Bath City (2)2 Weymouth (0)1

Bath City edged out Weymouth in a pulsating match at a damp Twerton Park. The slick underfoot conditions facilitated a match that was played at high pace with both sides committed to attacking football resulting in an entertaining spectacle. Two early goals proved sufficient to earn City the three points, with Weymouth unable to find an equaliser despite having reduced the arrears in the early stages of the second period.

Playing towards the Bath End, the visitors began brightly but found themselves behind after only three minutes. Cody Cooke took advantage of a defensive blunder by making ground down the left before crossing low into the path of Alex Fletcher. The striker took the ball in his stride and, with aplomb, planted his shot into the corner of the net beyond Ryan Sandford.

The home side, buoyed by their success, continued to push forward, and deservedly doubled their advantage in the 9th minute. Cooke cut inside from the left and curled a low shot into the far corner from just inside the box.

Dan Hayfield tried his luck from 25 yards but his firm drive on 11 minutes was well held by the diving Sandford.

Despite City’s lead, Weymouth were producing some neat football of their own and were testing the City defence with their pace and passing movement. The impressive Noa Boutin saw his 13th minute effort fly just wide of Joe Wright’s upright, and Tom Blair headed over the crossbar from a left wing cross.

The hosts came close to increasing their goal tally after 19 minutes when Tom Smith’s goalbound shot was deflected over Sandford’s bar for a corner. Shortly afterwards, Boutin had another opportunity when a ball from the right ran invitingly across the box to him, but his low driven shot was pushed round the post by Wright.

A looping cross to the far post on the half hour mark found the lurking Cooke, whose header back across the face of goal dropped narrowly wide of the upright. The visitors went straight back down the other end and Boutin’s effort was cleared off the goal-line by home skipper Kieran Parselle.

The game continued to flow from end to end, and Sandford produced an outstanding save to repel Jordan Dyer’s 35th minute header. The keeper then needed to remain alert as he gathered a fiercely struck shot from distance by Hayfield. However, Weymouth failed to take advantage of a golden opportunity three minutes before the break. A Blair cross into the box fell kindly to Keelan O’Connell who, with the goal at his mercy, completely missed his kick, and the chance was lost.

The Terra’s came out after the interval looking to find a way back into the game, but substitute Bradley Ash could only skew a tame shot wide of the target from a promising position. At the other end Fletcher tricked his way down the by-line before Sandford made a good blocking save to keep out his attempt from a narrow angle.

The away side were resented with a lifeline on 50 minutes when the referee Mr. Samuel Read pointed to the spot for a push on Matty Burrows. Ash stepped forward but saw his shot from 12 yards parried by Wright, but the penalty taker reacted quickly to slot in the rebound.

City were now being pressed back into their own territory, and Ash’s speculative overhead kick on the hour mark drifted wide of Wright’s far post. Tom Bearwish then nodded over the crossbar from a right wing cross.

The hosts mounted attacks when possible and, on 65 minutes, a cross from the left was ushered out behind by a defender with the apparent use of a hand. However, neither Mr. Read nor his assistant noticed anything untoward, and a corner was the outcome, much to the annoyance of the home faithful.

Wright was called into action to beat away a powerful shot from Blair before Jack Batten came on for Scott Wilson with 20 minutes remaining.

Chris Lines delivered a dangerous freekick into the box that was met with a Dyer header, forcing Sandford into another diving save. Weymouth responded almost immediately when Cameron Murray’s cross picked out Bearwish, whose close-range header was brilliantly tipped on to the bar by Wright.

The visitors continued to press for a leveller, and Wright was again called into action to hold a fizzing shot from Murray.

Hayfield fired wide of Sandford’s goal following a partially cleared corner, and Dan Greenslade lifted a shot over the bar in the final minute. However, Bath had a glorious chance to seal the victory as the game entered stoppage time when Fletcher’s persistence in the box resulted in him being tripped by Boutin. Cooke’s spot kick was well saved by Sandford, but the keeper did even better to block Fletcher’s follow up effort. The loose ball was eventually hacked away for a corner, from which Smith fired narrowly over the crossbar.

The final whistle was greeted with rapturous applause from the majority of the 1,121 in attendance who were appreciative of the contribution of both sides to a breathless match. City probably just deserved the three points overall, but Weymouth looked anything but a side struggling at the wrong end of the table. Next Saturday will provide a brief diversion from the rigours of National League South football when Jerry Gill’s men take on Hartley Wintney at Twerton Park in the 2nd Qualifying Round of the FA Cup.

Bath City: Joe Wright, Joe Raynes, Jordan Dyer, Kieran Parselle, Dan Greenslade, Chris Lines, Dan Hayfield, Tom Smith, Alex Fletcher, Scott Wilson (Jack Batten 70 mins), Cody Cooke. Subs not used: Ryan Clarke, Luke Spokes, Elliott Frear, Rex Mannings.

Weymouth: Ryan Sandford, Luke Nippard, Xander McBurnie, Dan Matsuzaka, Nathan Carlyle, Keelan O’Connell, Tom Bearwish, Noa Boutin, Tom Blair, Cameron Murray, Dan Gifford. Subs: Harry Kyprianou, Bradley Ash, Ibrahim Bakare, Frankie Monk, Matty Burrows.

Referee: Mr. Samuel Read

Attendance: 1,121

Great report as usual but I think Weymouth deserved something from the game. It is difficult to understand how they only have two points.
Their No18 ran the game.
Having said that we had plenty of chances.