Bath City 1
(Frear 10′)
United 0
A solitary Bath City goal saw United slip to defeat at Twerton Park on Saturday afternoon.
A single goal from Bath City’s Elliot Frear in the tenth minute was enough to separate the two sides in a tight game in Somerset, as the hosts boosted their Play-Off chances, and left United still needing points with two games to go.
United Interim Manager Aaron Downes made one change to the starting line up, as Ethon Archer replaced Duane Ofori-Acheampong, with youngster Jacob Wellington coming in on the bench in the only other change.
With both teams needing the points for different reason, the game began in a cagey & nervy way with both sides cancelling each other out, though on five minutes it was Ethon Archer who broke into the Romans penalty area, but his touch let him down and Will Buse in the Bath goal claimed the ball easily.
Bath then started to play the ball around with more conviction and on ten minutes they made the breakthrough, as Scott Wilson got into the United box and his cross was met by the unmarked Elliot Frear at the back post, who volleyed it past Mark Halstead at his near post and the hosts led.
Following going behind United responded well by have some spells of possession and moved the ball around well, with Archer again the threat in the 28th minute, as he cut one way then the other before his cross into the box was gathered just in time by Buse as Brad Ash came running in.
United continued to come forward with Arkell Jude-Boyd the next to try, but his shot from outside the box in the 34th minute was to direst and went straight into the arms of the Bath shot stopper. The 42nd minute saw Archer again twist and turn to create space, but like Jude-Boyd’s shot before it was too direct from outside the box and was claimed safely by Buse. That was the last action of the first half and United went in at the break trailing to that Frear goal.
United started the second half, but it was the hosts who were having the best of the opening encounters, before in the 53rd minute Batton was yellow carded for a foul in a good position giving Brett McGavin a chance at goal, which despite curling it around the wall it was low and the Romans keeper saved it into his chest.
Bath will feel they should’ve doubled their lead in the 59th minute as Wilson, Hayfield & Cooke combined, but Cooke got underneath his shot in the area and it sailed over Halstead’s crossbar. Despite starting to have lots of the play United were struggling to create any clear cut chances, as in the 62nd minute Dean Moxey and McGavin linked up down the left side, but with Asa Hall in the area the cross failed to reach him and the chance passed.
Hall’s challenge on Frear saw him into the referee’s book on 62 minutes, with the game now having a pattern of United having lots of the ball, but being unable to create that clear chance to really test Buse. Ash also found himself in the referee’s book in the 80th minute, before in the 82nd minute Aaron Downes decided to change things slightly as he brought on Austen Booth, allowing Hall to provide a target up the top.
Torquay huffed and puffed without creating until the second minute of five added on at the end of the match, as Ash thought he had got the equaliser, when he got the ball out on the right and got himself in the area before fizzing a shot across the Bath goal, which Buse managed to get the slightest of touches on and behind for a corner.
With that being the final action of the game the final whistle brought defeat, and with other results meant United still had points to get before safety could be confirmed.
BATH: 1. Will Buse, 3. Dan Greenslade, 4. Jordan Dyer, 5. Jack Batten, 6. Kieran Parselle (c), 8. Dan Hayfield, 9. Cody Cooke, 10. Tom Smith, 11. Elliot Frear, 17. Scott Wilson. 21. Ephriah Yeboah ( 7. Ewan Clark 61′).
SUBS NOT USED: 2. Joe Raynes, 12. Duncan Idehen, 20. Isaac Vassell, 23. James Alabi.
Yellow Cards: Yeboah 39′, Batten 52′, Smith 71′, Wilson 82′.
UNITED: 1. Mark Halstead, 2. Arkell Jude-Boyd, 4. Tom Lapslie, 8. Asa Hall (c), 11. Brad Ash, 14. Brett McGavin ( 5. Austen Booth 82′), 18. Will Jenkins Davies, 21. Dean Moxey, 23. Ollie Tomlinson, 27. Jack Stobbs, 30. Ethon Archer.
SUBS NOT USED: 22. Rhys Lovett, 24. Calum Thomas, 34. Jacob Wellington.
Yellow Cards: Hall 62′, Ash 80′.
Attendance: 2,772