Bath City Women (0) 4 Paulton Rovers Ladies (2) 2 – Sunday 23 August 2026
Women’s FA Cup Preliminary Round – Cannon Clarke Stadium @ Twerton Park
Match Report by Mark Stillman.
Bath City Women recovered from 2-0 down to progress in the FA Cup.
Matt Abreu’s side were staring at their fourth exit in the competition at the first hurdle after Aimee Michell and Lydia Kerton put Paulton 2-0 up at half-time.
But a tactical tweak just past the hour worked perfectly as a quickfire Maddy Brown brace got City back on level terms.
Debutant Tia Mahadevan added two more to send City into the first qualifying round and an away tie at Pen Mill Ladies.
The hosts settled into the game nicely and enjoyed a lot of possession in the first 10 minutes without seriously troubling Emily Quinn.
In contrast, opposite number Lucy Clay’s first main involvement was to pick the ball out of the back of the net.
Alisha Stuart’s brilliant turn and pass found Kerton, whose hanging cross came off the inside of the post.
Michell reacted the quickest to control and rifle into the roof of the net from close range to stun the home side.
Beth Edwards nearly replied instantly as her low free-kick beat the wall but crept past the post.
Clay held Kerton’s effort well low to her right but had a moment to forget as the same player put the visitors 2-0 up.
Her attempted pass to Evans was short and Kerton pounced before squeezing the ball through Clay’s body at the near post to put Paulton in dreamland.
The final action of the half saw Quinn do just enough to stop Brown’s corner curling straight in.
Brown lofted over after the break when Mahadevan teed her up and Tianna Allen did well to prevent Brooke Steventon-Smith a tap-in from Brown’s centre.
With just over an hour played and little more threat on Quinn’s goal, City reverted to a back three with Sophie Storey on in midfield ahead of debutant defender Georgia Dawson.
It paid off almost instantly. Steventon-Smith’s ball from the right wing didn’t beat Kelsey Woodland, but her poor clearance was easily read by Brown who quickly returned with interest, shooting low past the out-of-position Quinn.
Confidence was evident for Abreu’s side and it was further boosted with a controversial leveller.
Bex Fry’s ball over the top was expertly flicked on by Mahadevan to Brown, who appeared a yard offside.
The flag stayed down and the attacker kept her composure to sidestep inside of Alice Dwyer and drill past Quinn.
Within two minutes City were ahead.
Edwards spread the ball to Steventon-Smith on the right and she picked out Mahadevan, who turned and shot in an instant to give Quinn no chance.
Allen shanked over having won the ball high up the pitch in Paulton’s best chance to take the tie to penalties as the reshaped City tried to make the game safe during lengthy added time.
Tara Taylor spurned a terrific opportunity just past the 90. Having raced clear from Evans’ measured ball, she shot too close to Quinn at her near post.
Luckily for her progression was rubber-stamped three minutes later when Fry’s floated free-kick was spilled by Quinn and Mahadevan poked home from a yard out and ease any lingering nerves.
City’s Line-Up: Clay; Taylor, Gray, Dawson (Storey 63), Evans; Bloomfield (Davis 90+7), Fry; Steventon-Smith, Edwards (Wright 90+8), Brown (Key 80); Sabic (Mahadevan 90+4).
Scorers: City – Brown (66, 72), Mahadevan (74, 90+4); Paulton Rovers Ladies – Michell (11), Kerton (38)
Referee: Dave Trevaskus