Bath City Women 1st (0) 0 Paulton Rovers Ladies (0) 0 – Sunday 22 September 2024 – Regen Arable South West Regional WFL Division 1 North – Twerton Park
Match Report by Mark Stillman.
Ten-player Bath City failed to turn their dominance into goals against a resolute Paulton Rovers side in an entertaining goalless draw.
The Romans played the final 20 minutes with a player deficit after Koz Thorner-Atkinson’s red card.
Despite this obstacle, City looked the more likely to win but a combination of wasteful finishing and solid defending meant they had to be content with a point.
Paulton had the first opening when Millie Light pulled across goal from wide of the penalty area.
Maddy Brown and Thorner-Atkinson shot too close to Emily Jones from distance before Light nearly broke the deadlock 10 minutes before half-time.
City failed to clear a corner and the attacker hooked the ball over Sadie Farley but Tara Taylor was on hand to clear from the line.
Paulton were temporarily down to 10 players just after the break when Evie Thatcher was sinbinned for dissent.
Shortly after they returned to the full 11, Thorner-Atkinson blazed wide after Erin Duffy and Taylor combined from a short corner.
The visitors were given hope when Thorner-Atkinson received her marching orders on 70 minutes for questioning a call from Paulton’s assistant referee.
Surprisingly it was City who pressed more despite this setback. Debutant Kelly Cutler slashed over after Libby Goater robbed the re-introduced Thatcher, and substitute Adella Clarke dragged wide from Taylor’s pass.
The best chance arrived in added time when Abby Gray’s ball over the top found Clarke clear on goal, but she shot too close to former Rovers teammate Jones who saved with her legs.
Matt Abreu’s side continued to probe but were well snuffed out by a firm defence and had to settle for a point and first clean sheet this campaign.
City’s Line-Up: Farley; Hemmings, Fry, Gray, Duffy; Harris, Goater; Taylor, Thorner-Atkinson, Brown; Cutler. Subs used: Spratt, Clarke, Key, Simmons, Pearce.
Scorers: City – none; Paulton – none
City Dismissal: Thorner-Atkinson (70)
Referee: Robin Connolly