Romans inflict home defeat on Rebels

Slough Town were unable to build on their Emirates FA Cup heroics as they fell to a frustrating 3-2 home defeat against Bath City at Arbour Park.

After taking an early lead through Wiktor Makowski, the Rebels were pegged back just before the break and punished twice in the second half as Bath took advantage of defensive lapses to take all three points. A long-range effort from Jared Myers offered late hope, but the visitors held firm in stoppage time to condemn Slough to a narrow defeat on a night that could easily have gone the other way.

There were three changes from the side that famously beat Altrincham in the FA Cup on Saturday. With Tarik Gidaree sidelined through injury and both Johnny Goddard and Tyrique Clarke moving to the bench, new signings Ansu Janneh and Luke Holness were handed their first starts, while Harvey Walker returned to the line-up.

With several senior players still unavailable, Scott Davies again had to rotate, naming a strong bench that included returning forward Jordan Greenidge alongside Goddard and Ojemen.

Both sides began cautiously, but the opening few minutes hinted at what was to come – Slough looking to play through the lines, Bath trying to exploit space at the back. The visitors created the first real scare on eight minutes when Will Jenkins-Davies met a cross at the far post but could only glance his header into the side netting.

Slough responded in perfect fashion. A patient move on the right saw quick one-touch passing between Luke Holness and Jared Myers, the latter playing a low ball across to Makowski. The Polish forward made no mistake, sweeping a first-time finish low beyond Harvey Wiles-Richards to give Slough the lead on 13 minutes.

The goal lifted the hosts, with Harvey Walker and Jaiden Drakes-Thomas causing problems down the flanks. Walker almost doubled the lead soon after when his cross-shot forced Wiles-Richards to parry under pressure.

Bath, though, remained dangerous on the counter. A series of set-pieces kept Slough’s back line on alert, and after a brief stoppage for an injury to a visiting player, the Romans almost profited from a misplaced pass by Dan Roth, only for Desbois to gather bravely at the feet of Ash.

Slough’s new-look attack showed some promise. Debutant Holness, full of running, lashed a shot over the bar after a loose ball fell kindly to him, while Myers almost turned provider when his low cross flashed across the six-yard box with no one able to apply the finishing touch.

It looked as though the Rebels would take their slender lead into the interval, but deep into first-half stoppage time Bath were awarded a free-kick some 30 yards out. Jenkins-Davies struck it beautifully, curling around the wall and into the corner past Desbois’ despairing dive - though Slough will be disappointed that the defensive wall failed to stand firm.

If conceding late in the first half was a setback, the start of the second period proved even more damaging. Bath came out revitalised and forced a succession of corners straight from kick-off. From the third delivery, Ollie Tomlinson rose highest to nod the ball back across goal, where Jake Tabor was on hand to bundle home from close range.

The goal left Slough momentarily shell-shocked. Bath pressed forward with confidence, repeatedly testing the Rebels’ reshuffled defence. Desbois made a smart save to push away a curling effort from distance, but the warning signs were there.

Davies introduced Johnny Goddard shortly before the hour mark in place of Holness, seeking a creative spark, but within minutes Bath struck again. Persistent work from Tabor down the left saw the ball ricochet kindly to Brad Ash, who drilled low into the bottom corner to make it 3-1. The Rebels suddenly had a mountain to climb.

To their credit, Slough refused to fold. They threw men forward and the response came on 70 minutes, when Jared Myers collected the ball 25 yards out and unleashed a speculative shot that seemed comfortable for Wiles-Richards, only for the Bath goalkeeper to misjudge the flight and allow it to squirm under his body and over the line.

That lifeline injected fresh energy into the home side. Davies introduced Kiki Oshilaja for Reiss Greenidge, and later Jordan Greenidge and Tyrique Clarke for Janneh and Walker, as Slough chased an equaliser.

The Rebels pushed Bath deep into their own half for the closing stages. Clarke went close when he fired wide after a knock-down from Greenidge, while Goddard almost levelled on 88 minutes when he raced clear from Jordan Greenidge’s flick-on – only for Wiles-Richards to redeem himself with a superb save, and Parselle’s attempted clearance nearly found his own net.

Nine minutes of additional time were shown, and even goalkeeper Adam Desbois joined the attack for a final set piece. The drama peaked when Desbois appeared to be kicked on the edge of the area as he attempted to control a loose ball, only for the referee to award the free-kick the other way – to the disbelief of the home support.

Bath held on through the remaining seconds to claim a hard-fought win, while Slough were left to reflect on what might have been.

It was a night of frustration for the Rebels, who will now need to channel the disappointment of this result into renewed focus as they prepare for the upcoming fixtures.