Dorking Wanderers (1) 1 Bath City (0) 0 – Saturday 4 January 2025 – Vanarama National League South – Meadowbank
Match Report by Mark Stillman.
Darren Way suffered his first defeat as Bath City manager at the hands of Dorking Wanderers.
Jason Prior’s early header was enough at a bitterly cold Meadowbank.
Joe Raynes came closest to scoring in the second half as the Romans fought hard against their free-scoring hosts.
Despite plenty of effort they failed to net in an away game for the eighth time this season, ending their three-match winning run.
Dorking’s match on New Year’s Day at Hampton & Richmond was postponed late on, and the extra few days’ rest appeared to pay off in the early stages.
They opened the scoring with just 136 seconds played. Jordan Norville-Williams and Rob Milsom linked up down the left with the latter’s cross to the far post easily headed home by Prior from six yards.
It was the 51st league goal scored by Marc White’s side this season as City regrouped to prevent further damage.
Raynes won the ball high up the field and drilled inside to Wilson, whose rapid shot on the turn fizzed all the way across goal.
Dorking captain Charlie Carter manoeuvred space for himself on the edge of the box before shooting too close to Harvey Wiles-Richards before the unmarked Jimmy Muitt headed straight at the City stopper.
Niall McManus walked a tightrope with a needless lunge on Luke Russe in the middle of the field, earning him a caution with the City bench at close proximity incensed.
The half concluded positively for the Romans with Jordan Alves trying his luck from distance twice without troubling Harrison Foulkes, before his low free-kick saw Brad Ash’s intelligent flick deflected wide though a goal-kick was awarded to his disdain.
Alves was involved in City’s first threat after the break. Having received the ball off Wilson, the attacking midfielder burst away and nutmegged Tony Craig but lost his balance allowing Muitt to poke the ball away.
Alfie Rutherford should have made it 2-0 just before the hour. Norville-Williams’ well-placed cross from the left was met by the top scorer, but he directed his header wise with Wiles-Richards in nomansland.
Raynes tested Foulkes shortly after when his low drive skimmed off the 3G surface and forced Foulkes to fingertip behind.
Way altered his team’s shape to a back four with more emphasis on an attacking three behind Wilson, but the home side’s wily backline, with Craig and Milsom’s combined age of 77, contributed to a stern resistance in protecting Foulkes.
Their only real scare saw Wilson get the better of Brennan Camp on the byline before his cross hit the face of Ash at close range, but he was deemed offside anyway.
Wanderers’ final opening saw substitute Josh Brooking dash past Greenslade and somehow get the better of Kieran Parselle on the byline to pull back to Prior, who kicked the ball against his standing leg to enable a routine save for Wiles-Richards.
Overall it was a spirited display from Way’s charges but Dorking did enough to limit them in the final third and earn them three points in their bid to return immediately to the National League, while City remain in 17th ahead of Saturday’s visit of Chelmsford.
Att: 1404
City’s Line-Up: Wiles-Richards, Raynes, Greenslade, Parselle (c), Wilson (Lawrence 84), Frear (Humphrey-Ewers 65), Tillson, Russe, Alves, Tomlinson, Ash. Subs not used: Flower, Batten, Sweeten.
Scorers: City – none; Dorking – Prior (3)
City Bookings: Lawrence (90+4)
Officials: D Baines, C Stobart, R Chantrill-Smith, R Egan (4th)