Boos at final whistle as City suffer earliest FA Cup exit since 1979

Boos echoed around the Cannon Clarke Stadium @ Twerton Park after Bath City bowed out of the Emirates FA Cup with a whimper on Saturday 5th September.

Joe Raynes makes a pass on his 300th appearance for Bath City. Unfortunately for Raynes, his special occasion ended in a win for Weymouth | Photo © Simon Howe

A mass exodus by Romans fans in the crowd of 1,176 followed visitors Weymouth’s second goal as the Dorset side made their way to a 2-0 win.

And home supporters who remained until the end made clear at the final whistle exactly what they thought of their team’s efforts against lower-league opposition in the first qualifying round.

City have now lost three games in a row – two in Pitching In Southern League Premier South and now the cup tie.

Since scoring in the first half of their league match against Uxbridge on Saturday 29th August, Scott Bartlett’s team have conceded five unanswered goals.

Bath City’s Reuben Reid holds off a tackler during the 2-0 defeat by his former club Weymouth on Saturday 5th September | Photo © Simon Howe

Manager Bartlett wrote in his programme notes for the clash with the Terras that his side will do well this season.

Unfortunately for Bartlett, Bath did little to impress against Weymouth, who were deserved victors.

The home team had several good chances in the opening period but could not convert them into goals.

However, Bath were dire in the second half and had only one serious attempt on goal, despite playing down the slope.

Across the game, Weymouth – who have made a superb start to their Southern League Division One South campaign following three relegations in four years – showed a lot more desire than their hosts and, crucially, were fitter and faster.

Bath City’s Alex Fisher in aerial combat during the Emirates FA Cup first qualifying round game against Weymouth at the Cannon Clarke Stadium @ Twerton Park | Photo © Simon Howe

The Romans’ defeat means they have lost to lower-grade opponents two years running in the FA Cup, having been beaten 2-1 by Southern League Premier South outfit Wimborne Town in the second qualifying round last year when they were members of National League South.

More significantly, the loss to Weymouth condemned Bath to their earliest exit from the FA Cup since they went down 2-1 at Welsh side Barry Town in the 1979-80 first qualifying round.

The 5th September result turned City captain Joe Raynes’ 300th appearance for the club into a highly forgettable experience.

But the scoreline was one to savour for Weymouth number 10 Mitch Beardmore, the former Bath man who joined the Terras in the summer. Beardmore played the first 56 minutes and came very close to netting an early goal.

Straight into the Bath starting XI was new signing Callum Wood. The 23-year-old defender and former City loanee has joined from Weston-super-Mare, where he played under Bartlett.

But Wood almost had a nightmare start. In the fifth minute, he was dispossessed by Tor Swann. Set to score, Swann shot – but his effort was blocked by City’s Ollie Tomlinson.

Bath went close three minutes later. Raynes pushed the ball across the face of the Weymouth goal but Jordan Tillson was unable to connect.

Tomlinson came to the Romans’ rescue again in the 12th minute, heading off the line an effort from Beardmore following a melee in the box.

Soon the guests’ Harry Hutchinson set up Swann, whose eight-yard header went over.

But Weymouth keeper Gerard Benfield produced two saves in quick succession to prevent Bath scoring in the 15th minute. Benfield parried a long-ranger from Wood but City kept possession and the gloveman made a flying save at the expense of a corner to thwart an Enzio Boldewijn drive.

An 18th-minute scramble in the Terras’ box came to nothing for Bath. But Benfield impressed again 10 minutes later, making another flying save. This time he parried a 25-yard shot from Raynes.

Scott Wilson drilled wide from 15 yards in the 39th minute and Raynes fired at Benfield from just outside the box as City gave their supporters hope for the second period.

However, that hope dissipated rapidly after the break. Bath’s strikers were anonymous and the inevitable happened when Weymouth took a 59th-minute lead from a counter attack.

Swann outpaced Boldewijn on the right and crossed for substitute Brooklyn Genesini to head past Bath custodian Harvey Wiles-Richards, who had a loan spell with the Terras in 2024 when he was on the books of Bristol City.

Wiles-Richards held a 16-yarder from Swann in the 78th minute. But Bath almost equalised two minutes later. A Wood cross was half-cleared to Pedro Elawar, whose drive was pushed behind by Benfield. From the resulting corner, an Alex Fisher shot was blocked on the line.

The Terras nearly struck again in the 87th minute. Swann surged past Harrison Minturn and crossed but Wiles-Richards saved at the feet of Toby Holmes.

But Weymouth did bag a second goal – in the seventh minute of injury-time.

With the entire Bath team, including Wiles-Richards, pushed up for a home corner, the guests broke. Former Tiverton Town and Exmouth Town frontman Swann dashed upfield unopposed and had the simple task of slotting the ball into the empty net, confirming the Romans’ humiliation.

Bath: Harvey Wiles-Richards, Joe Raynes, Ollie Tomlinson, Enzio Boldewijn (Seweryn Streczen, 64), James Morton (Pedro Elawar, 18), Scott Wilson (Alex Fisher, 76), Ollie Chamberlain (Matt Bowman, 83), Harrison Minturn, Jordan Tillson, Reuben Reid, Callum Wood (Harry Parsons, 83). Unused subs: Dan Greenslade, Kieran Parselle.

The Romans’ outgoing chairman David McDonagh has thanked fans for the support they have given him.

Writing in the programme for the tussle with the Terras, McDonagh – who will be the Bath City Supporters Society representative on the board headed by Andrew Stalbow when the sale of the club is finalised – signed off with: “My last word is to thank all of you for making my time as chair one I will never forget.

“The welcome and support you have all given has been very special.”

Of the transfer of enough shares to enable the takeover by the group of investors headed by Stalbow and including pop star Curt Smith, McDonagh wrote: “I want to say an enormous and personal thank you to those within the club who have worked so hard to get over 90% of the shareholders to agree to pass their shares over.

“From conversations I have had and heard time and time again, the decision for many shareholders has not been easy for various reasons, not least the soul-searching over whether to honour promises to relatives now no longer with us and deciding to take the leap of faith in Andrew Stalbow.

“The lead-up to last Friday night [28th August, when the threshold was reached] was all excitement.

“We were very close and facing the risk of not getting over the line, and thanks to those last shares being signed over, we secured the percentage needed, a bit like a nail-biting victory in the dying seconds.”

The Romans will return to Southern League Premier South action on Saturday 12th September, when they take on neighbours Chippenham Town at the Cannon Clarke Stadium @ Twerton Park (3pm).

Discounted tickets are available here.

Wincanton Town, of the Step 6 Jewson Western League Division One, will come to the Cannon Clarke Stadium @ Twerton Park on Tuesday 15th September in the first round of the Francis Hillier Premier Cup, formerly the Somerset Premier Cup. Kick-off will be at 7.45pm.