Larkhall Athletic (0) 1 Bath City (2) 3 – Tuesday 7 July 2026 – Pre-Season Friendly – Plain Ham Stadium

New captain Joe Raynes claimed two assists as Bath City began pre-season with a win.

His former club Larkhall Athletic were on the receiving end as Jordan Tillson and two trialists were on target at Plain Ham Camella Stadium.

Elliot Gardner pulled one back with a late penalty for the hosts.

But they couldn’t find another way through as City made it seven wins out of seven in pre-season matches against their Bath neighbours.

Raynes had taken the armband from Kieran Parselle and they lined up in a back four made up of last season’s players, including a new full-back role for Owen Windsor.

He was involved in City’s first opening, sending a ball in from the left which resulted in new signing Enzio Boldewijn looping a header wide.

Milo Murgatroyd curled over from 20 yards for the hosts but it was a rare early glimmer as City largely controlled the early stages.

They were rewarded with an 18th minute opener. Raynes made space on the right and his pinpoint delivery was met by Tillson, whose stooping header from six yards flew past Liam Armstrong.

One of City’s two starting trialists was denied by Armstrong on the half hour as the visitors looked hungry for a second, and they found another swiftly after.

Raynes picked up the ball in midfield and slipped it through to a trialist, who cleverly rounded Armstrong before tapping home.

It was his last involvement as a slight niggle saw him replaced by Reuben Reid in attack.

The experienced front man tried to get in on the act before the break. Ollie Tomlinson’s ball over the top saw him one-on-one with Armstrong, but the keeper dealt well with another attempt to take the ball around him as he stretched out and clawed it away to prevent a third.

Boldewijn and Tillson were replaced at the break by a further trialist and Scott Wilson.

Despite the alterations it didn’t hamper City’s momentum as they were close to snatching a third within five minutes of the resumption.

Neat play between Wilson, Reid and Harry Parsons culminated in Reid shooting too close to Armstrong.

Murgatroyd tried to halve the deficit with a jinking run inside the box and a stinging shot which Harvey Wiles-Richards did well to parry to safety.

Parsons fired over after being teed up by Reid as City showed promise on the attack, though their third goal had a touch of good fortune.

With just over an hour played, City’s substitute trialist cut inside from the right and attempted to cross to the back post, but to his amazement the ball zoomed over the helpless Armstrong into the top corner.

Further changes for both sides on a balmy evening saw rhythm disrupted in the closing stages, but Scott Bartlett’s side came close to a fourth.

Substitute Dan Greenslade took ownership of a free-kick 25 yards out, and his stunning effort cannoned off the top of the bar and behind with replacement stopper Kit Bond beaten.

Larkhall kept pushing for a way back and they found a way past the City defence with two minutes remaining.

Two substitutes combined to win a penalty as Sam Stirling’s rash challenge left an easy call for the referee.

Summer signing Gardner stepped up and planted his kick low into the bottom left corner, just out of reach of substitute keeper Dominic Cook.

There were no further scares for the Romans as they kept up their fine record over Larkhall Athletic to leave them smiling ahead of a week’s break from action.