Truro City (0) 0 Bath City (0) 0 – Saturday 1 February 2025 – Vanarama National League South – The Truro City Stadium
Match Report by Mark Stillman.
Bath City held firm on their first visit to Truro City Stadium to collect a well-merited point.
An 11th clean sheet of the season was earned against the Tinners who were left frustrated by Darren Way’s well organised troops.
While City didn’t threaten Dan Lavercombe’s goal much, Harvey Wiles-Richards was superbly protected from an avalanche of Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain long throws and high deliveries from John Askey’s play-off chasing side.
Ewan Clark made his first start since late-September and lasted 66 minutes in Cornwall.
Mitch Beardmore was one of three changes to Way’s side, his first alterations as manager, as Alex Fisher also earned a recall.
Truro’s Oxlade-Chamberlain, brother of Besiktas’ Alex, had renewed his loan spell from Kidderminster Harriers for the remainder of the season in the build-up to the game.
He had the first main chance on 13 minutes, seeing his shot blocked at the near post by Wiles-Richards after Jaze Kabia slipped him through down the right.
Joe Raynes’ vital interception as Andrew Neal threatened to shoot kept the Romans in the game with their two only shots on goal from set-pieces – Kieran Parselle hooking over from Dan Greenslade’s delivery before Clark’s acrobatic effort from Raynes’ corner flew safely over.
The main talking point arrived on the half hour. Zac Bell just kept the ball in on the right and Kabia darted ahead of Ollie Tomlinson before the pair went to ground.
Referee Phillip Eddie blew his whistle and indicated that Kabia had drawn the foul so cautioned the striker, with captain Connor Riley-Lowe swiftly following him in the book for his complaints, two of five home players receiving a yellow card in the opening 45.
Riley-Lowe, one of five in the Truro side who previously represented Bath City, fizzed a ball across which just missed Neal and Billy Palfrey as the half concluded.
Kabia’s free-kick five minutes after the restart sailed just wide of Wiles-Richards’ left post before Alves’ goalbound shot was blocked by the well-placed Dan Rooney after he and Raynes had combined down the right.
Dom Johnson-Fisher and Tyler Harvey, second top scorer in National League South, added further punch to the home attack, but their lack of creativity saw them rely on long throws and set-pieces.
One of Oxlade-Chamberlain’s many missiles was helped back to him and he bent over from the corner of the penalty area.
The only real scare for City was in the closing minutes when Wiles-Richards initially juggled Bell’s hopeful looped ball into the box, but did enough to pinch the ball from Kabia’s ankles much to his defence’s relief.
Jack Batten was introduced late for Parselle for his first outing of 2025 and the defensive readjustment proved little distraction to the visitors, who frustrated the hosts and saw the game out with ease.
Att: 1537
City’s Line-Up: Wiles-Richards. Raynes, Greenslade, Parselle (c) (Batten 86), Clark (Frear 66), Fisher (Wilson 66), Tillson, Russe, Alves, Tomlinson, Beardmore (Ash 66). Sub not used: Horsell.
Scorers: City – none; Truro – none
City Bookings: Parselle (48), Tillson (58)
Officials: P Eddie, N Lane, A Madden, R Clarke (4th)