Bath City’s relegation worries deepened after a narrow 1-0 home defeat to Slough Town, leaving them stuck in the bottom four. The visitors’ top scorer, Wiktor Makowski, capitalized on a late defensive error to score the only goal, exploiting hesitation between defenders Charlie Binns and Kieran Parselle with a deft lob over the advancing goalkeeper.
Despite pressing hard in the closing stages, including a fierce strike off the bar from Ruebin Sheppard in added time, Bath failed to find an equalizer. The result was particularly damaging as Bath were without key forwards Donovan Wilson and Alex Fisher, both forced off with injuries during the match. This marked Bath City’s third consecutive home game without scoring.
Both sides faced numerous absences heading into the game, including Slough losing goalkeeper Adam Desbois just before kickoff. This led to debuts for Watford loanee Alfie Marriott, who impressed with several early saves, and Erion Zabeli for Slough.
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Bath’s offensive frustrations were evident throughout. Close chances came early, including Luke Skinner’s assist to Fisher whose low shot was expertly saved by Marriott. The Romans’ attack struggled to break through, missing opportunities from promising positions, notably when Jordan Alves overcontrolled a pass during a rare counterattack.
Slough also missed key chances, including a glaring miss from substitute Tyrique Clarke in the second half. Fisher’s injury compounded Bath’s attacking woes as he limped off late in the game while chasing a counterattack.
The decisive moment arrived late when Dan Roth’s perfectly weighted ball found Makowski behind the defense. With Binns off his line, Makowski deftly chipped the ball into the net for his 18th league goal, securing all three points for Slough.
As Bath pushed forward desperately in the final minutes, Sheppard’s curling shot struck the post, and Binns’ late aerial effort was cleared in a crowded goalmouth scramble. Despite a flurry of set-piece attempts, Bath could not break through.
The defeat leaves Bath City two points from safety after Farnborough managed a draw elsewhere. Manager Darren Way lamented the team’s ongoing goal drought, highlighting the need for players to take more responsibility and improve composure in front of goal. With just a handful of wins left to avoid relegation, Way remains determined to battle on.
“We’re constantly under pressure when we don’t score,” Way said. “We need better quality in the box and more well-timed runs. Small margins have cost us all season, but we will regroup and fight for every point. The season isn’t over yet.”