Depleted Bath City certainly got out of jail as they squeezed past lower-league Bracknell Town on penalties to reach the third round of the Isuzu FA Trophy, where they will play Dorking Wanderers.
Charlie Binns saves from Max Herbert during the penalty shootout which Bath City won 5-3 to progress in the Isuzu FA Trophy at the expense of Bracknell Town | Photo © Simon Howe
Berkshire side Bracknell, struggling in Pitching In Southern League Premier South, were leading their Enterprise National League South hosts 1-0 in the closing stages of the second-round tie at the Cannon Clarke Stadium @ Twerton Park on Saturday 15th November.
But, watched by a crowd of 805, City’s Owen Windsor headed home to send the tie into a shootout, which the Romans won 5-3.
In addition to Bath having players cup tied, two strikers left the club in the lead-up to the game. On-loan Jake Tabor was recalled by his parent outfit Swindon Town – and Scott Wilson joined Weston-super-Mare on loan until the end of the campaign.
City boss Darren Way said: “You can imagine the nervousness, the tension, the anxiety, when you go a goal down after you’ve had a lot of the ball.
Mitch Beardmore shapes to shoot for Bath City against Bracknell Town on Saturday 15th November | Photo © Simon Howe
“I felt we didn’t have enough quality again, that’s the second game running where you’ve had two teams get every player behind the ball.
“I think the pitch played a bit of a part. But we’ve got to adjust to that.
“The most pleasing thing is we’re through to the next round.
“Fair play to Bracknell. We knew how tough it was going to be because of the game you had against them [in January 2023, when the Robins beat Bath in the FA Trophy fourth round]. It’s nice to have a different outcome.
“The lads kept going – I thought Raynesey [Joe Raynes] did a fantastic job up front.”
Of the penalty shootout, Way said: “The most important thing for me is making sure the players make good contact with the ball and they don’t change their mind, because it’s a pressure moment.
“Having said that, I thought the lads executed and made contact with the ball really well.”
The first hour was dull. But then Bracknell shocked the Romans by taking the lead.
City keeper Charlie Binns brought down Shae Hutchinson in the box and the referee awarded a penalty. Binns saved Seb Bowerman’s 61st-minute weak spot-kick but the Bracknell skipper pounced to bury the loose ball.
Bath City’s Will Jenkins Davies goes for goal during the Isuzu FA Trophy clash with Bracknell Town | Photo © Simon Howe
Will Jenkins Davies and Jack Batten went close to levelling but the Romans had to wait until two minutes into injury-time to tie things up. Jordan Alves crossed, Kieran Parselle headed the ball back across goal and Windsor nodded in from close range.
So the match went to penalties.
Jenkins Davies netted to put Bath 1-0 up in the shootout, only for Bowerman to equalise.
Alves made it 2-1 but Hutchinson buried Bracknell’s second kick.
Raynes banged in Bath’s third – and then Binns saved from Max Herbert to leave the hosts 3-2 up.
Windsor then made it 4-2 and Franny Amartey notched for Bracknell, meaning City would win if Brad Ash converted his kick.
Ash scored when the Robins’ keeper, Harry White, deflected his shot into the roof of the net – and the Romans laid to rest the ghost of their Emirates FA Cup defeat by Southern Premier side Wimborne Town in September.
Way said of Binns, who took over in the starting XI from expectant father Harvey Wiles-Richards: “Apart from the mistake, he performed exceptionally well.
“It’s nice when a squad player comes in and takes the shirt and performs like he did.”
Bath starting XI: Charlie Binns, Joe Raynes, Ollie Tomlinson, Jack Batten, Kieran Parselle, Jordan Alves, Will Jenkins Davies, Brad Ash, Mitch Beardmore, Luke Russe, Owen Windsor.
The match against National League South club Dorking will be played at Meadowbank Stadium on Saturday 13th December.
City will face two away games in the league in rapid succession over the next week.
On Saturday 22nd November they will visit Hampton & Richmond Borough (3pm). Tickets are available here.
And on Tuesday 25th November they will go to Weston-super-Mare (7.45pm). You can purchase tickets here.
Wilson is not permitted to play for the Seagulls against the Romans.
