Worthing (1) 2 Bath City (1) 2 – Sunday 24 March 2024 – Vanarama National League South – Sussex Transport Community Stadium
Match Report by Mark Stillman.
Scott Wilson and Jordan Dyer earned City a draw in a breathless encounter with Worthing.
The hosts’ Danny Cashman scored twice against the Romans at the Sussex Transport Community Stadium for the second time this season, twice pulling the hosts back.
City gave debuts to Duncan Idehen and Jack Bates, with both involved in the visitors’ goals from set-pieces.
The draw was City’s ninth away in the league this term, their highest in a season since 1993/94.
In a game switched to Sunday afternoon for TNT Sports in a weekend to promote non-league football, the viewers were treated to a thriller between two play-off hopefuls.
Worthing’s Ollie Pearce, fresh from an England C call-up in the week, rattled the bar on 17 minutes with a fine free-kick.
A well-worked corner concluded with Cashman’s far post header being brilliantly parried away by Buse.
Set-pieces proved City’s best outlet and they opened the scoring from one on the half hour.
Bates’ corner was met by Idehen, whose deflected effort was kept out by Roco Rees but straight to Wilson, who poked in a third goal in three games.
Worthing equalised within seven minutes. Joe Felix found room on the byline, pulled back to Pearce who laid off to Cashman on the edge of the box. The attacking midfielder took a touch before carefully placing past Buse from 18 yards into the bottom right corner.
Idehen sliced over from a Raynes long throw and Dyer headed too close to Rees in a frantic conclusion to an already lively opening 45.
The second half saw Worthing start strongly with Felix sending a shot over having got the wrong side of Dan Greenslade.
Cody Cooke’s run and balance saw him create an opportunity for himself, ending with his goalbound strike deflected wide by captain Joel Colbran.
Jerry Gill’s side regained the lead on 65 minutes with another goal from a corner.
Bates’ delivery saw Dyer escape his marker Colbran before heading into the ground and into the net from 10 yards, his second goal of the month.
The Rebels introduced Dylan Fage for Jack Spong and enjoyed a lot of the ball, penning the Romans back which they coped with well.
Pearce, scorer of 37 in all competitions, saw his shot deflected wide by Idehen as the hosts upped the gears and were rewarded with a second with 11 minutes left.
Fage’s quick feet saw him make space and tee up Cashman, whose perfectly measured strike from 25 yards screamed into the top left corner to leave Buse helpless.
Bates’ volley flew just over as City responded well, the Derby County loanee performing admirably on debut alongside the excellent Dan Hayfield in the heart of midfield.
Cashman’s close range effort from Fage’s cross bounced inches wide, preventing him a hat-trick and stopping the hosts steal three points.
It would have been harsh on City who kept up the tempo in a free-flowing game, leaving them a point from the play-offs with a game in hand ahead of an Easter double header with Weymouth and Taunton Town.
Att: 2119
City’s Line-Up: Buse, Raynes (c), Greenslade, Dyer, Clark, Hayfield, Cooke, Frear (Yeboah 62), Idehen, Wilson, Bates. Subs not used: Batten, Casa-Grande, Sweeten, Alabi.
Scorers: City – Wilson (30), Dyer (65); Worthing – Cashman (37, 79)
City Bookings: Cooke (3)
Officials: S Read, T Copping, J Mcritchie