Darren Way apologised to Bath City’s fans after his team crashed to their most sobering defeat of the season – at home to Hampton & Richmond Borough on Saturday 21st February.
New signing Luke Skinner on the attack for Bath City during their home defeat by Hampton & Richmond Borough on Saturday 21st February | Photo © Simon Howe
City are battling to avoid the drop from Enterprise National League South and went into the game one place above the relegation zone and one place below the Southwest Londoners.
However, Borough chalked up a 4-0 victory in front of a crowd of 1,025 at the Cannon Clarke Stadium @ Twerton Park to leave Way’s team staring down the barrel, with Enfield Town joining Farnborough in being only one point behind them. Bath do, though, have matches in hand on all of their demotion rivals.
Romans’ boss Way said: “First and foremost I have to apologise to the supporters. That’s definitely the worst performance that we’ve had since I’ve been in post.
“What were the reasons why? Obviously we had that game on Tuesday [17th February, against Ebbsfleet United] but that’s no excuse.
“I felt we were in control of the game. We had two really good chances – Jaiden Putman puts one over the bar and then Jordan Tillson’s got a header in the six-yard box that we should score that just goes wide.
“And then we have a throw-in in their half of the pitch. We try to play a square pass and that gets picked off.
Bath City’s Donovan Wilson is put under pressure by a Hampton & Richmond Borough player at the Cannon Clarke Stadium @ Twerton Park | Photo © Simon Howe
“I talked to the players before the game about how quick and athletic as a team they [Borough] are on the transition and the counter attack, and they’ve got down the outside of us, they’ve cut inside, I think Jack [Batten] was in a one v one and then there was a little bit of a ricochet and we’ve left a played unmarked on the back post [for the visitors’ opening goal].
“I felt we were in control of the game but unfortunately the moments defensively we’re not doing well enough to give ourselves a chance to win football matches, and that’s something we’ve got to make sure we change.
“If you like at their body language to ours, their back line was always in voice, they were very aggressive, very dominant, I don’t think they gave Donovan [Wilson] any space to be able to play, they were strong, they were resilient and they wanted it more than us.
“The race [to avoid relegation] at the moment will be full of ups and downs but I have to apologise for my team’s performance, and I take accountability for that as well as the players.
Jordan Alves, front, centre, leads the Bath City players’ applause of the fans after the 4-0 thrashing by Hampton & Richmond Borough on Saturday 21st February | Photo © Simon Howe
“It was one of those days where we could’ve been out there a long time and we didn’t really create anything, didn’t defend with enough discipline.
“It was probably the worst game I’ve watched my team play since I’ve been in post, and that’s not a nice feeling.”
The defeat was the second 4-0 crushing inflicted on Bath at home in the league this season, Maidenhead United having dished out an identical result in September.
But the facts the latest setback was the Romans’ first in the league at Twerton since November and it came against another team fighting to retain their Step 2 status made it a lot more disappointing than that loss to the Magpies.
Thrust straight into the Bath starting line-up was 18-year-old forward Luke Skinner, who joined the club the previous day from Bristol City, on loan until the end of the season.
Way said: “I felt he was probably our main attacking threat. In the first half he’s cut inside twice and got a shot off, and then he did exactly the same in the second half on two occasions.
“He’s got to make sure in terms of his body language, if something doesn’t go his way, I don’t want to see him throw his arms in the air, so that’s all part of his development.”
Former Wycombe Wanderers player Max Kretzschmar – a hero of Woking’s run to the FA Cup third round in 2018-19 – headed home to give Hampton a 19th-minute lead.
And the visitors doubled their advantage in the 58th minute, Ronan Silva drilling in from the edge of the box after Bath keeper Charlie Binns blocked with his legs an effort from Craig Fasanmade.
Two became three in the 88th minute, Fasanmade tapping in from close range, and the Romans’ humiliation was complete when another ex-Woking player, Reece Grego-Cox – who has played in the Premier League for Queens Park Rangers – struck.
Bath: Charlie Binns, Joe Raynes, Dan Greenslade (Alex Fisher, 65), Jack Batten, Kieran Parselle, Jordan Tillson (Jordan Alves, 73), Matt Bowman (Luke Russe, 73), Owen Windsor (Moses Alexander-Walker, 46), Jaiden Putman (Reubin Sheppard, 80), Donovan Wilson, Luke Skinner. Unused subs: Martin Horsell, Mitch Beardmore.
The Romans will entertain high-flying Weston-super-Mare tonight, Tuesday 24th February, in another league game (7.45pm).
Way said: “We’ve got to make sure we bounce back now and show a little bit of turnaround, toughness.”
Tickets for the derby at the Cannon Clarke Stadium @ Twerton Park are available here.
