An equaliser from Matt Bowman deep in injury-time handed relegation battlers Bath City a 2-2 draw with promotion-chasing Ebbsfleet United on Tuesday 17th February.
Matt Bowman – here celebrating after netting against Worthing last month – scored two goals to earn Bath City a precious point when they hosted Ebbsfleet United on Tuesday 17th February | Photo © Simon Howe
Bowman netted in the seventh additional minute to earn the Romans a precious point at the Cannon Clarke Stadium @ Twerton Park as they bid to avoid the drop from Enterprise National League South.
The result against the full-timers hoisted Darren Way’s men a point clear of the danger zone, with games in hand on all of the teams beneath them.
And boss Way was thrilled with the point, describing it as really important.
He said: “We’ve had the same scenario throughout the season where we’ve conceded last-minute goals, so it’s nice to be on the other way and us pick up a really important point tonight.
“In the first half we were very dominant. I think we should’ve been three or four [goals]. We created some good chances. There were some great individual performances.
“We were disappointed with what we felt was a soft goal that we conceded considering we were very dominant.
“They’re a good team. You have to give them respect.
“Overall we deserved to get something out of the game.
“I thought we did well to limit them with only a few chances. They did have good spells but for us to get a point was extremely pleasing.
“The players never gave in tonight.”
Former Larkhall Athletic player Bowman was a two-goal hero for the hosts, who are now on a run of seven home games undefeated in the league, stretching back to November.
Bowman put them 1-0 ahead in the third minute, his deflected 25-yarder getting the better of Ebbsfleet keeper Matt Hall.
Bath suffered a blow in the ninth minute, when Brad Ash went off with a hamstring problem. But his replacement, Moses Alexander-Walker, almost inspired a second goal for the Romans.
In the 11th minute he made a great run and set up Luke Russe, whose effort was cleared off the line.
However, Kent club Ebbsfleet levelled in the 28th minute. Two shots from Finlay Barnes were cleared off the line by Joe Raynes. But from Raynes’ second intervention, the loose ball fell to Tom Dallison who put it past City gloveman Charlie Binns.
And United could have led at the break, Binns making a good save to thwart a 33rd-minute effort from Ben Chapman.
Ebbsfleet took a grip on second-half proceedings and it came as little surprise when they equalised.
With 12 minutes remaining, Bowman fouled Barnes in the box and Dominic Samuel buried the resulting penalty.
But with the final whistle approaching, Bowman redeemed himself with the dramatic point-saver.
Mitch Beardmore sent over a corner, Binns – who had come upfield to add an extra body for the set-piece – knocked the ball on and Bowman bundled it beyond Hall, much to the delight of home fans in the crowd of 745.
Bath: Charlie Binns, Joe Raynes, Dan Greenslade (Mitch Beardmore, 88), Kieran Parselle, Brad Ash (Moses Alexander-Walker, 9), Jordan Tillson (Jack Batten, 67), Luke Russe, Matt Bowman, Owen Windsor (Jordan Alves, 67), Jaiden Putman, Donovan Wilson (Alex Fisher, 73). Unused subs: Martin Horsell, Joel Sullivan.
City will receive Hampton & Richmond Borough on Saturday 21st February (3pm) for a crucial fixture – the Londoners are just one place above the Romans in the table.
Way said: “We’ll be bringing one more player in for Saturday, which I’m really excited about, looking forward to watching him play for us. He’s a bit of a goalscorer, a bit of dribbler, he goes past players, one v ones, really positive attitude.”
The boss said that injured duo Will Jenkins Davies and Harvey Wiles-Richards are likely to be out for a further two weeks.
Discounted tickets for the clash with Hampton at the Cannon Clark Stadium @ Twerton Park are available here.
And Bath will at home again on Tuesday 24th February when high-flying Weston-super-Mare visit (7.45pm).
Discounted tickets for the derby can be purchased here.
