PAULTON ROVERS 1 BATH CITY 2

An entertaining encounter in front of a large crowd in the warm evening sunshine on Wednesday saw Bath City narrowly edge this game.

‘The Romans’ open the scoring in the fourth minute with a speculative lob by Tom Smith sailed over Rovers’ keeper, Jack Scrivens, who seemed to be blinded by the sunlight.

A minute later a similar lob by Jordan Williams sailed over the bar.

Bath lost their Captain, Ben Gerring, with an ankle injury and he was replaced by Eddie Jones in the eighth minute. Three minutes later, Jones brought a sharp save from Scrivens, but Jones followed up to hammer the ball home.

Paulton’s response saw Dave O’Hare lay the ball to Leighton Thomas, whose cross shot was deflected for a corner by defender, Kyle Anderson.

Lively winger, Mo Dobre, was posing a real threat for Bath and on 21 minutes, his shot rattled the crossbar.

Paulton’s best move of the first half saw Jake Sloggett lay the ball wide to Nuno Felix and the left back found Lee Ibrahim whose low shot was held by keeper, Will Fuller.

Two minutes later, Thomas and Sloggett combined and Thomas’s cross was finger-tipped away by Fuller.

Paulton pulled a goal back on 33 minutes as Thomas took on his defender and his drive across the keeper clipped the base of the left-hand post and Dave O’Hare, following up, tapped the ball home.

Paulton were getting more into the game and Adam Kelly had a goal disallowed for off-side.

Then a cross-come-shot from Ryan Harley was just out of the range of his striker, Alex Fletcher.

Paulton started the second half in lively fashion and Kelly brought a fine save from substitute goalkeeper, Coniah Boyce-Clarke. The England Under-20 International is on a season loan from Reading. On 56 minutes, Tom Richard’s header was held by Scrivens with the youngster increasing in confidence.

City nearly increased the lead on 62 minutes as George Dowling’s free kick and follow-up brought an excellent double save by Scrivens and from the rebound, Felix flicked the ball out for a corner. O’Hare’s free kick brought a great save from the Bath keeper.

On seventy minutes Rovers had a great chance to reply as good work from Thomas resulted in a right wing, taken by Kelly and seventeen-year-old centre half, Joe Paradise, who headed over.

Jones found Fletcher but his low volley missed the target and then substitute, Lloyd James, had a shot held by Scrivens.

Five minutes before the end Rovers had a great chance as a misplaced Bath pass fell to Thomas who raced through one-on-one with the keeper. Instead of trying to round him he tried to chip the ball over Boyce-Clarke only for his effort to go wide. Tony Walsh