Bath City (0) 0 Slough Town (0) 1 – Tuesday 3 March 2026 – Enterprise National League South – Cannon Clarke Stadium @ Twerton Park
Match Report by Mark Stillman.
Wiktor Makowski capitalised on a mix-up late on to inflict a damaging defeat on Bath City.
Slough’s top scorer took full advantage of hesitation between Charlie Binns and Kieran Parselle to loft in the only goal of the game.
Ruebin Sheppard hit the bar in added time as City pushed for a leveller.
But on a night where they lost strikers Donovan Wilson and Alex Fisher to injury, a third straight home blank saw them come unstuck and remain in the bottom four.
City arrived with seven players unavailable while Slough were similarly ravaged by a stack of absentees, including goalkeeper Adam Desbois who departed on the eve of the match.
It meant a debut for Watford loanee Alfie Marriott and his first involvement was to easily hold Jordan Alves’ daisy cutter inside five minutes.
Another Slough debutant, Erion Zabeli, combined with Harvey Walker down the right before the latter’s stinging drive was repelled by Binns at his near post.
Wilson’s evening was up inside 15 minutes as he hobbled off with a hamstring injury. Within a minute of his departure, his strike partner was denied an opener.
Dan Greenslade’s free-kick was flicked on by substitute Luke Skinner to Fisher, who span and shot low forcing Marriott to flick it inches around his right post.
It was the closest City came to a first half breakthrough. In response, Johnny Goddard miskicked when well placed with Tarik Gidaree wildly slashing the loose ball over from 18 yards.
The Romans’ problems going forward were summed up two minutes before the break.
Skinner charged forward on a counter and perfectly played in Alves to his left.
Having sprinted some 50 yards to support him, Alves’ first touch was woeful, over-hitting it straight to Marriott when he should have got a shot away.
Chances were more at a premium second half and it became clear early that only one goal would be enough for either.
Slough spurned a decent opening just past the hour. Walker jinked his way past Greenslade and his fizzer was parried by Binns straight to substitute Tyrique Clarke, who lost all composure and blazed over from 10 yards.
Fisher’s evening was up soon after. Sprinting back to try and deal with a Slough break, he pulled up before Jaiden Drakes-Thomas’ strike deflected kindly into Binns’ hands.
The contest appeared to be petering out into a goalless affair before a shocking defensive lapse gifted three points to the visitors.
Dan Roth’s ball over the top bypassed Parselle with Makowski in close quarters. With Binns needlessly advancing from his goal, Makowski took full advantage by flicking the ball over the stranded stopper from 18 yards for his 18th of the season.
An already irritated home faithful were further frustrated when almost straight from the restart Mitch Beardmore walloped miles over from 35 yards.
He was swiftly replaced by Sheppard with Joel Sullivan also on for Greenslade for the final five minutes of normal time.
Six minutes were added on and it seemed to spark some urgency into City’s attacking play, largely from set-pieces.
Sheppard was desperately unlucky not to level when he turned on the edge of the box and curled against the angle of post and crossbar.
Binns was sent forward, trying to replicate his distraction which led to a 97th minute draw against Ebbsfleet two weeks previous.
It nearly paid off. After Skinner’s shot was deflected behind for a corner, Sheppard’s follow-up delivery saw Binns’ aerial challenge lead to the ball landing to Moses Alexander-Walker.
With a crowd of bodies in his way, the substitute’s shot made it through most but not the perfectly placed Goddard on the line, who kept it out with Sullivan’s follow-up grasped gleefully by Marriott.
The final whistle promptly followed, leading him to celebrate a clean sheet on debut as City failed to score for an astonishing 23rd time since the start of 2025, and eighth time at home this season.
Coupled with Farnborough’s draw at Neil Warnock’s Torquay United, it leaves them two points adrift of safety.
Att: 744
City’s Line-Up: Binns, Raynes, Greenslade (Sullivan 85), Parselle (c), Alves, Fisher (Alexander-Walker 69), Tillson, Beardmore (Sheppard 85), Bowman, Putman, D Wilson (Skinner 15). Sub not used: Horsell.
Scorers: City – none; Slough – Makowski (82)
City Bookings: Greenslade (45), Parselle (75), Tillson (86)
Officials: R Wharton, Z Demetriades, J Woolley, M Terry (4th)
