Bath City (0)0 St. Albans City (1)3

[Kelston Koppite]

Bath City suffered a hugely disappointing defeat at the hands of fellow play-off hopefuls St. Albans City. The Somerset side enjoyed the majority of possession but failed to find a way past the visitors’ determined defence. In contrast, The Saints made the most of their limited opportunities and heavily punished The Romans for failing to find a cutting edge in the final third of the pitch.

It was the hosts who started brightly and had an excellent chance to take the lead in the 5th minute. Jack Batten drove forward and struck a firmly hit shot that was parried by Saints keeper Dean Snedker, the loose ball ran to Adam Mann, only for the follow up effort to clatter against the angle of post and crossbar.

Bath continued to press forward, and Sean Rigg’s 11th minute cross from the left was nodded over the bar by Andy Watkins. It was therefore against the run of play when the away side forged in front on 15 minutes. Khale Da Costa delivered a corner from the right that picked out the unmarked Clovis Kamdjo, who arrowed a bullet header into the corner of the net from the edge of the 6-yard box.

St. Albans came more into the game for a period with the home side apparently reeling from their setback. Scott Shulton tried a speculative effort from wide of the right on 18 minutes, but the ball drifted harmlessly over Ryan Clarke’s crossbar.

Bath gradually regained control of possession in midfield, and Rigg saw his shot from 20 yards deflected just wide of the far post for a corner. James Morton’s freekick in the 28th minute almost found Batten’s outstretched boot inside the box, but Snedker was able to come out and gather.

The home side threatened again on the half hour mark when Snedker was called upon to parry a firm Rigg shot, and the keeper did well to recover in time to turn away the follow up effort from Joe Raynes.

The final action of the half saw Rigg’s cross from the left find Watkins inside the area, but the striker’s audacious overhead kick was well wide of the target.

Bath emerged after the break looking for an early breakthrough. Mann’s cross from the left on 47 minutes was headed goalwards by Raynes, but was deflected over the crossbar off a defender. Smith took the resulting corner and found Mann at the near post, but his powerful header was just over Snedker’s bar.

The visiting custodian was shown a seemingly harsh yellow card for time wasting by the referee, Mr. Matty Buonassisi, in the 51st minute but, three minutes later, his side had doubled their advantage. Michael Clark sent in a deep cross from the right that found Sam Merson, and the forward looped his header on to the inside of the post. Despite Clarke recovering quickly enough to retrieve the ball, the assistant referee indicated that it had already crossed the line, and a goal was awarded.

Jerry Gill’s men continued to have the lion’s share of possession at the back and in midfield, but were being increasingly frustrated in their efforts to put the St. Albans’ defence under any concerted pressure. Smith found space inside the box for a shot in the 65th minute, but James Kaloczi was on hand to block the ball on the goal-line.

Ross Stearn replaced Watkins on 71 minutes and, before Sol Pryce came on for Rigg, Mann scuffed a shot wide of the target from 20 yards. With nine minutes left on the clock, Stearn’s cross from the left was met with a header from Mann that was deflected for a corner. Stearn then tried his luck from outside the box, but his shot was under-hit allowing Snedker to collect comfortably.

With the hosts having exhausted all attacking ideas, The Saints ‘hammered the final nail in the coffin’ deep into stoppage time. Substitute Luke-Anthony Joyce-Dwarika crossed from the right following which Solomon Sambou’s shot was blocked, but Ben Wyatt drove the loose ball into the net beyond Clarke’s despairing dive.

If quantity of possession was a deciding factor, then there is no doubt that Bath would have prevailed in this contest. However, whilst visiting keeper Snedker made a couple of useful saves in the first half, the hosts were unable to unduly trouble a solid St. Albans backline throughout and, all too often, balls into the box failed to find their intended target. Credit must be given to the Hertfortshire outfit for their resolute and dogged defending. Most tellingly, however, they made full use of their very few openings, to the extent that Clarke was largely a spectator throughout but was required to pick the ball out of his net on three occasions. The match at Hungerford on Good Friday has now become almost a ‘must win’ if City are to achieve their aim of reaching the play-offs come the end of April.

Bath City; Ryan Clarke, Kevin Amankwaah, Jack Batten, Robbie Cundy, Anthony Straker, Joe Raynes, James Morton, Tom Smith, Sean Rigg (Sol Pryce 75), Andy Watkins (Ross Stearn 71), Adam Mann. Subs not used; Sam Pearson, Harvey Wiles-Richards, Joe Romanski.

St. Albans City; Dean Snedker, James Kaloczi, Tom Bender, Scott Shulton (Dave Diedhiou 70), Lewis Knight, Michael Clark, Ben Wyatt, Solomon Sambou, Sam Merson (Luke-Anthony Joyce-Dwarika 83), Khale Da Costa (Liam Sole 89), Clovis Kamdjo. Sub not used; Alfie Bonfield.

Referee; Mr. Matty Buonassisi.

Attendance; 1,059.

[tovid]

So what has happened to Dan Ball? Has he gone out on loan again?

[Corstonian]

So what has happened to Dan Ball? Has he gone out on loan again?

I was wondering the same thing - strange not to have him on the bench at least. Also who is Sam Pearson who was on the bench? Can't recall hearing anything about him before.

[stillmanjunior]

So what has happened to Dan Ball? Has he gone out on loan again?

I was wondering the same thing - strange not to have him on the bench at least. Also who is Sam Pearson who was on the bench? Can't recall hearing anything about him before.

Surprised you didn't spot Ball whilst doing all your fine work helping prep the pitch with Andrew. I guess with Romanski already on the bench they don't see the need to have another defender.

Pearson is a 17-year-old winger who is highly rated from Bristol City. Played for Wales u17s. Think he's on a youth/work experience loan. Think we're allowed a maximum of five per game so have to see if he's in for tomorrow. Think Pryce's has run out? Hinds missed out through illness.

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