In a shock move, Bath City announced today that they were releasing centre-back Mark Preece.
Preece, who had earlier arrived at the ground in his City training kit, was then seen driving away from Twerton Park just minutes before the match against Basingstoke commenced.
With Ben Adlesbury and Joe Burnell still absent through injury, it left City reverting to a flat back four, with Sekani Simpson, playing his first match back from injury, slotting in at right-back and playing a full 90 minutes.
After the match, City director of football Adie Britton described how and why Preece was released.
"We have spoken to Mark Preece today and we will be releasing him," said Britton. "It's something we have thought about in the last few weeks. We went for a flat back four today as we decided to go with a little bit more pace and he was not part of that.
"Given that we don't have a midweek game this week, it's a situation where we thought we had to make some improvements between now and the end of the season".
Asked if Preece was not surprised at the suddenness of City's decision, Britton commented: "Unfortunately that's football. It doesn't fill anyone with pleasure when a lad has to go, especially as he's been with us a few years.
"At times he's done well for us, but we have to say to ourselves, we are in a position in the top five, six or seven, or whatever it is tonight, and we are looking to go to the next stage and improve it again.
"We just felt the mix of the defenders we have got isn't quite right. We know the kind of player we are looking for and for that someone has to be sacrificed and I'm afraid that was the move we felt necessary.
"I don't want to go into the intricacies of everyone's deal and the circumstances but financially if we are to make it possible to bring another one in, someone had to go and it was decided that was what we would do.
"We are looking if we can get a big, ball-winning, centre-half in at some stage. We really do want to bring one in, so for that to happen we had to get one out. So the decision was made on that basis.
"That leaves us a little bit short in both boxes for height but I thought in those areas today we didn't do too badly. It means with a bit more pace in the back-line we can get out faster and look to condense play a bit more".
Britton also indicated that this might not be the last move of this type.
"I think it might happen in a few other positions as well, but now is the time to make those changes and look at a few people with a view going forward, to improve it," he said.
Twenty-six year-old Bristol-based Preece started his career at Forest Green Rovers, for whom he made more than 100 appearances before, after a brief spell at Weston-super-Mare, joining Mansfield Town.
He was signed by City in the summer of 2011 and in his three seasons at Bath, he made 96 appearances, scoring seven goals.
