Hornchurch (1) 3 Bath City (1) 2 – Saturday 18 October 2025 – Enterprise National League South – Hornchurch Stadium
Match report by Mark Stillman.
Darren McQueen’s 97th minute penalty saw Bath City edged out in a dramatic finale at Hornchurch.
Will Jenkins Davies’ spot kick, seconds into added time, looked to have rescued a point for the Romans before McQueen’s last gasp effort.
Brad Ash had put City ahead in the first half, quickly cancelled out by Henry Hearn.
Charlie Ruff nodded Hornchurch in front before the late drama saw Daryl McMahon’s charges eventually prevail.
The hosts topped the National League South table and went into Saturday as one of three unbeaten teams in England in the top six divisions.
They showed why in the early stages as Angelo Balanta, who formerly worked under Darren Way at Yeovil, saw his curler superbly tipped around the post by Harvey Wiles-Richards.
Balanta’s next effort whistled just wide and Hearn’s header was well plucked out the air from Wiles-Richards in the Urchins’ third chance inside the opening quarter hour.
City stayed in the game and took the lead midway through the first half with a goal straight from the training ground.
Jenkins Davies’ corner was dummied by Kieran Parselle for Ash, who stroked home from 12 yards past the unsighted Arthur Nasta.
Hornchurch nearly levelled immediately when Hearn reacted quickest to Balanta’s volley back into the area, his effort deflected over from close range.
He wasn’t to be denied on the half hour.
Chasing Josh Rees’ hopeful ball from the back, Hearn created half a yard past Ollie Tomlinson and appeared to have the angle closed off, but he unleashed an unstoppable rocket into the roof of the net which beat Wiles-Richards all ends up.
City were unlucky not to regain the lead when Parselle’s terrific left-wing cross missed Scott Wilson and Ash by inches in the centre.
Hornchurch turned the game around four minutes after the restart.
Hearn jinked inside the penalty area and dug the ball up for Ruff, who headed home from six yards.
Ash was forced off swiftly after with a tight hamstring as Jake Tabor took his place in attack.
The lively Hearn was denied at the near post by Wiles-Richards before City hit back strongly, showing an extra ounce of energy in the final 15 minutes.
A last ditch challenge from Harry Gibbs prevented Wilson from close range before Joe Raynes was denied by Nasta’s heroics.
Parselle’s cross was inadvertently flicked on by Frankie Edwards to Raynes at the far post, who on the stretch poked towards goal only to see Nasta somehow claw it away with Tabor’s follow-up helped behind for a corner.
Mitch Beardmore and debutant Manny Yeboah were introduced for Luke Russe, and Scott Wilson and the fresh legs looked to have rescued a point for Way’s side.
Beardmore’s disguised pass to Yeboah on the right was played back for Jordan Tillson, who threatened to shoot before being pushed over by Rees for City’s first penalty of the season.
Following a lengthy delay, Jenkins Davies strode forward and slammed down the middle to make it 2-2.
With six minutes of additional play signalled, it sparked a lively conclusion with both teams hunting a winner.
A contentious penalty meant it was the hosts who found it.
Edwards’ hanging cross towards the back post was harmless as Parselle came charging out to head away.
His misjudgement saw the ball fly off the top of his arm, with referee Jack Bloxham pointing to the spot for the second time in eight minutes.
There was a nervous wait for the Essex outfit as Bloxham consulted assistant Tom Lathey, seemingly for advice on whether it was low enough down his body to constitute handball, and whether it was inside the box.
Both got the response Hornchurch required and McQueen kept a cool head to plant his kick in the bottom right corner, just out of Wiles-Richards’ reach, to keep his side’s lead at the top of the table to three points.
For Way’s City, it was a case of so close yet so far, and the end of their unbeaten away start to the season.
Att: 974
City’s Line-Up: Wiles-Richards, Raynes, Tomlinson, Batten, Parselle (c), Alves, Jenkins Davies, Wilson (Yeboah 77), Ash (Tabor 53), Tillson, Russe (Beardmore 77). Subs not used: Horsell, Sweeten.
Scorers: City – Ash (23), Jenkins Davies (pen 89); Hornchurch – Hearn (29), Ruff (49), McQueen (pen 90+4)
City Bookings: Russe (55), Jenkins Davies (90+3), Tomlinson (90+10)
Officials: J Bloxham, T Lathey, K Bailey, L Botten (4th)
