Smith hoping to reach new milestone after his hat-trick
After his maiden career hattrick, Tom Smith has his sights set on becoming the first Bath City player to rack up a 20-goal campaign in five years.
The midfielder struck his treble as he helped the Romans to victory against Dulwich Hamlet, taking his goal tally for the season to 17.
And having breezed so easily past his previous target, Smith now wants to hit the twenties, a feat no City man has achieved since Dave Pratt struck 22 in 2014/15.
“Before this game I was on 14 and my aim was 15. Now it’s 20,” he told the Chronicle.
“I take it in chunks of five and we’ll see where we get. Hopefully we’ll get to 20 – that’s the aim now.”
Smith’s hat-trick clincher was a 30-yard piledriver in the 84th minute, which made sure of the three points shortly after Dulwich had hauled level.
But his second, a tap-in at the back post, also came in for praise.
“It came pretty quickly,” Smith said of his third. “I didn’t really know what I wanted to do with it.
“I just touched it inside and had a strike, it’s wobbled in the air and gone top left. Personally the second goal was a great move by the team and a great ball by Dan [Martin]; I just had to connect with it.
“I was glad to get the first because I haven’t scored in a while. It was a bit of a scrappy one, but I got a little bit on it, scuffed it with my left foot.
“That got me rolling and I was quite happy.”
The first half was played out with City facing up to a swirling wind at Twerton Park, yet that was when they played some of their best football on the day.
Conditions on the pitch and in the air have been a challenge over recent weeks, with adaptability being key.
“Like we said in there, we’ve got to change the way we play,” Smith said.
“Jerry [Gill] spoke about it. We’ve got to play to the conditions of the pitch. They’re getting softer, you need to play balls in behind and get on the seconds, play in and around the box, rather than playing in the middle of the park.
“We showed that today and definitely over the last couple of games, more so against Concord, that we can do that.”
Similar characteristics will be required if the Romans are to make it four wins on the spin at Braintree Town this weekend.
Smith said: “Braintree will always be a tough game. No game is easy in this league so we’ve got to go there and put on a performance.
“I don’t know how the pitch will be. I remember playing there two years ago and it being quite bad. It’s going to be worse than this.
“We’re going to have to play similar to this: balls in behind, seconds, play in their half.
“It’s going to be a fight. We’ve got to get back to basics, and we have done over the last couple of games.”
Victory over Dulwich made it nine points in eight days as City leapt back up to second in National League South.
That stretch has also put a mini slump in form behind them.
“We had a little sticky patch, but we only lost two in the actual league, so we weren’t in a bad position,” Smith said.
“The three games that we’ve played were important to get back on track, I think we are now.
“Compared to last year, I read in the programme, we were on 53 points, we’re now on 56.
“So we’re in a good position, we just need to keep this momentum going into the play-offs.
“All we can do is take it game by game and keep winning, hopefully getting into second or third position.”
City supremo Gill was full of praise for his leading scorer after the victory.
He said: “It’s 17 now for the season – for any midfielder that’s fantastic.
“It had to take a bit of magic, but you know when Tom gets in those positions for the winner, once he hits it it’s hit.
“It’s difficult for Charlie [Grainger] in goal to get anywhere near it.
“As an individual, it’s a fantastic performance, a really good one, and he’s going to have to go away now and say to himself it’s three goals, but he’s got to keep working hard.
“It’s important he does that. He’s a great lad, he takes his job ever so seriously – and I mean he’s a parttime footballer, but he goes away and does his sport science stuff during the week.
“He’s very dedicated to it; he’s at a place where he’s really, really happy.”
Supporters’ corner
Bath City Supporters’ Club will be running a coach to the Braintree Town clash on Saturday (February 29), 3pm kickoff. Fares are to be confirmed but pick-up points will be the Radstock Hotel (8.35am), Odd Down – Wellsway, near Red Lion (8.45am), Twerton Park – on High Street (9am), London Road (9.15am), Corsham (9.30am). Please contact Cheryl Bradley on 07751 405439 or cjb666@live.com. If contacting before 6pm on weekdays please do so by text or email only.