Match Preview Bath City (A)

The Hamlet take on The Romans in the first league meeting between the sides

The Hamlet make their first long away trip as a National League South side tomorrow as they travel to Twerton Park to take on Bath City.

Dulwich go into the game occupying 17th in the table after taking four points from their opening four fixtures. The latest result was a thrilling 2-2 draw at Chelmsford City on Monday night, with the Hamlet producing a performance of real backbone and grittiness to leave Essex with a share of the spoils, the result of the campaign so far.

Bath have spent nine of the past eleven seasons in the Conference South/National League South, with a couple of years in non-league’s top tier between 2010 and 2012. Last season The Romans finished in 9th position for a second consecutive year, six points behind Braintree Town and Truro City in the playoff places.

The home side kicked off their season with a couple of tricky fixtures at home to last season’s runners-up Dartford, and away to relegated giants Torquay United. Against the Darts, it took just nine minutes for Adam Mann to net their first goal of the campaign, but an equaliser on the stroke of half-time from Elliot Bradbrook and a late penalty from Delano Sam-Yorke saw the visitors leave with the win. That defeat was followed by another three days later at Plainmoor as a solitary Torquay goal in the last time minutes left The Romans in the bottom three.

However, two wins and two clean sheets have followed those losses, the first coming in a 1-0 success at Gary McCann’s Hampton & Richmond Borough courtesy of a strike from former Bristol Rovers player Sean Rigg. These first points were backed up with another win at Twerton Park on Tuesday evening against fellow West Country outfit Gloucester City. Unlike the win against Hampton and Richmond, it would be a comfortable night for the Romans, as two goals before the break from summer signing Ryan Brunt and one in the second half from Ross Stearn earned them a 3-0 victory.

As well as bringing in Brunt from Exeter City, Stearn moved back to the club on a permanent deal from Sutton United, whilst red-hot striker John Mills joined from Hereford after netting 140 goals in just three years for the Bulls as they won three successive league titles. Goalkeeper Ryan Clarke also has Football League experience with Bristol Rovers and Oxford United, whilst defender Robbie Cundy has previously played for both Gloucester and Oxford City.

Whilst tomorrow is the first league encounter between the two sides, they have met once before at Twerton Park in the last 16 of the FA Trophy back in February 1980. Bath were one of the founder members of the Alliance Premier League that year, the prerunner to the Conference, but despite being heavy favourites to reach the quarter finals, goals from Terry Eames, Ossie Bayram and Kimm Connett gave Dulwich an unlikely 3-1 victory and reach the last eight, a feat they have only repeated once since in 2017. Mark Johns scored the Bath goal that day.

Kick off is at 3pm at Twerton Park with admission at £13 for adults, £10 for seniors, £7 for students/under 18s, £2 for under 16s and £25 for a family ticket (2 adults and up to 2 children).