Cirencester Town Ladies (1) 5 Bath City Women 1st (4) 5 – Sunday 29 September 2024 – Regen Arable South West Regional WFL Division 1 North – Corinium Stadium
Match Report by Mark Stillman.
Bath City Women threw away 4-0 and 5-1 leads at Cirencester in an extraordinary game at the Corinium Stadium.
Having been wasteful in front of goal a week previous in a 0-0 draw with Paulton, Matt Abreu’s team made amends instantly with Maddy Brown coolly finishing from their first attack.
It was soon 2-0 when Amy Key’s corner was glanced home at the near post by Summer Hemmings.
Kelly Cutler hit the bar for the Romans during a positive start.
The hosts went closest through Anna Margetts’ quick free-kick before they were hit by two Key goals in three minutes.
The left-back’s fine curler caught out Ellie Law at her near post before the keeper made a hash of Key’s corner, allowing it to bend straight in.
Amelia Dudding had a goal disallowed before she pulled one back just before half-time as the dangerous forward was afforded space behind the back line before confidently finishing.
City made it 5-1 soon after the interval when a tidy team move culminated in Tara Taylor picking out Brown, who made half a yard and played the ball back across the wrong-footed Law.
Cirencester didn’t let their heads drop and they narrowed the deficit when Katie Bailey’s cross was poked home by Dudding.
Dudding completed her hat-trick on 80 minutes when she touched the ball around Eve Trivett and tidily slotted past Sadie Farley.
The City keeper could only help Margetts’ 35-yard free-kick into the roof of the net to give Ciren real hope, and they snatched a leveller their second half performance merited in added time.
Margetts’ corner somehow beat a posse of players at the near post and Clare Hill got the final touch to secure a point to conclude a remarkable contest.
City’s Line-Up: Farley; Hemmings, Trivett, Gray, Key; Harris, Spratt; Taylor, Goater, Brown; Cutler. Subs used: Watkins, Clarke, Pearce.
Scorers: City – Brown (3, 49), Hemmings (15), Key (32, 34); Cirencester – Dudding (42, 59, 80), Margetts (89), Hill (90+3)
Referee: Marek Jagus