair lacking in inches like Easter and Thomas need.
Given the lack of goalmouth action, the first goal after about twenty minutes, came as something of a surprise - it was quite a simple affair really as a good Curtis McDonald corner from the right was turned in at the far post from about eight yards out by captain Byron Anthony who played at left back today (to be honest, I thought there was a suspicion of a foul on one of the wurzels defenders, but as none of their side protested about the goal, I must have been wrong).
Apart from a shot not far over from the wurzels, that was about it really for the first half - City built up some threatening looking moves, but struggled to find an end product and went in at half time having probably just shaded the first forty five minutes.
The second half was a more lively and open affair with the visitors coming as close as they did throughout the 90 minutes early on when a slip by the previously impressive Rewbury enabled Cotterill to hit a fine shot from about twenty five yards which came off the crossbar with Margetson beaten. For a time after that Bristol mounted some dangerous looking attacks, but a confident City defence dealt with them well ensuring that Margetson had little to do.
It certainly wasn't all one way traffic though and City responded with some nice stuff of their own, but they were limited to shots from outside the box. Keeper Davies palmed over a well hit effort by the hard working Nicky Fish, a neat header by McDonald set up Bullock who shot just over from the edge of the box and a clever little pass set up Fleetwood (a half time sub for Thomas) who blasted wide.
Martyn Margetson went off around the seventy minute mark to a good round of applause from a decent sized crowd by reserve team standards and was replaced by Arran Lee-Barrett who was confident and decisive in the little that he had to do, while the hard working Jamal Easter was replaced for the last quarter of an hour of so by Jonathan Kift with Lee Bullock pushing forward more to support Fleetwood.
However, after the flurry of activity just after half time, the game had gone quiet again by the time City made sure of victory with around ten minutes left. Once again the goal came from a corner on the right taken this time by Anthony Taylor - his outswinging flag kick seemed to be aimed at Curtis McDonald on the edge of the box but it never reached him as, instead, it was diverted into the box for Danny Parslow to receive with his back to goal about twelve yards out, Parslow then showed the instincts of a striker by turning well and firing home a well struck low shot which gave Davies no chance.
There was no other goalmouth action after that as City ended up pretty comfortable winners. Stand out players for me today were Nicky Fish who gave the sort of whole hearted performance that reserve team watchers have come to expect from him, Danny Parslow, who besides his goal, defended well and I was again impressed by Jamal Easter who showed a good first touch, more strength than you might expect for someone his size and an ability to link the play up well.