Charlie Binns was controversially sent off during Bath City’s match against Maidstone United, becoming the third different goalkeeper from the team to be red-carded this season. The dismissal came after Binns was judged to have fouled Maidstone’s Deon Moore, resulting in a penalty that Antony Papadopoulos calmly converted. Backup goalkeeper Harvey Wiles-Richards replaced Binns but was unable to prevent Maidstone from extending their lead.
In stoppage time, Riley Court sealed the victory for Maidstone with his first league goal, leaving Bath City to reflect on a tough afternoon.
This season, Bath City has conceded five goals after the 90th minute, given away seven penalties, and suffered four red cards, highlighting a run of challenging moments for the squad—several of which occurred in away matches at Kent.
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Binns was brought back into the lineup, replacing Wiles-Richards who had started in the recent win against Odd Down. Additionally, right-back Jaiden Putman was included on the bench after joining on loan from QPR, providing cover for the suspended Joe Raynes.
Maidstone nearly scored right from kickoff when David Sesay’s early cross found Moore, whose header forced a sharp save from Binns—though the effort was ruled offside.
Binns continued to make important saves, denying Maidstone’s Jon Gilbert from a close-range header after a well-placed cross by Jephte Tanga. Bath City responded with their own promising moves, including a well-coordinated attack involving Dan Greenslade, Matt Bowman, and Mitch Beardmore—but were unable to convert their chances.
The game changed dramatically on the 55th minute. A misplaced pass from Greenslade left Bath City exposed, allowing Papadopoulos to deliver a dangerous ball into the box. Binns fumbled the attempt, and Moore’s tumble led the referee to award a penalty and send off the Bath keeper for a professional foul. This decision forced Bath City to play with ten men and brought Wiles-Richards onto the pitch early.
Papadopoulos, familiar with scoring against Bath, coolly slotted the penalty to give Maidstone the lead. The hosts capitalized on their advantage, hitting the post twice and creating several close chances as Bath City struggled to clear their lines.
Further blows came with injuries to Bath’s Ollie Tomlinson and a head injury to substitute Jordan Alves after a collision. Bath City introduced academy forward Zion Thompson on his league debut, but time was against them.
In added time, Maidstone’s George Fowler released Papadopoulos, who set up Riley Court to score a decisive goal, securing the victory and keeping Maidstone on the edge of the playoff spots.
Bath City remains three points above the relegation zone but leaves the match frustrated by the game-changing red card decision that prevented them from extending their cushion in the league standings.