Darren Way says he does not care if Bath City play attractive football or not – the important thing is winning as the club battle to avoid relegation from Enterprise National League South.
Bath City’s Jaiden Putman and Dagenham & Redbridge’s Will Lannin-Sweet tangle during the Enterprise National League South match on Saturday 14th February | Photo © Simon Howe
The Romans are just one place above the drop zone, staying out of it on goal-difference, and on Saturday 14th February they lost for the 12th time in 27 league games when they were defeated at Dagenham & Redbridge.
With Will Jenkins Davies absent because of a tweaked hamstring and new loan signing from the Daggers Donovan Wilson not permitted to play against his parent club, Bath were beaten 1-0.
The Romans’ recent loan signing Moses Alexander-Walker gets the better of two Dagenham & Redbridge players on his debut | Photo © Simon Howe
And after the setback, City boss Way admitted that it is now a case of winning coming above all else for his team.
He said: “Extremely disappointing. We’ve lost the game. I think every game is really important to us in the position we’re in.
“But it’s very frustrating when you feel you’ve controlled large moments.
“We had Brad Ash’s one-on-one which would’ve put us 1-0 up.
“[Keeper] Charlie [Binns] didn’t really have a lot to do but they were very quick on the transition.
“And then we concede a real soft goal where a player switches off and allows one of their runners to run in to get a free tap-in.
“That’s what was disappointing.
Bath City’s Matt Bowman takes on Dagenham & Redbridge’s Conor Lawless in Enterprise National League South on Saturday 14th February | Photo © Simon Howe
“We have to win. I’m not worried about whether we’re controlling large moments of the game and it looks really attractive.
“When I came in last year, when it was almost the same position, it was based on clean sheets and that gives us the opportunity to be able to score and build momentum and win games, because over a period of time it’s not like we’ve scored three or five goals, we’re free flowing.
“Donovan Wilson would’ve helped us today, so that was a bit disappointing [that he could not play], but we’ve got to ensure we remain strong, we’ve got to stick together and make sure there’s a reaction on Tuesday [tonight, 17th February, at home to Ebbsfleet United].
“I was disappointed we had to take [Matt] Bowman off. I couldn’t afford to get him sent off. He was on a yellow, I thought at stages he looked like he was tiring.
“It’s a squad, I think we kept going until the end, we still created a number of chances, but we’ve got to win. We have to demand more from each other in key moments.
“At half-time I think it was really important the players recognised we’d created a number of chances.
“We dominated the ball for large spells and we believed that we’d get another chance but it was important we had to take it.
“And I felt there was a real intent towards the way we were attacking.
“We were getting the ball wide, players were going one v one, we were getting crosses into the box, we had a number of corners that maybe we could’ve capitalised on – but we just weren’t clinical enough.
“Last year our foundations were based on clean sheets and defending with real discipline.
“I feel this team is always stronger when we’re defending really well in key moments, when we’re under pressure, and I have to say the goal they scored was a real soft goal from our point of view.”
Way has often praised City’s fans for their marvellous support during his reign at the club. Indeed 82 of them made the journey to East London on Valentine’s Day.
“The supporters here are world class,” said Way. “It looked really nice [at Dagenham] because they were all together in one stand and there was a lot of them. I really appreciate their support.
“[Our fans] are so supportive and always singing. We’ll need them between now and the end of the season.
“I appreciate the fear of where the club is and what position we’re in but their support means a lot to me as a manager, and certainly the players.”
City’s best chance of the first half fell to Ash. In the 15th minute he surged clear, only for home gloveman Sam Howes to save well.
The Daggers’ winner came seven minutes before the break. Stan Leech headed the ball into the box, Kien Connolly chested it down and Dermi Lusala prodded it home.
And it could have been 2-0 in first-half injury-time, Joe Raynes clearing off the line from a Leech header.
Howes did well to push behind an Alex Fisher 18-yarder in the 55th minute, but the Daggers had several good opportunities to add to their tally during the second period of a match watched by a crowd of 1,259.
Bath: Charlie Binns, Joe Raynes, Dan Greenslade (Joel Sullivan, 81), Jack Batten, Kieran Parselle, Brad Ash, Alex Fisher (Owen Windsor, 55), Jordan Tillson (Mitch Beardmore, 75), Luke Russe, Matt Bowman (Jordan Alves, 65), Jaiden Putman (Moses Alexander-Walker, 73). Unused sub: Martin Horsell.
Tickets for the match against high-flying Ebbsfleet at the Cannon Clarke Stadium @ Twerton Park tonight (7.45pm) are available here.
