Plymouth Parkway (0) 0 Bath City City (2) 3 – Saturday 26 September 2026 – FA Trophy 3rd Qualifying Round – Bolitho Park
Match Report by Mark Stillman.
Bath City stormed into the 1st Round of the FA Trophy with a comprehensive win at league leaders Plymouth Parkway.
The recalled Matt Bowman, Reuben Reid and Enzio Boldewijn netted for the Romans in Devon, ending the hosts’ eight match winning streak in all competitions.
City’s victory was their fourth in a row and league and cup, their best run for three years.
It was also their first outright win in the FA Trophy since December 2023.
Manager Scott Bartlett, celebrating six months in charge, opted to rest Joe Raynes and Donovan Wilson entirely, while Pedro Elawar was among the substitutes having shone in the midweek win at Taunton.
Home keeper Aaron Dearing made an inauspicious start inside two minutes by passing straight to Harry Parsons some 35 yards out, but the attacker lofted off target.
Ethan Wright’s free-kick was headed over by Ryan Brett at the near post for Parkway, before Dearing just avoided being nutmegged by Scott Wilson in a lively start.
Jordan Tillson’s attempted cross came back off the crossbar with Dearing backpeddling in another shaky moment for the home custodian.
Bowman pulled just wide from 20 yards as the pressure increased from the visitors.
On the half hour Reid chested into Wilson’s path and having benefitted from a missed clearance from former Roman Jack Matthews, his low drive was tipped behind by Dearing.
The resulting corner produced the opening goal. Ollie Chamberlain’s wicked delivery right under the crossbar saw Dearing flap and Bowman took advantage, getting the slightest touch on his header to claim his first goal of the season.
While Dearing didn’t cover himself in glory with that, his error for the second six minutes later was calamitous.
A simple backpass from Brett was miscontrolled by the keeper who stumbled over the ball, allowing the alert Reid to nip in and easily sidefoot home for his second goal for the club, both against Plymouth Parkway.
City had a penalty shout turned down in the final minute of the half.
Wilson threaded through to Reid, who fell over the trailing leg of Dearing but referee Jordan Lee, who awarded the Romans a penalty two games previous against Wincanton for a goalkeeper foul, this time deemed Reid had dived and cautioned the striker.
Parkway made a change at the break, introducing Rio Garside for Callum Hall, and the substitute was involved in their first promising attack after the restart.
His cute lay-off to Henry Donovan saw the striker prepare to pull the trigger, but Harrison Minturn threw himself in the way to vitally block.
It proved more important as within two minutes City had their third.
Wilson ended Matthews’ ascent forward with a tidy challenge, but hopes of a counter looked unlikely with Parkway swarming back in numbers.
However they didn’t clock the late run of Boldewijn, who held off Wright and lashed across the helpless Dearing to notch his first for the club.
It was the perfect tonic for City who could afford to relax through the remaining third of the game, with a comeback appearing unlikely from a home side with important league and FA Cup fixtures around the corner.
Substitute Elawar stung the gloves of Dearing after linking up with Seweryn Streczen as Bartlett utilised all those on the bench, including a stint up front for defender Jack Batten in place of the impressive Reid.
Parkway top scorer Rocky Neal, left on the bench for the first 64 minutes, turned Minturn and dragged narrowly wide in the closest they came to a consolation.
One didn’t arrive as they failed to net for the first time this term, whereas for Bartlett’s side it was their first away clean sheet of 2026 in arguably their best performance on the road this calendar year.
Att: 400
City’s Line-Up: Wiles-Richards, Tomlinson, Boldewijn, S Wilson (Greenslade 74), Chamberlain, Minturn, Tillson (c) (Elawar 66), Reid (Batten 82), Parsons (Streczen 73), Bowman, Wood (Parselle 82).
Scorers: City – Bowman (32), Reid (37), Boldewijn (56); Plymouth – none
City Bookings: Reid (45)
Officials: J Lee, B Hilton, S Barker