Bath City extended their unbeaten run to four games following a 1-1 draw with Basingstoke Town, despite being pegged back after taking the lead.
Scott Bartlett’s side went ahead through Harry Parsons, who expertly curled the ball into the bottom left corner. However, Tom Blake quickly equalised for the visitors, ensuring the spoils were shared at the Cannon Clarke Stadium.
The match, played in warm conditions, saw Alex Fisher make a notable return to competitive football after previously retiring over the summer. Fisher was named on the bench as Bartlett made three changes, including rewarding Seweryn Streczen with his first league start. Notably absent was Joe Raynes, who missed the match after the birth of his first child earlier that day. The captain’s armband was handed to Jordan Tillson, while Ollie Chamberlain adapted to right-back, tasked with containing the lively winger Jeremiah Okine-Peters.
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Okine-Peters troubled Bath’s defence early on, with Chamberlain and Kieran Parselle combining to deny several promising chances. Despite Basingstoke’s early pressure, Bath City remained resilient. Louis McGrory and Enzio Boldewijn both tested keeper Simon Grant, although the goalkeepers on both sides were rarely seriously troubled.
The first half ended with a flurry of attacks, including a near miss from Reuben Reid after a well-worked free-kick, but neither side could find the breakthrough besides the goals.
The second half was less eventful, with few clear-cut chances and a scrappy passage of play. Bath endured pressure but remained sturdy defensively. Fisher and Scott Wilson were introduced just after the hour mark to inject fresh impetus into Bath’s attack, but a potential goal was disallowed for offside. Towards the closing stages, Bath almost sealed a late winner, with Miles Obodo missing a golden opportunity.
Manager Scott Bartlett reflected on his side’s performance, saying: “They’re almost trying too hard. They need to relax, we need to be better with the ball. I thought a draw was a fair result. We didn’t work their goalkeeper enough and didn’t get our wide players into dangerous areas. The players need to know they can take more risks, I want to enjoy watching us. We’ve got to find a pattern that suits everybody. We haven’t quite got that yet – we saw it for about an hour against Plymouth Parkway, the rest has been pure effort and endeavour. We ran hard but I want to see a bit more quality.”
Bath City will look to maintain their unbeaten start when they host Uxbridge on Saturday, 3pm kickoff at the Cannon Clarke Stadium @ Twerton Park. Uxbridge come into the game having edged a thrilling 5-4 win over Taunton, with only goal difference keeping them from the top spot.
Bartlett is hopeful of the return of Donovan Wilson, who has missed the last three matches. “I want to make sure he’s in tip-top condition,” Bartlett said. “We don’t want a repeat of last season where we have a run of games with too many people out. I’ve been cautious with Donny. He’s come through everything fine. We think Harrison (Minturn) will be fine as well. I’m pleased we got 90 minutes into Danny (Greenslade) today and a good chunk of game time for James Morton. Joe (Raynes) will be back. He’s had a remarkable couple of days. There’s work to do overall but it does represent a decent start.”
This upcoming fixture will be the 163rd meeting between Bath City and Uxbridge, renewing one of the region’s long-standing football rivalries.