Bath City (1)2 Concord Rangers (1)2

A headed goal from Manny Monthe deep into second half stoppage time rescued a point for Bath City against National League South strugglers Concord Rangers.

City were looking for their first league success since beating Gosport Borough at Twerton Park on 13 September, but it was the visitors from Canvey Island who started the game more brightly. Indeed, in the very first minute, Jordan Chiedozie headed just over Max O’Leary’s crossbar following a cross from Emmanuel Ighorae.

The hosts had their first sight of goal in the 6th minute, but Andy Watkins’ hurried effort from outside the box flew high and wide of the target. Two minutes later Bath came desperately close to taking the lead when goalkeeper Jon Miles could only palm away a cross from the left and, when the ball dropped to George Rigg, his shot was cleared off the goal-line by a defender.

Despite failing to find any real rhythm, chances continued to fall to the home side, and Ryan Broom almost profited from a poor clearance by Miles. The Bristol Rovers loanee advanced goalwards, but his final shot lacked the necessary accuracy to punish the keeper’s mistake. On 13 minutes, Rigg’s searching free kick from the left glanced off a defender’s head, and brought an excellent save low down by the unsighted Miles.

With 15 minutes on the clock, Steve Cawley turned adeptly inside the City area but lifted his shot over the bar. However, the hosts did not heed the warning and, a minute later, the same player repeated the trick but, this time, he planted the ball into the corner of the net from 12 yards out.

Whilst Miles was called upon to tip a curling Watkins’ cross over his crossbar, Gary Owers’ men were clearly rocked back on their heels by their setback, and there was another scare as Cameron Norman’s thumping low drive from 25 yards passed narrowly wide of O’Leary’s post.

The hosts gradually came back into proceedings as the half progressed and Rigg’s firm shot on 37 minutes was deflected wide by a defender, only for the referee, Mr. Gary Parsons, to award a goal kick.

It was somewhat against the run of play when The Romans drew level three minutes before the break, as Frankie Artus’ free kick from the right reached Watkins’ at the far post, and the striker’s shot had just enough pace to find the corner of the net, with the defence seemingly wrong footed.

The home team suddenly rediscovered some belief, and Naby Diallo found space on the by-line from where he squared a pass into the path of Broom, whose close range effort was blocked by a last ditch defensive challenge. The final opening of the half fell to Dan Ball, but the skipper’s volley was well wide of the far post.

There was a reshuffle ahead of the re-start, with Billy Murphy and Nick McCootie replacing Diallo and Ball respectively, with Monthe moving to left back, Rigg switching to right back, and Jack Batten into the centre of the defence. It was Concord, however, that again made the early running. Sam Collins’ ball in from the left on 48 minutes was headed goalwards by Cawley, only for O’Leary to make a smart save by tipping the ball over the crossbar.

The City goalkeeper made a superb save to deny Chiedozie a minute later after the forward had found himself clean through on goal, but Bath then began to find a foothold in the game for a period. Monthe cut inside from the left wing but saw his shot fly across the face of Miles’ goal, and Broom’s cross from the right was nodded the wrong side of the near post by Watkins.

McCootie found space inside the Rangers box on the hour mark, and his shot from a tight angle was somehow clipped off the line by a defender. There followed a series of City corners that finally concluded with Chas Hemmings heading wide of the far post. Some good interchange passing in the 63rd minute saw Broom with a sight of goal, only for the wideman to skew his shot badly wide.

At the other end, Chiedozie was continuing to cause problems, and his ferocious rising shot on 64 minutes was again met with an outstanding save by O’Leary. This proved only a temporary reprieve for the hosts as Concord retook the lead with 69 minutes on the clock, with Chiedozie again being heavily involved. His cross from the left picked out the unmarked Cawley, whose looping header found the far corner of the net beyond O’Leary’s despairing dive.

Shaquille Hunter came on for Rigg in the 75th minute as the hosts sought another equaliser, and the substitute’s first effort was deflected narrowly wide of the far post. A Watkins’ shot from distance was too high to trouble Miles as City continued to find constructive play elusive.

Despite virtually camping in the Rangers’ half for the remainder of the game, the home side could not carve out any clear cut chances, until four minutes into added time. An Artus corner from the right heralded an almighty goalmouth scramble and, when the ball eventually popped into the air, Monthe rose the highest to head the ball into the top corner. There were unfruitful protests from the visitors that there had been a handball in the midst of the melee, and Norman was shown a straight red card by Mr. Parsons, presumably for expressing his discontent in over colourful terms.

This was a disappointing performance from City against very limited opposition and, although they will be relieved to have salvaged a point so late in proceedings, this a game that should have yielded maximum points. A continued failure to create chances upfront, alongside a propensity to leak soft goals at the back, are traits that need to be addressed quickly. This being particularly relevant with a trip to high flying Maidenhead United looming next Saturday.

Bath City: Max O'Leary; Jack Batten, Chas Hemmings, Manny Monthe, Dan Ball (Nick McCootie 45), Frankie Artus, George Rigg (Shaquille Hunter 75), Naby Diallo (Murphy 45), Andy Watkins, Marvin Morgan, Ryan Broom. Subs not used: Lee Marshall, Josh Hutchinson.

Concord Rangers: Jon Miles; Rob Girdlestone, Jordan Brown, Jay Dowie, Marvin Ekpitata, Cameron Norman, Emmanuel Ighorae (Leon Gordan 11, Audrius Laucys 89), James White, Jordan Chiedozie, Steve Cawley (Tony Stokes 73), Sam Collins. Subs not used: Steve King, Ben Wyatt.

Referee: Gary Parsons.

Attendance: 479.

great report
if the player got sent off for moaning about a handball he was wrong as it was a defender got his fingertips to it.if Manny had not scored it should off been a penalty and red card

RUDI GULITS wrote:
if the player got sent off for moaning about a handball he was wrong as it was a defender got his fingertips to it.if Manny had not scored it should off been a penalty and red card

Nick McCootie appeared to handle the ball when it was first cleared. That was what I think they were complaining about.

I think we tend to play better against better teams so I would not expect us to be overwhelmed next week.