Bath City (0) 1 Dover Athletic (0) 2 – Saturday 16 August 2025 – Enterprise National League South – Cannon Clarke Stadium @ Twerton Park
Match Report by Mark Stillman.
Wasteful Bath City were made to pay as they suffered defeat at home to newly promoted Dover Athletic.
Second half goals from Ruben Soares-Junior and Francis Mampolo were enough for the Kent outfit as they punished City for their profligacy.
Substitute Alex Fisher eventually pulled one back for the hosts as they largely dominated.
City hit the upright twice and had one cleared off the line among their countless opportunities while the clinical visitors made the most of theirs.
Darren Way named an unchanged side which meant cousins Joe Raynes and Harvey Wiles-Richards marked their 250th appearance in all competitions and 50th league outing respectively.
The off-balance Scott Wilson nodded Kieran Parselle’s header across goal wide before Raynes nearly marked his milestone with a rare goal, though was left frustrated by Mitch Walker tipping low around his left post after Jenkins Davies had laid into the wing-back’s path.
Luke Russe’s shot on the turn flew agonisingly wide after Wilson’s persistence created the opening.
Jenkins Davies’ telling cross from the right located Ewan Clark, but he tamely shot against the advancing Walker.
Wilson dragged a yard wide after Jacob Mensah lost sight of Jack Batten’s clearance, before
Clark slotted home but long after the whistle had gone for a foul by Wilson on Mensah.
Dover’s only effort on goal in the first half saw Luca Cocoracchio blaze over from distance but their first opening after the break saw them stun the Cannon Clarke Stadium @ Twerton Park with an opener.
Mampolo cut inside of Ollie Tomlinson and his floated cross was superbly glanced in by the head of Soares-Junior from six yards.
City reacted positively with Jenkins Davies getting the better of Cocoracchio before shooting against the legs of Walker at his near post with team-mates pleading for a pull-back.
Walker was left thanking his defence on the hour as a combination of luck and good fortune kept their lead intact.
Clark’s clever reverse ball allowed Raynes to play it back for Russe, whose firm strike was blocked on the line by the perfectly placed Jalen Jones.
Within a minute Dover extended their lead. Walker, part of the Dover side that last suffered defeat against City in a 2015 FA Trophy tie, saw his drop-kick bypass the stretching Russe and Mampolo effortlessly dinked over Wiles-Richards.
Way immediately made a triple change and one of those introduced, Brad Ash, cannoned against the underside of the bar from a tight angle.
Raynes struck the outside of the post as the realisation that it wasn’t to be the Romans’ day continued.
They were given a bit of hope with 10 minutes remaining.
Fisher collected the ball from Ash and found Jenkins Davies in room on the right.
His delicate ball in was deftly tucked away by Fisher, just inside Walker’s right post.
Cocoracchio’s vital interception nicked the ball away from Jenkins Davies, summing up the visitors’ strong rearguard in the closing stages.
They coped through seven minutes added on and a flurry of corners and long throws to clinch three points, leaving the hosts deflated.
Att: 976
City’s Line-Up: Wiles-Richards, Raynes, Greenslade, Tomlinson (Matthews 90+6), Batten (Ash 63), Parselle (c), Jenkins Davies, Wilson (Fisher 63), Clark (Beardmore 63), Tillson, Russe. Subs not used: Horsell, Sweeten.
Scorers: City – Fisher (80); Dover – Soares Jr (49), Mampolo (61)
City Bookings: Batten (53)
Officials: S Read, B Williamson, I Blakey, N Wormleighton (4th)