Bath City (2) 3 Larkhall Athletic (0) 1 – Saturday 3 August 2024 – Pre-Season Friendly – Twerton Park
Match Report by Mark Stillman.
Bath City ended a fine pre-season campaign with a stress-free win over Larkhall Athletic.
Two early goals in the space of 60 seconds from Ewan Clark and Scott Wilson put City firmly in control against the fellow Bath-based outfit.
Alex Lambert pulled one back for the Larks late on.
But they barely had time to consider a comeback as Alex Fisher celebrated his signing with a third just three minutes later.
Jerry Gill lost Dan Greenslade to injury in the warm-up, but it didn’t distract the rest of the side as they made a strong start against opposition two divisions lower.
From a short corner, Clark’s curler was well batted behind by visiting stand-in keeper Freddie Harvey-Larmer.
Joe Raynes’ smart strike was deflected behind by Sam Boulton with Harvey-Larmer beaten.
City took the lead in the 15th minute. Harvey-Larmer’s risky pass from the back caught Ryan Beckinsale unawares, allowing Jordan Tillson to rob him and knock it into Wilson’s path.
The forward’s clever reverse ball was collected by Zac Smith, whose pull-back found Clark at the back post, allowing him to curl into an unguarded net 10 yards.
Within a minute it was 2-0. Sol Wanjau-Smith’s storming run down the right preceded a pull-back for Smith. His drive was blocked by Boulton but ricocheted straight onto the boot of Wilson, who gleefully watched the ball deflect into the net.
Wanjau-Smith should have made it three. He linked up well with Smith and found himself with just Harvey-Larmer to beat, but he side-footed wide from eight yards.
Wilson shot too close to the visiting stopper from Smith’s pass and Latrell Humphrey-Ewers’ precise free-kick was tipped over by Harvey-Larmer, before Larkhall gave City their first main scare.
Dawid Regula held off Tillson and with the referee playing a good advantage, the attacker pulled back for the onrushing Ethan Cannings, only to see the former City academy graduate mis-hit over from 18 yards.
City started the second half keen to extent their lead. Smith’s goalbound shot was nodded away by Lewis Graham and Kieran Parselle headed against the bar from Clark’s hanging corner.
Larkhall were next to test the upright with substitute Andreas Smolka volleying against the post from 10 yards when Cannings’ free-kick wasn’t fully cleared.
Alex Fisher, Jordan Alves and Louis Sweeten were introduced for City in the last 20 minutes for Wilson, Clark and Humphrey-Ewers respectively.
The visitors pulled one back with six minutes left. Boulton’s searching ball down the right was chased down by Raphael Oppong, who squared it back to Alex Lambert. The midfielder timed his run well to prod first time past Harvey Wiles-Richards, who could only get a hand on it.
It was the first goal City have conceded in pre-season for some seven-and-a-half hours, but they swatted off this inconvenience by swiftly netting a third.
Alves won a free-kick having been bundled over by Keegan Morgan. His low delivery from the set-piece saw Fisher peel away and get a telling touch past Harvey-Larmer from a couple of yards out.
It maintained City’s average of two goals a game scored in pre-season, an ideal confidence booster ahead of next Saturday’s National League South opener at Boreham Wood.
Att: 406
City’s Line-Up: Wiles-Richards, Raynes, Grimes, Batten, Parselle (c), Wanjau-Smith, Humphrey-Ewers (Sweeten 81), Wilson (Fisher 70), Clark (Alves 74), Smith, Tillson. Subs not used: Sardo, Morgan.
Scorers: City – Clark (15), Wilson (16), Fisher (87); Larkhall – Lambert (84)
City Bookings: Raynes (39)
Officials: J Bromham, D Leaver, A Parslow