FINAL SCORE

Tom Smith’s hat-trick fired Bath City back up to second in National League South as they pipped Dulwich Hamlet in a five-goal thriller.

Although City looked threatening down the wings in the early going, Noah Chilvers breaking past two defenders into the box before a poor connection on his cut-back, it was the visitors that threatened more regularly with the wind at their backs.

Dominic Vose had Ryan Clarke scrambling early on with a stinging long-range strike. Shamir Mullings then closed down Joe Raynes’ clearance and benefited from a kind bounce, only to blow his chance.

Danny Mills also nodded over as Bath found defending set-pieces tough throughout the first period.

For City, Alex Hartridge showed a sharp turn of pace to whip in a cross that was inches away from Sam Pearson’s head. From the next attack, the hosts went in front. Pearson saw an attempted ball across the box deflect up off a defender. The Bristol City loanee produced a stunning vertical leap to nod the ball down for Smith, who controlled, turned and squeezed it over the line.

Cardiff City loanee Dan Martin lost the ball in the centre of his own half, allowing Jeffrey Monakana to break down the right, his cross falling for Mullings, who took his time before firing a deflected shot into the net five minutes before the break.

Yet within a minute the hosts were back in front, with Martin making instant amends. His fine cross from the left went low for Smith to tap in at the far post.

Early into the second half Clarke had to nip off his line to block a Mullings effort. Attacking with the wind, the Romans had much more of the game; Raynes tried his luck with another piledriver that sailed comfortably wide, while a winding Pearson run ended with a weak effort into Grainger’s hands.

Hamlet hauled themselves level for a second time, though, 11 minutes from time, as Mills looped a header back across goal and into the top corner to beat Clarke.

Yet once again City responded with another goal, Smith this time finishing his treble with an emphatic 30-yard strike to secure the points.

Bath City: Clarke; Bowry, Ball, Hartridge; Raynes, Artus (Brunt 75), Chilvers, Martin; Mann, Pearson, Smith.

Subs not used: Wiles-richards, Riley-lowe, Simpson, Eglin.

Dulwich Hamlet: Grainger; Mccoy, Connors, Bedford (Ainsworth 68), Debrah, Orlu, Monakana (Kearney 80), Taylor, Mills, Vose, Mullings (Clunis 80).

Subs not used: Ijaha, Barnes.

Referee: Jason Richardson.

Attendance: 1,047.

Bath Chronicle star man: Tom Smith.