Gloucester City manager Daf Williams expressed his disappointment and apologised to the fans after his team suffered a 2-0 home defeat at the hands of Taunton Town on Saturday afternoon.
Coming off a strong run of form, Gloucester City aimed to maintain momentum against a confident Taunton side fresh from a 3-0 victory against league leaders Walton & Hersham. The first half was an intense, end-to-end battle, with both teams creating promising chances but failing to break the deadlock before halftime.
Just one minute into the second half, former Gloucester player Dylan Jones was fouled inside the box, resulting in a penalty. Jack Rice calmly converted the spot-kick to give Taunton the lead.
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Gloucester pressed hard for an equaliser but left gaps at the back. In the 79th minute, Taunton’s Dan Koita capitalised on a defensive error, doubling the lead after a long ball was misjudged by Gloucester’s goalkeeper Jared Thompson.
Taunton held strong defensively in the closing stages and secured back-to-back wins over the league’s top two teams, boosting their confidence as they fight to stay competitive.
Williams addressed the fans after the match: “I want to apologise to the fans. I can’t demand more support and then lose 2-0. Even though the game was decided by moments, I do feel let down. I can only thank the fans for their fantastic noise and numbers today. We have three games left and hopefully, we can secure second and third place. I ask everyone to stick with the lads. My message remains the same – I’ll do everything I can to deliver a better performance.”
Gloucester’s next challenge comes against Dorchester Town next Saturday, a side battling for survival. Williams is aware of the stakes: “League position aside, teams like Dorchester are fighting for their lives. That’s the attitude I want from us. I’m not questioning effort or desire today, but I want us to fight hard regardless of our situation.”
Team line-ups:
Gloucester City: J Thompson, Leadbitter (Phillips 58), Lewis, O’Regan, Williams, Spence (Simpson 82), Watts, Thomas, Hanks, Waite, Siddall (Baidoo 58).
Taunton Town: Irish, N Thompson, Jones, Grimes, Richards, Rice, Koita (Barber 90), Shield, Farr, Robinson, Moulden.
Attendance: 1,674
Referee: Neal Templey