Bath City (H)

[HamptonMad]

Start the car lets get out of here. Get well Big Rich

[Josh2002]

Absolute sickener. After sending my last message we played brilliantly, and grabbed a somewhat fortuitous equaliser when NPL’s cross-cum-shot went in. We were in total control and had plenty of chances to grab a winner, but Bath struck in injury with an unbelievable goal from the edge of the box. A very tough one to take, and to add insult to injury, Luke Ruddick was sent off after the whistle. As a positive side note, the atmosphere in the terrace was brilliant the best at The Bev for a long time, not normally a fan of drums but the young lads using it today really contributed to a good atmosphere, so hopefully that continues!

[Big Rich]

Start the car lets get out of here. Get well Big Rich

Thanks HM I will be back on 2nd Dec for Totton.

[Big Rich]

Absolute sickener. After sending my last message we played brilliantly, and grabbed a somewhat fortuitous equaliser when NPL’s cross-cum-shot went in. We were in total control and had plenty of chances to grab a winner, but Bath struck in injury with an unbelievable goal from the edge of the box. A very tough one to take, and to add insult to injury, Luke Ruddick was sent off after the whistle. As a positive side note, the atmosphere in the terrace was brilliant the best at The Bev for a long time, not normally a fan of drums but the young lads using it today really contributed to a good atmosphere, so hopefully that continues!

Good to hear that the atmosphere was lively Josh.

[Tony]

Not sure I agree that we played brilliantly at any point in the game. However, we didn't deserve to lose like that, one of a couple of moments of brilliance in an otherwise poor quality match. Neither side had a passing game. After going backwards and sideways at Leatherhead for long periods, today we seemed to be in an unseemly hurry to get the ball forward at every opportunity but most passes went astray and as a result few chances were created by either side from open play. What chances there were came from corners where both sides came close, Rodari hitting the post early on and then clearing a header off his own line. I would say we edged the first half marginally but not much between the teams.And at the start of the second half, it was a corner that gave Bath their first goal, Rowley making an error parrying the ball onto the head of Parselle to convert from close range. It took us a while to get anything going until Paul-Lavaly was introduced from the bench. His equaliser was pure improvisation. Faced with a wall of three defenders in front of him, he scooped a shot into the far top corner of the goal and at that point we had the momentum to go on and win it. Or so it seemed. Massey was denied by the Bath keeper on two occasions but Bath also spurned an excellent chance as the game became more stretched. The winner came deep into added time. A free kick was headed away but it fell to Tillson on the half volley and his curling shot with the outside of his foot found the net with Rowley having no chance. Too late to respond. A draw would have been a fair reflection on the game. The defeat leaves us still hovering outside the drop zone. At least we seem to have most of the squad available for the first time in a long while but we need to improve our quality in open play.

[Sparky]

Oh boy, I think we are in trouble. The days of Alfie Tuck putting his foot on the ball and feeding runners seem to be long gone, yet that was only a couple of months ago.

Now we sit deep, and as soon as we win the ball back pump it forward as quickly as possible. It’s Mel Gwinnett 2.0. Except that at least in those days we had big Dan and Luis to go up and dominate set pieces.

I know long-ball tactics are coming back in fashion in some coaching quarters, but no point going for high-paced long ball football if your squad haven’t got the skill to deliver it with precision.

Only person to come out of it with credit was Nate, not just because of his wonder goal, but because as soon as he came on, he took the responsibility of getting on the ball and going at their defence.

[Tony]

Manager’s post match comments suggest we might have won that four or five nil on another day and that we dominated the game. Just can’t see it myself. I doubt the Bath manager will see it that way.

[Lord Elpus]

Admittedly I couldn't get there until half time today and from what I saw I thought a draw might have been a fair result. But to hear that Jules thought we dominated the game and could have won 4 or 5-0 is actually a bit worrying. We really didn't dominate and there was only ever going to be one goal in it. Great to see Nate back though...he gives us a raw unpredictability that is hard for the opposition to read.

[TW3 Beaver]

No way did we deserve to lose that game, and we did so only by a mistake from Matt Rowley and a fluke of shot that flew in with assistance from the wind.
Those that are not agreeing with Jules' post match comments, saying we could have won 4 or 5-0, on another day obviously didn't see the chance we had in the first half that hit the post, the great save from their keeper, and the three or four other saves he made.
Maybe 4 or 5-0 is pushing it, as was the dominating the game comment, but we certainly dominated the first half.
NPL made a difference when he came on, and was willing to take people on.
A couple of important games coming up, aren't they all?
Tonbridge (H) One win in ten, at their local rivals Maidstone, and they lost at bottom of the table Chippenham today.
Eastbourne Borough (A) who lost 7-0 at Torquay this afternoon.

[Tony]

And yet we’ve only scored four or more once this season and that was against lower league opposition. Football just doesn’t work like that. It assumes all your shots go in and all of theirs miss or get saved. Keepers are there to do a job and saving good shots is one of them. Bath could argue that all their efforts could have gone in and they could have been four nil up. That would have been a totally different game and one that also didn’t happen. Equally games aren’t decided on balance of play. Random things happen that you can’t control and that’s why sport has its appeal. Can be very frustrating when it goes against you in the 93rd minute but we’ve also benefited from some late winners.

[Tony]

Perhaps not surprisingly, the Bath manager thought they deserved the win and that their winner was not a fluke.