Bath City 1 Sutton United 3
Among the reasons why the trip to Bath is a favourite with their supporters is that Sutton have an excellent record at Twerton Park, at least in league games, and that continued on Saturday with an impressive performance that inflicted Bath's first home league defeat of the season.
Without the suspended centre back pairing of Simon Downer and Jamie Collins U's gave a first league start this season to Louis John, who made an inauspicious start as he conceded the penalty that instantly wiped out Ross Stearn's opener, but grew in to the game alongside Dean Beckwith and held firm during a second half when U's found themselves under pressure and, for the last fifteen minutes, a man short after substitute Dan Wishart had been sent off for denying Andy Watkins a goalscoring opportunity.
On his return to his former club the in-form Stearn took just five minutes to make an impact, turning inside having received a throw-in on the left and curling a shot through a crowded penalty area and in to the far corner of the net, but the home side replied immediately, the ball breaking in to the penalty area from the right as they appealed for a foul on Watkins, and Frankie Artus nipping in front of John so that the defender's boot made contact with him rather than the ball as he tried to clear.
Artus converted the penalty, but it was his last meaningful contribution as he limped off shortly afterwards. There was little to choose between the sides in the spell following the goal as an open game unfolded, but U's went back in front when Dan Fitchett did well to get the better of home skipper Andy Gallinagh on the right, cut in and then slipped a square pass to the onrushing Craig Eastmond, who surged between two defenders before slotting the ball past Steve Phillips. Worse could have followed for Bath, with midfielder Brad Williams grateful for some leniency from referee Adam Ricketts when he fouled Dan Spence moments after being booked for a challenge on Kevin Amankwaah, and with U's always dangerous on the counter attack Craig McAllister saw a shot blocked by Gallinagh and, on the stroke of half time, a miskick by Dan Bowman allowed Tom Bolarinwa to race clear, but his powerful shot was well saved by Phillips.
The second half saw U's on the back foot as Bath began strongly, and U's were indebted to Ross Worner for a brilliant save as he dived to his right to keep out a close range shot from the dangerous Watkins, and another good one as he kept Dave Pratt's shot out with his legs in a goalmouth scramble. U's then had to make a change when Spence limped off with a twisted knee, Wishart coming on in the left back position, but within three minutes they had given themselves the cushion of a two goal lead.
ath were appealing for a free kick as Dan Ball went over dramatically under a challenge from Bedsente Gomis, but the well placed referee was having none of it, and as the home side momentarily switched off Amankwaah launched the ball forward for McAllister, captaining the side in Jamie Collins' absence and celebrating by keeping ahead of Matt Coupe and coolly lifting the ball over the advancing Phillips.
Still dangerous on the break U's might have had more as Stearn grazed the angle of post and bar from 25 yards and Bolarinwa shot over after bursting through to the edge of the area, but they suffered a blow with fifteen minutes to go when a ricochet in midfield left Watkins with what would have been a clear run on goal until Wishart nudged him over and picked up U's fifth red card of the season.
Shaun Cooper became the third player to fill the left back role during the game, Stearn receiving warm applause from both sets of supporters as he made way, and Wishart was soon joined in the dressing room by Ian Baird after the referee took a dim view of him tossing the ball away as Ball came to collect it for a throw-in by the Sutton dug-out.
There was plenty of defending for the ten men to do, with Bath having plenty of men forward, and they may have had a couple of strokes of luck as Pratt drilled the ball in to the net only to see the assistant's flag up for offside when the ball had come a very long way before reaching the Bath striker, who looked to have run through, and then the ball seemed to strike the raised arm of substitute Craig Dundas in a goalmouth scramble, although any award would have been based on the position of the arm rather than any intent. Otherwise U's held impressively firm, and are one of nine clubs within six points of each other behind leaders Ebbsfleet.
Bath: S Phillips, D Bowman, A Gallinagh, M Coupe(sub D Barrow 84), D Ball, B Williams(sub N McCootie 56), A Kington, B Adelsbury, D Pratt, A Watkins, F Artus(sub C Hemmings 11). Subs n/u L Perry, J Barrington. Goal: Artus(7 pen). Booked: Williams(29-foul), Ball(81-dissent).
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