Bath City (0)0 Hemel Hempstead Town (0)1

Hemel Hempstead Town snatched all three points from their visit to Twerton Park with a late strike, making Bath City pay dearly for not making the most of their chances.  With the home side dominating proceedings throughout, there was little threat up front from the visitors and, when it arrived, the winning goal was somewhat out of the blue.

City struggled to find their passing game early on but had an opportunity to take the lead in the 7th minute.  Town keeper Laurie Walker was forced to come out of his area to head away a through ball which fell to Frankie Artus 30 yards out.  The midfielder lifted his first time shot goalwards but Walker, who back-peddling quickly, was able to recover in time to make the save.

Joe Raynes tried his luck from outside the box five minutes later, but his shot was skewed wide of Walker’s post.  Walker was also called into action when Adam Mann shot from distance on 21 minutes, but the gloveman was able to gather comfortably.

The home side then had a golden chance to take the lead in the 23rd minute following Anthony Straker’s cross from the left.  Tom Smith rose unmarked in front of goal but succeeded only in heading narrowly wide of the far post.

The Tudors were content to sit deep and showed no real attaching intent as City continued to push forward.  Another Straker cross found Michee Efete unmarked at the far post, but the defender was unable to control the ball allowing Walker to gather.

Ryan Brunt produced a firm snap shot from close range on the half hour mark that brought a good blocking save from Walker, and Mann then came desperately close to opening his side’s account.  He cut inside from the right, and his curling shot passed agonisingly over the angle of post and bar with Walker clutching thin air.

An injury to Kevin Amankwaah in the 34th minute forced a reshuffle in the City ranks as he was replaced by Ross Stearn.  Efete moved to central defence and Raynes went to right back, with the substitute providing some wide down the left flank.

A Mann free kick from the right flew across the face of goal and away to safety on 38 minutes and, on the stroke of half time, Smith was unable to convert another dangerous Straker cross from the left.

The second period commenced with the hosts still on top and, within a minute of the restart, Walker produced a fine diving save to repel Smith’s hooked volley.  Shortly afterwards, Hemel had their first attempt at goal, but Steve Cawley’s shot was skewed well wide of the post.

Sean Rigg replaced Artus on 56 minutes as City continued to strive for a breakthrough.  Straker’s ball in from the left on the hour mark found Brunt, whose ball back across goal just evaded the diving Stearn.

Cawley had another shot at goal in the 62nd minute and, whilst this was on target, it was straight at the under-worked Ryan Clarke.  The home custodian then had to be alert to hold a firm shot from Jordan Parkes.

A long James Morton free kick into the Town area was headed back across goal by Robbie Cundy and Mann’s acrobatic effort was brilliantly clawed away from under the crossbar by Walker.  The keeper was centre stage again on 70 minutes when Mann was put clean through on goal by a raking cross-field ball from Straker.  The Cityman raced into the box, but Walker advanced quickly to make an outstanding blocking save.

The Somerset side were made to pay four minutes later when a free kick into the home area was controlled by Cawley, who cleverly turned his marker before poking the ball into the corner of the net.

Thereafter, City pushed ever further forward in search of parity, but only had Mann’s shot into the side netting and Rigg’s effort that flew over the bar to show for their efforts.

This was a harsh result on The Romans as they played some flowing football at times, and certainly did not deserve to lose the game.  They were clearly disrupted by the absence of a number of injured players, compounded also by the need to reshuffle the pack following Amankwaah’s untimely withdrawal but they did, nonetheless, dominate the match for long periods.  For their part, Hemel defended manfully and converted their one real chance, and were indebted to their goalkeeper for a couple of heroic saves.

Bath City: Ryan Clarke; Michee Efete, Kevin Amankwaah (Ross Stearn 34), Robbie Cundy, Anthony Straker; Frankie Artus (Sean Rigg 56), James Morton, Tom Smith, Joe Raynes, Adam Mann, Ryan Brunt. Subs not used: Harvey Wiles-Richards, Ricardo Rees.

Hemel Hempstead Town: Laurie Walker; Lloyd Doyley (Karl Oliyide 77), Joe Howe, Jordan Parkes, Darren Ward, Ismail Yakubu, Sam Murphy (Sydney Ibie 71), Kavan Cotter, Steve Cawley, Ty Ward (Matteo Mendy 67), Kames Kaloczi.  Subs not used: Oliver Swain, George Paulin.

Referee:   Mr. James Durkin.  

Att:          916.

Excellent reflection of the game.