Wasteful Romans regret missed opportunities in 2-1 defeat
I’ll keep this one short and sweet as I’m pressed for time:
Bath City hosted Braintree Town at Twerton Park, a battle of 4th versus 5th in the league table. Both teams entered the night in good form but it was the home side who enjoyed the faster start. 17-year-old winger Ephraim Yeboah beat the offside trap and calmly knocked the ball beyond Braintree’s stranded ‘keeper and tapped home for an early 1-0 lead. Not bad for a guy who had only signed for the club earlier that day!
Bath dominated the rest of the half but proceeded to spurn multiple opportunities to extend their deserved lead. You got the feeling it was going to come back and bite them.
Naturally, that’s exactly what happened. Braintree grew into the game and equalised midway through the second half, after a fortuitous shot through a crowded box trickled past Bath ‘keeper Josey Casa-Grande.
Finally, to rub salt in Bath’s wounds, Braintree were gifted an 84th minute penalty which was duly converted to give the visitors all three points. A classic smash-and-grab performance.
It’s below freezing, I can’t feel my feet, and I’m sat on my own watching Bath City go through the motions against Slough Town.
What am I doing here?
Tuesday nights under the lights at Twerton Park always appeal to me, and I felt the pull to be in the ground again. Despite seeing Bath twice in recent weeks, and watching them go goalless on both occasions, my enthusiasm could not be diminished. Even the biting British winter couldn’t discourage me.
One major difference would be my lack of company; I was going solo, for the first time in my football life. No one else in my friendship group was insane enough to accompany me.
All but one: my pal Alex, the club’s regular commentator for the Romans (check him out on Bath City Radio and the club’s Youtube highlights), was working tonight and agreed to meet for a pint before kickoff. We had a nice catch-up before heading into the stadium, then said our farewells as he ducked his head into the warmth of the press box to begin his pre-match preparation.
Now alone, and fully aware of just how ridiculously cold it was, there was only one thing to do; I had to eat something. Perhaps the cold had deterred the regular 1,000+ crowd Bath normally attracts, but it helped me get a burger without queueing. I was thankful for the immediate purchase and took my burger into the grandstand to find a good spot before kickoff.
The referee soon got things underway. It was an uninspired first half, full of sloppy passing, and I wondered how many of the players were struggling with the frigid temperature. I know I was.
Shortly before half time Bath midfielder Luke Russe was dispossessed and the Slough forwards burst down the left wing and forced home a neat finish to give the visitors a sudden 1-0 lead.
Immediately from the reset, Russe sent a stray pass directly out of play. He howled in frustration at himself, clearly off his game. Manager Jerry Gill substituted him moments later; I always feel for players who get the hook before the first half is over.
Bath needed to start the second half with a different energy and so did I. My feet were numb and I’d clearly underdressed and underprepared for this weather. To get some life back into my legs, I left the grandstand to find a new vantage point on the terraces.
Thankfully the home side came out firing to help warm us up. Bath finally got the ball to their wingers, they increased their intensity, and after 54 minutes they got their deserved reward.
Jordan Thomas, regularly one of Bath’s best and brightest this season, shimmied in the box to leave his defenders for dead, and fired high into the roof of the net to bring the hosts level. It was now 1-1 and Bath were in the ascendancy.
It looked inevitable a second goal would follow. Slough were overwhelmed, backpedalling in retreat. And yet, five minutes after Thomas’ equaliser and completely against the run of play, Slough won a free kick in a dangerous area. Scott Davies, their player-manager (you don’t see many of them anymore), curled a picture-perfect effort at goal, and it crashed off the post and into the net, an absolute beauty of a free kick. Slough had stolen back the lead.
The Rebels’ moment of quality and newfound 2-1 advantage completely destabilised Bath and sapped the energy they’d displayed since the restart. Bath struggled to re-establish control and the game devolved into a scrappy affair once again.
Bath continued to push attacks down the flanks but despite some teasing crosses and a late goal-line clearance in the dying minutes, Slough remained resolute and held on for a huge away victory.
The 634 hardy souls quickly made for the exit. It was a disappointing and probably unjust loss, but Bath hadn’t done enough in attack to break down Slough’s stubborn defence.
I made my way back to my car, digesting the loss in my head. I thought to myself, when Bath eventually lift the 2063 Super League Jeff Bezos Memorial Cup for the third year in a row, I can gloat. I can proudly say I was there in the freezing cold to see them lose 2-1 to Slough Town. I endured through the tough times, one of the few.
Maybe by 2063 the feeling will have returned in my toes.
Downpour dampens derby fever in defensive 0-0 draw
2024 is off to an inauspicious start, thanks to this pretty flat 0-0 stalemate between two non-league West Country rivals.
Bath and Chippenham face each other on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day every year, provided they’re in the same division. It’s an annual tradition, one I make an effort to attend where possible.
City entered the new year with three points already secured, thanks to a 2-1 win away to Chippenham on Boxing Day. City were looking to make it a clean sweep against their rivals and a record crowd for this fixture were on hand, just under 2,500 of us in attendance at Twerton Park.
All those people to witness a goalless draw. Trust me to see yet another 0-0.
I’ll never fault the effort of the players. There was certainly some crunching tackles flying about and the conditions out there were brutal, in the endless rain and wind.
However, the match lacked inspiration and quality, and was a tepid affair for the most part. City striker Cody Cooke had the best opportunity midway through the second half, narrowly seeing his shot tipped away to safety by the Chippenham ‘keeper.
Manager Jerry Gill will be happy with another clean sheet and a defensively disciplined performance from his men. In attack, the team didn’t have the fluidity and cohesion we’ve become accustomed to and they struggled as a unit to get in behind the Chippenham defence. With another West Country derby less than a week away, at league-leaders Yeovil, perhaps that fixture was on the minds of the some of the squad.
Day At The Football 