Half-time message inspired comeback
‘Get in their faces’ was the message that encouraged Bath City and Frankie Artus in their halftime turnaround against Dulwich Hamlet. The former Bristol City midfielder was a key component of the Romans’ comeback win over Hamlet, who had led 1-0 at the break. Artus stepped off the bench in place of Andy Watkins at the interval and helped turn up the heat on a Hamlet side that were found themselves with too much time on the ball for City’s liking. And as the hosts upped the intensity, so the game changed as Ryan Brunt’s brace secured a third consecutive win. “The gaffer just pulled me at halftime and said he was going to put me on,” Artus revealed. “Most importantly I just wanted to make an impact, and obviously that’s the case. “I thought we worked really hard second half and if we’re not going to win from playing football and outplaying them, we’ve got to try and have an impact on them another way. “We got in their faces, we made it a lot harder for them, and we got the two goals, which was thankfully enough to go and and win the game.” The 29-year-old added: “They were controlling the game, having a lot of touches rolling their foot on the ball. “We tried to press them a bit higher, winning the ball high up. Thankfully we got a couple of opportunties and we went on and scored. “The last 20 minutes or so lads were throwing their bodies in front of the ball, Joe made a great block, everyone was in it together. “The spirit of the team showed massively.” Having watched the first half from the bench, Artus felt a spark was needed and his manager obviously agreed. Victory also ensured City will enter this weekend’s away day at Chelmsford City in an early season play-off spot. “I can’t remember the last time we actually came from behind,” Artus told the Chronicle. “But when we went a goal down, I don’t think we were at it and playing as well as we should’ve been in the first half and we needed to change something. “I came on, thankfully I had the opportunity. “To come out winning like that is what you plan on, exactly what you want to get out of the game and having an impact in the second half. “All the boys are buzzing for it,” he added The resilience to come from behind, in Artus’s view, shows how the team have progressed over the summer off-season. Manager Jerry Gill had said the same after the Romans put in a backs-to-the-wall performance a week earlier to seal a first win of the National League South campaign away at Hampton & Richmond Borough. “Obviously it was disappointing not picking up any points in the first two games, but since then we’ve come through strong,” Artus said. “Against Hampton we didn’t play our best but we got three points, and I think we dominated the game against Gloucester. “Then today, without out-playing the team as such, we made a big impact on the game; we won it a bit uglier. “I don’t think maybe we would have done that last year, so it just shows a bit more character in the team and a bit of resilience to go on and hold on to the 2-1 win in the end.” Match-winner Brunt took home a second bottle of champagne for the week for his double, having already scored two in last week’s Tuesday night win over West Country rivals Gloucester City. His hard work battling in a lone striker role has not gone unnoticed by team-mates. “He’s been brilliant,” Artus said. “It’s a tough job up there on your own when you’ve got to be a targetman and run the channels. “The lads do appreciate the shift he puts in, and his hard work’s paid off. He deserves the goals he’s got, proper poacher’s finishes today and I’m delighted for him, because he’s had it tough the last couple of years with injuries. “He’s getting in the box at the right time and that’s four goals in the first five games now, so all the lads are delighted for him.”