Slough Town (1) 3 Bath City (0) 0 – Tuesday 5 November 2024 – Vanarama National League South – Arbour Park
Match Report by Mark Stillman.
Goals from Scott Davies, John Gilbert and Lexus Beeden consigned Bath City to defeat at Slough Town.
The loss, City’s third in a row in the league, also saw them fail to score for a seventh time this season.
Micah Anthony and Jerry Lawrence made their debuts having signed earlier in the day from Bristol Rovers.
While they did little wrong, it was another dispiriting attacking display for the Romans who seldom tested Charlie Horlock.
City were given a hostile welcome in Berkshire following the abandonment in March.
On that occasion the Rebels were 4-2 up before a medical emergency in the crowd midway through the second half called time on proceedings, before Slough were later awarded the win.
City were without the suspended Nick Grimes and freshened up their front line with Josh Phillips, Alex Fisher and Anthony in from the off.
Anthony’s evening got off to a bad start, receiving a booking inside 90 seconds, but he and Phillips showed confidence wide albeit without producing a telling chance.
Slough broke the deadlock on 33 minutes. Jack Batten was adjudged to have upended Slavi Spasov on the edge of the box and Davies slammed home the free-kick off the post to give Harvey Wiles-Richards no chance.
The player manager dashed off towards the away dugout exuberantly to celebrate, much to the home supporters’ joy.
Francis Amartey drilled wide after dancing away from challenges on the edge of the box while his teammate Spasov was fortunate to escape a second yellow for catching Kieran Parselle in the air.
The second half started with both sides struggling to create any rhythm. The lively David Ogbonna was Slough’s main threat, though he was well marshalled by Dan Greenslade as the Romans largely defended well, but lacked any punch going forward and seldom threatened.
A switch off at the back allowed Town to double their lead on 67 minutes.
Gilbert started the move on the right and concluded it, linking up with Amartey before being afforded room to perfectly place into the bottom right corner out of Wiles-Richards’ reach from 15 yards.
The scoring was completed five minutes later. Gilbert’s corner was headed into the air by Jeanmal Prosper and giant defender Beeden rose higher than the flailing Wiles-Richards to glance in from 10 yards.
It knocked the stuffing out of City. While they admirably showed spirit in the closing stages, it was too little too late.
Parselle’s fierce strike was charged down by Davies and Joe Raynes’ fizzing effort was chested wide by Horlock, an unconventional save but enough.
While the introductions of Scott Wilson, Sol Wanjau-Smith, Lawrence and Jordan Alves from the bench added more bite in attack, a miracle comeback didn’t arrive.
Att: 612
City’s Line-Up: Wiles-Richards, Raynes, Greenslade, Batten, Parselle (c), Humphrey-Ewers (Lawrence 76), Fisher (Wilson 56), Tillson, Russe (Alves 82), J Phillips (Wanjau-Smith 60), Anthony. Sub not used: Sardo.
Scorers: City – none ; Slough – Davies (32), Gilbert (67), Beeden (73)
City Bookings: Anthony (2), Raynes (20), Batten (31), Greenslade (70)
Officials: J Bloxham, A Tregoning, J Barry, S Elson (4th)