Bath City (0) 1 Torquay United (1) 2 – Tuesday 20 August 2024 – Vanarama National League South – Twerton Park
Match Report by Mark Stillman.
Cody Cooke and Dan Hayfield came back to Twerton Park to haunt the Romans as they suffered defeat to Torquay United.
Cooke opened the scoring and Hayfield grabbed an assist in the second half for the Gulls.
Sol Wanjau-Smith pulled one back with his first goal for the club.
But despite a late rally City couldn’t find a leveller as they lost at home for the first time since early March.
In the five games since that defeat to Farnborough, City had beaten Torquay 1-0 to secure a play-off spot.
Fast forward four months and no visiting player was in the 16 from the April meeting. Having signed 15 players in the summer, including three from City, this new-look Torquay side set their intentions out early at Twerton Park with a positive start.
They took a 12th minute lead. Ed Palmer’s superb crossfield ball was collected by Matt Carson on the left wing, the Irishman dispossessed Nick Grimes with ease and pulled back to Cooke, who easily side-footed home from six yards past Kieran Parselle on the line.
It was his first goal in Torquay colours and having notched 56 in 131 appearances for City across three seasons, he showed respect in barely celebrating.
It should have been 2-0 four minutes later. Finley Craske’s precise cross from the right was perfect for Ben Seymour, but the ex-City loanee glanced a header wide when he should have tested Harvey Wiles-Richards.
Cooke’s downward header from Carson’s delivery was well taken by the City glovesman as the chances then dried up for the away side, allowing Jerry Gill’s team to gain more control.
Ewan Clark’s free-kick was met by Alex Fisher but the former Exeter man saw his header well tipped over by former Grecians stopper James Hamon.
Clark’s indirect free-kick routine with Latrell Humphrey-Ewers rolled a couple of yards wide with City’s improvement combining with frustration for visiting manager Paul Wotton, who was cautioned from the dugout.
He was left further irked when Craske went down in the box under minimal pressure from Wanjau-Smith but no penalty was given.
The Romans nearly levelled in first half added time. Jordan Tillson robbed Cooke in midfield and his ball in behind was tremendously looped above Sam Dreyer by Scott Wilson, but he failed to connect with the volley when it landed. A firm contact would have created a near replica of Paul Gascoigne’s iconic goal for England vs Scotland in Euro 96.
Gill shuffled the back at the break with a double change and formation alteration with Ruben Davies and Jordan Alves on for Fisher and Grimes.
Wanjau-Smith slashed wide when Clark’s corner was headed out to him and Davies nodded too close to Hamon from a testing delivery by Wanjau-Smith.
Torquay hit City with a sucker punch just past the hour.
Hayfield’s free-kick from the right saw Wiles-Richards remain on his line, and Palmer got the better of Ben Morgan at the back post to head across the keeper into the bottom corner.
It sent the 675 Torquay fans behind the Bristol End goal into raptures, sensing revenge for two previous National League South defeats at the venue.
Davies just failed to connect to Wilson’s fizzed ball from the byline before Louis Sweeten, two days shy of receiving his GCSE results, was introduced for Humphrey-Ewers for the final 20 minutes.
His tenacity warmed the Twerton faithful. A handy cross from the left forced Carson to prod behind with Clark in close quarters.
On 78 minutes City halved the deficit. Wilson gallantly chased Morgan’s lofted ball and played it back to Alves.
His drilled effort from wide of goal deflected in off the well placed Wanjau-Smith, giving hope to the players and most of those inside an atmospheric Twerton Park.
Parselle’s stoppage time header from Clark’s corner was well gloved over by the impressive Hamon as City sought a dramatic leveller, having penned Torquay back.
Frustrations boiled over as Wilson was cautioned for a scything challenge on Oscar Threlkeld in halting a breakaway.
The Torquay captain dusted himself down and was celebrating moments later as they made it two wins from three, while injury-hit City will look to bounce back on Saturday at Tonbridge Angels.
Att: 2259
City’s Line-Up: Wiles-Richards, Grimes (Alves HT), Batten, Parselle (c), Wanjau-Smith, Humphrey-Ewers (Sweeten 71), Wilson, Clark, Fisher (Davies HT), Tillson, Morgan. Sub not used: Sardo.
Scorers: City – Wanjau-Smith (79); Torquay – Cooke (12), Palmer (64)
City Bookings: Grimes (24), Davies (57), Wilson (90+4)
Officials: L Sandoe, S Jenkins, J Welsh, J Woolley (4th)