John Relish

City suffer several major blows

Bath City were handed a double blow to their hopes of gaining promotion to the Blue Square Premier with confirmation that Scott Rogers and Scott Partridge are out for the rest of the season.

Rogers suffered an ankle injury in the 0-0 draw at Hampton & Richmond on Tuesday night.

Boss John Relish told This Is Bath: "We could tell on the way home it didn't look good and he's had it confirmed that it is a broken ankle.

"I didn't really see the tackle that caused it, but there wasn't a bad challenge in the game."

Partridge, meanwhile, has cancelled his contract with the Blue Square South club to spend time with his ill mother.

"Scott's mother is very ill and he asked for his contract to be cancelled," added Relish.

"He doesn't want to be considered for selection again this season as he wants to go up North to be with her.

"He doesn't know what he wants to do yet in the longer term, but we haven't seen much of Scott over the last 12 months and will talk to him again in the summer."

And the City mentor could be without another key member of his squad after Paul Evans' pregnant wife was taken to hospital.

Relish said: "It's blow after blow at the moment, but two of those problems are of a personal nature and our thoughts are with the players concerned.

"When it's your family involved, then that comes first, second and third.

"Football will be here next season and the season after that.

Relish will therefore be forced into muliple changes ahead of the encounter with in-form Fisher Athletic on Saturday.

"We were expecting a tough game anyway, but what's happened will make it even more so.

But, if we can win, then five points from the three games we've faced this week will be a very good return."