Match preview: Slough Town v Bath City

Just 18 days after winning through to last weekend’s cup tie, City return to the scene of their 3rd Qualifying Round win over Slough for a league fixture.

The fixtures secretary and those making the cup draws certainly seemed intent on continuing the association enjoyed by those clubs in July’s playoffs. By mid November, barely six weeks into the season, we will have faced both Slough and Havant & Waterlooville twice as well as matches with Dorking and Dartford. And in just three weeks during the spring, we will enjoy the company of those four again!

After their fifth place finish in March, Slough have made an indifferent start to the season. Following a narrow 1-0 win against struggling Hemel, they went down 3-1 at Dorking before a dramatic 4-4 draw with Welling.

The Rebels looked dead and buried on 70 minutes but three late goals secured a point in a fashion similar to the late victory over City at Arbour Park last season. Their opponents last week should have been Havant, but of course the Hampshire club were otherwise engaged.

City have not made the greatest start away from home and, following defeats at Oxford and Dartford, will be determined for a repeat of their excellent cup win at Slough when Freddie Hinds (pictured celebrating) grabbed the winner, and was the first time in four attempts that we had returned victorious from Arbour Park. Having waited 29 years for a win in the Berkshire town, let’s hope that, like London buses, a second comes along straight after!

City supporters will be able to follow the match as usual via the BCIR commentary and may wish to supplement this with a live stream, details here. Those City supporters who used the facility for the cup match were very complimentary about its quality.