Horsham (0) 2 Bath City (0) 1 – Tuesday 17 Match 2026 – Enterprise National League South – The Fusion Aviation Community Stadium
Match Report by Mark Stillman.
Charlie Hester-Cook’s 88th minute winner saw Horsham overcome 10-man Bath City in a controversial evening at the Fusion Aviation Community Stadium.
Greg Luer had headed the hosts in front, before they were awarded a penalty when Jack Batten was bizarrely penalised to have upended Rhys Murphy.
While Murphy’s spot-kick was saved, Joe Raynes was dismissed immediately afterwards for words directed at the referee.
Scott Wilson netted from the spot soon after, but after increasing pressure the hosts found a way through, extending City’s winless league run to ten.
Raynes, Dan Greenslade and Jordan Alves were recalled for the Tuesday trip to West Sussex against Dom Di Paola’s injury hit side, whose five man bench included two teenagers.
There looked to be a freshness in the Romans’ early play despite the long journey.
Inside a minute, Luke Russe won the ball in midfield and squared for Wilson who shot wide, with arguments whether he was caught by Isaac Philpot as he pulled the trigger.
Ruebin Sheppard tested Lewis Carey five minutes later when Josh Laqeretabua whipped a ball in for the Welshman at the near post, but fine reflexes from Horsham’s number one kept it out.
Harvey Wiles-Richards was forced into his first save when Murphy robbed Alves in midfield and played Luer in on goal, but the angle went against him as he shot too close to the City stopper.
Shamir Fenelon was next to be thwarted by Wiles-Richards as Kai Innocent’s whipped ball from the left was met at the near post by the attacking midfielder, forcing the City keeper to glove over.
The threat from Horsham convinced Darren Way to switch formation which initially helped.
Russe’s ball from the right just evaded Wilson before the home side squandered a great chance to break the deadlock.
Raynes and Jack Batten overplayed on the halfway line and Murphy snatched the ball before racing away, with his placed effort touched behind by Wiles-Richards for a corner.
Matt Bowman and Alex Fisher were brought on at the break for Sheppard and Alves but it didn’t have the desired effect as Horsham flew out of the blocks.
Wiles-Richards somehow clawed away Murphy’s close range effort with protests it had crossed the line, and City eventually scrambled behind for a corner.
Innocent took it and Luer met it, a ghosting header at the near post to end Horsham’s goal drought which lasted just over 400 minutes.
Fenelon’s header was kept out by Wiles-Richards and the Hornets’ continued pressure resulted in the award of a highly dubious penalty just past the hour.
James Hammond’s ball over the top was collected by Murphy, who initially had the better of Batten before the centre-back stood his ground and intercepted.
Referee Tom Ellsmore bafflingly pointed to the spot despite no protests from the hosts and a mixture of confusion and anger from the City players and staff.
Almost as surprisingly, responsibility of the penalty was handed to Murphy, despite Hammond scoring seven from seven since the end of 2025.
It backfired – Murphy’s dreadful spot-kick was easily held by Wiles-Richards, but before he could celebrate the referee brandished a red card to Raynes, presumably for words about the award of the penalty.
Seven minutes later, City were awarded a penalty themselves.
Greenslade’s long throw was flicked towards Wilson who was needlessly toppled over by Fenelon.
The striker dusted himself down and effortlessly sent Carey the wrong way to level.
Horsham responded by introducing Hester-Cook before the restart after and his presence proved pivotal.
Having twice been denied by the overworked Wiles-Richards, he finally found a way through on 88 minutes.
Hammond’s inswinger was firmly met by the head of the unmarked Hester-Cook who nodded in from six yards to leave City crestfallen.
The substitute, making only his second appearance of 2026 following injury, could have had a hat-trick. Wiles-Richards somehow tipped his curler onto the bar and after Greenslade blocked Lucas Pattenden’s follow-up, Hammond saw his effort gloved over by the inspired City custodian.
To add to City’s misery, sub Bowman had to be replaced in the final seconds having picked up a hamstring injury, soon after Batten had hobbled off.
Horsham kept possession well in the last seconds to seal just a third league victory in 16 while City’s winless stretch in National League South hit double figures, their longest sequence without a league success since the 2011/12 relegation from Conference Premier.
Att: 704
City’s Line-Up: Wiles-Richards, Raynes, Greenslade, Batten (Alexander-Walker 90), Parselle (c), Alves (Bowman HT (Windsor 90+4)), S Wilson, Russe, Putman, Sheppard (Fisher HT), Laqeretabua. Subs not used: Lindo, Binns, Skinner.
Scorers: City – S Wilson (pen 71); Horsham – Luer (52), Hester-Cook (87)
City Bookings: Parselle (63)
City Dismissal: Raynes (65)
Officials: T Ellsmore, J Oxenham, D Trout, B Maskery (4th)
