Joe Raynes was sent off as Bath City were beaten by Horsham in Enterprise National League South on Tuesday 17th March.
Bath City keeper Harvey Wiles-Richards – here with manager Darren Way, left, and assistant boss Lee Kendall after the draw with Hornchurch on Saturday 14th March – saved a penalty and made several other excellent stops during the defeat at Horsham on Tuesday 17th March | Photo © Simon Howe
His dismissal meant the Romans had been hit by a sending-off two Tuesdays running, Jordan Tillson receiving his marching orders on 10th March in the 1-0 home defeat by their fellow strugglers Farnborough.
Bath went down 2-1 at Horsham’s Fusion Aviation Community Stadium.
But as in the clash with Boro and has happened on numerous times this season, City were undone by a late goal.
They looked like they might make the long trip back to Somerset with a precious point, as Scott Wilson tied the game with a penalty in the 71st minute after the Hornets spurned a great chance to make it 2-0 with a spot-kick of their own.
However, it was not to be and they remain in 22nd place in the standings – four points below Farnborough, who occupy the last of the ‘safe’ positions but have played two matches more than Darren Way’s side.
Bath felt they should have had a second-minute penalty for a foul on Wilson by Jack Strange. But the referee was unmoved.
And in the sixth minute of a game watched by a crowd of 704, home keeper Lewis Carey – a former Bristol City apprentice – produced an excellent point-blank save to deny Reubin Sheppard.
Bath gloveman Harvey Wiles-Richards made three excellent saves before the break, thwarting Greg Luer, Shamir Fenelon and Rhys Murphy.
And the home team wanted a 24th-minute penalty when Murphy went to ground, but this too was waved away by the referee.
Three minutes into the second half, a Murphy header was cleared off the Romans’ line. But Horsham broke the deadlock in the 52nd minute, Luer heading past Wiles-Richards.
The Bath custodian then denied Fenelon and Luer before the game seemed to swing away from the travellers when the Hornets were awarded a 62nd-minute penalty, Jack Batten deemed to have fouled Murphy.
Wiles-Richards continued his excellent form on the night by saving Murphy’s poor spot-kick. But the Romans’ cause suffered a big blow when Raynes was banished immediately afterwards, being shown a straight red card.
Against the odds, Bath were back on terms as Wilson buried his penalty after he was brought down in the box by Fenelon. The goal was Wilson’s second in successive games.
Wiles-Richards denied Horsham substitute Charlie Hester-Cook on two occasions. But the former Woking player struck the killer blow in the 88th minute, heading home to put the Hornets ahead.
And it could have been 3-1 deep in injury-time, Hester-Cook sending a volley off the Bath bar.
An unused substitute for the Romans was tall striker Ethan Lindo, who has joined the club until the end of the campaign.
The 20-year-old has spent time with several South East outfits including Hanwell Town, Kingstonian and Binfield, having come through the youth systems at Brighton & Hove Albion, Fulham and AFC Wimbledon. He has also played for Blinn College in the US.
Bath: Harvey Wiles-Richards, Joe Raynes, Dan Greenslade, Jack Batten (Moses Alexander-Walker, 90), Kieran Parselle, Jordan Alves (Matt Bowman, 46 (Owen Windsor, 90), Scott Wilson, Luke Russe, Jaiden Putman, Reubin Sheppard (Alex Fisher, 46), Josh Laqeretabua. Unused subs: Charlie Binns, Luke Skinner, Ethan Lindo.
At least Bath could take solace from the fact that while they were losing in West Sussex, Boro and another of the relegation-threatened teams, Enfield Town, also tasted defeat – to Dorking Wanderers and Dagenham & Redbridge respectively.
But the big concern is that Bath’s winless run in the division is now 10 matches and they have gathered only four points from the last 30 available in that time.
Indeed they have won just once in their 14 league fixtures since Christmas, the single success coming against Worthing at the Cannon Clarke Stadium @ Twerton Park on Saturday 24th January.
The Romans will make another trip to the South East this week, as they face mid-table Kent club Tonbridge Angels in a league game at the Yeomans Community Stadium on Saturday 21st March (3pm).
Tickets are available at https://tonbridgeangels.co.uk/buy-tickets/
And on Tuesday 24th March, City will be back at the Cannon Clarke Stadium @ Twerton Park for a National League South clash with Hemel Hempstead Town (7.45pm).
Discounted tickets for the tussle with the Hertfordshire high-fliers can be purchased here.
