FINAL SCORE
Home advantage told for Bath City as they recorded a fifth successive success at Twerton Park by seeing off Slough Town.
Freddie Hinds had the first sight on goal but from an acute angle he flashed a shot well wide.
For Slough, Billy Clifford’s freekick was nodded on by Mark Nisbet to Manny Williams, who did well to readjust before his effort bounced against the outside of the post.
Another glimmer saw Louie Soares capitalise from Ross Stearn losing possession on the edge of his box, but Ryan Clarke was equal to his snap-shot at the near post.
Joe Romanski followed Williams in testing the goal frame, heading against the top of the bar from Adam Mann’s corner, before Williams forced a smart block from Clarke having been left in space.
Slough were well in the game without giving Clarke any further problems, but one slip on 28 minutes proved costly.
Mann won the ball down the right and his pass deceived the flatfooted Sam Togwell, who was given no chance in a foot race with Hinds. Goalkeeper Jack Turner narrowed the angle, but Hinds waited for him to commit, strolled around him and touched the ball into the net.
He should have won a penalty four minutes later. Again Togwell was involved, Hinds’ attempt to shuffle past him saw the defender grapple with the frontman and haul him down, but referee Alex Blake waved away protests.
Turner proved his worth just before half-time when Anthony Straker’s low cross was inadvertently met by Togwell, but the Town stopper showed brilliant reflexes to parry behind with his feet.
Swiftly after the restart Hinds, trying to latch on to Stearn’s fizzed ball, fell to ground following a tussle with Sean Fraser. Blake this time pointed to the spot, but Anthony Straker’s precise penalty was parried.
It didn’t knock the confidence of the hosts as they should have put the game to bed. Stearn blazed off target after Hinds’ intelligent pass slipped him through on goal.
Ryan Brunt made an immediate impact from the bench, teeing up Hinds for a tap-in that Turner somehow saved pointblank.
Stearn dinked wide when oneon-one, while calls for a Slough penalty, after the ball brushed Robbie Cundy’s arm, were waved away.
City finally got their second in stoppage time when Hinds broke and played in James Morton to dink elegantly over the stranded keeper.
Bath City: Clarke; Cundy, Batten, Romanski; Raynes, Rigg (Watkins 65), Morton, Straker; Mann (Brunt 70), Hinds, Stearn (Smith 80). Subs not used: Artus, H. Wiles-richards. Slough Town: Turner; Fraser (Jackman 77), Wells, S. Togwell, Nisbet; L. Togwell; Lench (Dunn 69), Clifford, W. Harris; Williams, Soares (Wood 62). Sub not used: Hollis, Phillips. Referee: Alex Blake Attendance: 866 Chronicle star man: Freddie Hinds