Bath City recovered from their humbling by Hampton & Richmond Borough to take a priceless point from a drab Somerset derby with 10-man Weston-super-Mare on Tuesday 24th February.
Darren Way’s Bath City recovered from their thrashing by Hampton & Richmond Borough to draw with Weston-super-Mare on Tuesday 24th February | Photo © Simon Howe
The Romans were thrashed 4-0 by relegation rivals Hampton & Richmond Borough at the Cannon Clarke Stadium @ Twerton Park on Saturday 21st February but showed resolve to earn a goal-less draw with the visiting Seagulls in front of a 1,303-strong crowd.
And the stalemate with promotion-chasing Weston, who are managed by former Bath star Scott Rogers, pulled City two points clear of the drop zone, with between one and five matches in hand on all four of the teams below them.
Weston dominated the first half and had its best opening, Luke Coulson’s 37th-minute half-volley following a Will Dawes pass being blocked by Jaiden Putman.
But Darren Way’s Bath grew into the match after the interval.
Their best chances of the evening came when Luke Russe drove narrowly wide in the 63rd minute and Luke Skinner fired just over the bar three minutes later.
And City felt they should have had a penalty in the 57th minute, for Dan Ellison’s challenge in the box on Owen Windsor. The referee did not agree and booked Windsor for his protests.
But the Romans’ hopes were raised when Weston’s former Ross County first-teamer George Robesten was shown a straight red card for retaliating to a tackle by Joe Raynes in the 79th minute.
However, Bath had to settle for what was an impressive point against the Seagulls, who could well feature in the end-of-season play-offs.
Bath: Charlie Binns, Joe Raynes, Dan Greenslade, Jack Batten, Kieran Parselle, Jordan Tillson, Luke Russe, Matt Bowman (Alex Fisher, 57), Owen Windsor (Moses Alexander-Walker, 89), Jaiden Putman, Luke Skinner (Jordan Alves, 72). Unused subs: Martin Horsell, Mitch Beardmore.
The Romans face a crucial match at fellow strugglers Enfield Town on Saturday 28th February (3pm) before returning to the Cannon Clarke Stadium @ Twerton Park on Tuesday 3rd March when they host mid-table Slough Town (7.45pm).
Tickets for the game at Enfield are available here.
And discounted tickets for the tussle with Slough can be purchased here.
City will take heart from the fact that while they were drawing with Weston, Enfield were being drubbed 8-0 at Maidstone United – this only three days after the North Londoners dismantled Farnborough 5-0.
Bath’s postponed league matches away to Maidenhead United and
AFC Totton have been rearranged for Tuesday 31st March and Tuesday 14th April respectively.
After the game at Enfield, the Romans will have to play 15 times between 3rd March and the regular season’s end on Saturday 25th April.
