AFC Totton (2) 2 Bath City (1) 1 – Tuesday 14 April 2026 – Enterprise National League South – Snows Stadium
Match Report by Mark Stillman.
Bath City were relegated from National League South after a midweek loss at AFC Totton.
Stunning goals from Ashley Clarke and Christie Ward ultimately consigned City to their fate as their first visit to the Snows Stadium was an unhappy one.
Alex Fisher’s free-kick pulled one back for the Romans during a manic first half.
But they couldn’t find the further goals needed to win and take their survival bid to another game, ending their 14-year stay in Step 2.
Scott Bartlett fielded an unchanged line-up in Hampshire and they nearly made an identical start to Saturday’s win against Chesham United.
With 41 seconds played, Fisher found himself one-on-one when Scott Wilson headed into his path, but from a tough angle he lofted over the advancing Ryan Gosney.
Totton punished them by scoring with their first attack.
Having picked up the ball up from Alfie Merritt, Clarke leathered home from 30 yards, a shot which zoomed just under Harvey Wiles-Richards’ crossbar like an Exocet missile.
It was the 18th away league game running the Romans had conceded, an unwanted National League South record for them.
City thought they had levelled on the quarter hour.
Donovan Wilson span into space on halfway and threaded through to Scott Wilson.
With defenders coming back, City’s number nine touched the ball around the grounded Gosney and helped the ball towards goal where stand-in centre-back Jacob Towns recovered to miraculously clear.
Despite protests, assistant Tom Farlow kept his flag down.
Within two minutes, Totton made it 2-0.
Jaiden Putman could only partially clear Malachi Linton’s deflected ball to Ward, who set himself before his arrowed finish from 25 yards was placed to perfection, giving Wiles-Richards no chance.
It already gave City a mountain to climb – AFC Totton had not lost a home league game scoring first since September 2018.
Tyler Cordner acrobatically fired wide for the mid-table hosts when Ollie Tomlinson inadvertently headed the ball inside following a corner, before City replied with a touch of fortune.
Donovan Wilson was held to the ground by Towns, gifting a free-kick 20 yards out.
Fisher stepped up and appeared to misconnect, though his luck was in as the wall jumped and the ball flew underneath to leave Gosney helpless.
Like Saturday, it had been a breathless first half, and City kept up the tempo following the restart.
Joe Raynes, on his 250th league appearance, saw his goalbound effort blocked by the flying Tony Lee.
Goalkeeper Gosney came to Totton’s rescue on 55 minutes. Donovan Wilson’s smart lay-off saw Scott Wilson’s effort brilliantly palmed away by the home stopper when it looked destined for the bottom right corner.
Wiles-Richards performed similar heroics five minutes later, batting away Cordner’s well-placed header.
Scott Bartlett rolled the dice, introducing Matt Bowman and Jordan Alves for Fisher and Putman.
It came close to an instant impact. Bowman’s firm challenge in midfield initially set the wheels in motion before Owen Windsor brilliantly picked out Alves in room wide right.
The winger initially controlled well before going down under pressure from a combination of Cordner and Merritt, with referee Said Ouchene not interested, later cautioning Alves for his continued protests.
Wiles-Richards did enough to deny Lee as the home side threatened to put the game to bed, with 39-year-old interim player manager Scott Rendell introducing himself in attack.
They didn’t add another but despite plenty of huffing and puffing in their 18th game in two months, the Romans’ race was run in the match, and in their survival bid.
While it would have taken a near miracle to survive, the players’ dejection at the end was evident as City will now prepare for life in Southern Premier South for the first time since 2007.
Att: tbc
City’s Line-Up: Wiles-Richards, Raynes, Greenslade, Tomlinson, Parselle (c), S Wilson, Fisher (Bowman 68), Windsor, Putman (Alves 68), D Wilson, Laqeretabua. Subs not used: Ash, Sweeten, Pritchard, Binns, Sheppard.
Scorers: City – Fisher (34); Totton – Clarke (4), Ward (17)
City Bookings: Laqeretabua (48), Alves (77), Windsor (78)
Officials: S Ouchene, T Copping, T Farlow, D Laing (4th)
