Basingstoke Town (1) 1 Bath City (1) 1 – Saturday 22 August 2026 – Southern League Premier South – Winklebury Football Complex
Match Report by Mark Stillman.
Bath City remain unbeaten after four games despite being pegged back by Basingstoke Town.
Harry Parsons fired Scott Bartlett’s side ahead but it was quickly cancelled out by Tom Blake.
Miles Obodo missed a glorious chance to win it for the hosts late on in a scrappy second half. Alex Fisher made his return to competitive football following a u-turn on his summer retirement.
The experienced attacker was on the bench as Bartlett made three changes which included Seweryn Streczen rewarded with his first league start, while Joe Raynes missed out after his wife gave birth to their first child on the morning of the game.
Raynes’ absence meant Jordan Tillson took on the captain’s armband and Ollie Chamberlain was re-positioned to right back, having to contend with lively winger Jeremiah Okine-Peters.
The former Reading youngster was presented with an opening on eight minutes when Obodo cleverly flicked the ball into his path. Okine-Peters found a way past Chamberlain but Kieran Parselle roared across to slide in the way, risking burns from the 3G surface to keep the score goalless.
Louis McGrory shot too close on the turn to Harvey Wiles-Richards with Enzio Boldewijn also drawing a comfortable save from Simon Grant with a shot through the legs of Billy Upton.
Christos Papakonstantinou hammered over from 20 yards and Okine-Peters’ devilish ball across the box somehow bypassed everyone as City breathed a sigh of relief.
The Romans weren’t as profligate when they were gifted possession for their opening goal.
Grant’s terrible pass from his goal was helped back inside by Streczen to Parsons, positioned just outside the penalty box.
He made half a yard away from Upton and beautifully curled into the bottom left corner for his second goal in two away games.
The lead lasted almost exactly four minutes.
Obodo somehow fed the ball to McGrory when grounded, and his disguised pass outwitted the City defence, leaving former University of Bath student Blake to slam past Wiles-Richards from 10 yards.
Reuben Reid nearly scrambled home from James Morton’s initial free-kick after Ollie Tomlinson kept the ball alive, and Parsons slashed over to end an eventful opening 45.
The standard dipped after the break as neither side enjoyed long spells of possession with chances few and far between.
Wiles-Richards was the most alert City player to a well-worked free-kick routine when Papakonstantinou’s exquisite flick left Okine-Peters with an opening, but the City keeper spread himself to stop further harm on his goal.
Fisher and Scott Wilson were introduced just past the hour for Parsons and Streczen to freshen up the Romans attack.
Morton slipped Fisher through but a late offside flag denied him along with a flying stop from Grant regardless.
Wiles-Richards’ outstretched leg kept out Papakonstantinou and he was fortunate to not be troubled from a 90th minute breakaway.
Obodo’s turn and pass in his own half deflected off referee Ben Maskery, straight into Obodo’s path.
With City players demanding the game should be stopped, D’Andre Brown skipped into room on the right and his teasing delivery saw Finn Evans fail to connect before Obodo behind him sliced off target.
Casey Bocarro’s last-ditch challenge thwarted Wilson with Fisher blazing the loose ball over as both sides had to be content with a point, a fair outcome in the Hampshire heat.
Att 725
City’s Line-Up: Wiles-Richards, Greenslade, Tomlinson, Parselle, Boldewijn (Windsor 73), Morton, Chamberlain, Tillson (c), Reid, Parsons (Fisher 62), Streczyn (S Wilson 62). Subs not used: Batten, Bowman.
Scorers: City – Parsons (24); Basingstoke – Blake (28)
City Bookings: Boldewijn (56), Fisher (88)
Officials: B Maskery, S Hawkes, S Elson