Bath City endured a harsh afternoon in Essex on Saturday, succumbing to a resounding 7-1 defeat against a formidable Chelmsford City side. Luke Skinner netted a late consolation goal for the Romans, but it did little to mask the serious setback in their battle to retain their National League South status. Bath now languishes fourth from bottom, just a point above the relegation zone.
Chelmsford wasted no time, opening the scoring within four minutes. Harry Barbrook capitalized when Charlie Binns parried Jason Adigun’s initial shot, steering the ball into the net. Bath responded with their most promising spell, but failed to threaten goalkeeper Noah Phillips meaningfully. On the 20-minute mark, Joe Grimwood doubled Chelmsford’s advantage with a close-range header.
The Clarets ramped up the pressure before halftime, scoring twice in four minutes. Mandelo Egbo unleashed a stunning 25-yard strike, followed by Ben Tompkins heading home a Charlee Adams corner. Early in the second half, Chelmsford extended their lead to 5-0 as Grimwood again converted from an Adams corner.
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Bath managed their first shot on target around the hour mark when Owen Windsor’s effort was saved by Phillips. However, two minutes later, Adigun added a composed finish to make it 6-0. Jesurun Uchegbulam struck a seventh goal with 17 minutes remaining, putting Bath at risk of conceding eight goals for the first time in seven decades. Fortunately, resilient defending kept Chelmsford from further scoring, and Bath salvaged some pride when Skinner, assisted by Moses Alexander-Walker, scored in the 79th minute.
Meanwhile, Weston-super-Mare’s struggles continued with a 4-0 loss at Chesham United, marking a disappointing run with just two points from their last six matches. Alex Lafteur set Chesham on their way with a 13th-minute opener. Jayden Bennetts then added two quick goals, including a clinical one-on-one finish against Weston keeper Max Harris. Mitchell Weiss completed the first-half dominance by firing home the rebound after Harris’s save.
With results like these, both Somerset sides face an uphill battle as the season progresses.