Hemel Hempstead Town (4) 4 Bath City (0) 2 – Saturday 31 August 2024 – Vanarama National League South – Vauxhall Road
Match Report by Mark Stillman.
A first half collapse cost Bath City dearly as they fell to defeat at Hemel Hempstead Town, in a remarkable game which ended 10-a-side.
Goalkeeper Harvey Wiles-Richards was sent off for a foul on Trae Cook-Appiah which led to the forward being stretchered off, and Brandon Barzey was dismissed for Hemel within minutes of the game restarting.
With Joe Raynes covering in goal, Hemel took advantage to score three in first half added time, added to Chris Smith’s early opener.
City regrouped at the break and pulled two back through Latrell Humphrey-Ewers’ penalty and a Kieran Parselle thunderbolt, but it was too little too late.
There had been six goals witnessed in the Romans’ first five matches combined, which seemed scarcely believable during a chaotic opening half.
Ricardo German was denied by Wiles-Richards at his near post inside a minute for the hosts before Jerry Gill’s team spurned two clearer opportunities.
Humphrey-Ewers’ digged cross was perfect for the unmarked Nick Grimes six yards out, but he got his angles wrong and headed well wide.
Grimes’ delivery for Sol Wanjau-Smith wasn’t fully connected and the Romans were made to pay on 12 minutes.
Dan Wishart’s corner bounced through a crowded six yard box to Smith at the far post, who nodded in to mark his 50th appearance for the Tudors with just his second goal for the club.
Debutant Billy Phillips started a move which nearly led to a leveller as Ewan Clark’s cross was too high for Wanjau-Smith, who glanced off target.
The game was turned on its head on the half hour mark. Cook-Appiah chased down a Barzey clearance and was clattered into by Wiles-Richards outside his penalty area. The goalkeeper got a nick on the ball but the follow through left the striker in agony and he was stretchered off with a serious leg injury with Alfie Cerulli on in his place.
Backup Massimo Sardo had been named as a substitute for the previous five matches but had been left out of the 16, leaving Raynes to don his cousin’s gloves for the remainder of the contest. His first involvement was to tip Wishart’s free-kick away from danger.
It was 10v10 on 38 minutes. Grimes leapt to head away a looped ball into the air and was floored by Barzey with an appalling challenge. Barzey had already seen yellow for the aftermath of the Cook-Appiah injury and was shown a straight red in front of the Bath City dugout, with management and players incensed.
Ben Morgan replaced Grimes and endured a torrid 15 minutes which saw the Romans concede three times.
He injured himself in the build-up for Hemel’s second, appearing to turn his ankle before Cerulli swivelled away from the grounded Kieran Parselle to loft the ball into the roof of the net.
Captain Kyle Ajayi was left unmarked to head home Wishart’s precise corner before it went from bad to worse in the eighth minute of first half added time.
Jack Davies’ punt upfield saw Cerulli spin away from the hampered Morgan before delicately lofting over the stranded Raynes from 20 yards to make it 4-0.
Morgan was replaced by Louis Sweeten before the action-packed half was up.
Wanjau-Smith curled inches wide within minutes of the restart and Phillips headed Clark’s first time cross onto the roof of the net when he should have tested Craig King.
Raynes showed a defender’s instinct in denying German with his feet at the near post after tidy build-up play from the hosts.
City were awarded a penalty midway through the second half when Clark was barged over by Davies. With first choice taker Scott Wilson injured, Humphrey-Ewers stepped up and placed his kick under King, registering his side’s first away goal in five games.
Phillips’ strike from the edge of the box clipped Ben Tompkins and pinged the top of the crossbar with King beaten before the home defence was breached for a second time.
Parselle received the ball just past halfway, strolled forward and arrowed into the top corner from 30 yards, King only able to get a glove on it.
With still 20 minutes or so remaining it set the nerves jangling for the hosts but City weren’t able to take advantage as Hemel recorded their first home win since January and maintained their unbeaten start this term.
Att: 709
City’s Line-Up: Wiles-Richards, Raynes, Greenslade, Grimes (Morgan 40 (Sweeten 45+8), Batten, Parselle (c), Wanjau-Smith, Humphrey-Ewers, Clark, Tillson, Phillips (Frear 86). Subs not used: Fisher, Davies.
Scorers: City – Humphrey-Ewers (pen 66), Parselle (69); Hemel – Smith (12), Cerulli (45, 45+8), Ajayi (45+6)
City Bookings: Clark (48), Sweeten (68)
City Dismissal: Wiles-Richards (29)
Officials: J Willmore, J Hall, G Burton, P Stratton (4th)