Smith hat-trick claims points
Resilient Bath see off Dulwich twice to move back to second
Bath City’s resilience will be a key factor heading into the National League South run-in for Jerry Gill.
His Romans showed just that in Saturday’s 3-2 victory over Dulwich Hamlet, who twice hauled level at Twerton Park only to be instantly put behind again.
That included Tom Smith’s thumping 84th-minute winner, struck in from distance just four minutes after Danny Mills had threatened to earn his side a point.
It is not the first time City have shown their character this term, having picked up 16 points from losing positions in National League South thus far.
“That’s been a trait of us this season,” Gill said. “Up until that Wealdstone game we kept conceding and coming back, and that’s a really good trait to have.
“Of course you don’t want to concede first, but once they score and get themselves back in the game, a foothold in it, it’s important we try and get the momentum in the games as well, and we did it.
“Physically we dropped away from it second half and found it a little more difficult with their runners forward, with their physique, power and pace.
“But we’re finding a way to win a game again, and that’s massive. It’s not so much about performances now, I’ve talked about that a lot this season. I’m constantly trying to focus on our performance levels.
“It’s all about putting points on the board and we’ve put another three on, which is massive.”
More of the same could be crucial over the final ten games of the
Romans’ season, with four of the teams currently sat in play-off spots still to be faced.
Gill continued: “There’s been some real indifferent results again [elsewhere in the league] and I’m sure there’s going to be. We’re in the last quarter, the last ten games coming up.
“We’ve got Slough, Havant and Weymouth to play here, which are going to be massive games.
“It’s focusing on the next one; it always has to be. It’s focusing on what the week will be.
“I pulled them in in the middle and said we’re going to have a hard week. We’ve got a few bumps and bruises, and you have to look forward to what will be another tough game away.”
A relatively young City squad has bounced back to fine form with nine points earned over the space of eight days as victory over Dulwich followed up away wins against Concord Rangers and Maidstone United.
Those triumphs, however, came at a physical price.
“It’s no coincidence in the last three games we’ve come off with quite a few, cuts, bruises and knocks,” Gill said.
“Ryan [Clarke] had a massive blow there first half – a dead leg. Alex [Hartridge] has got a bleeding nose, Frankie’s [Artus] eye from Tuesday, and he’s completely drained out there, so we’ve had to take him off.
“Dan Ball then sticks his head in on the edge of the 18-yard box like Bally does. He gets a kick in the head, but gets up and gets on with it.
“That’s what I want from my players – you need that. What people must remember is we’re a very young group.
“I spoke to Gary [Mccann] from Hampton. He rang me about Maidstone just before kick-off, when I was in the office, and said, ‘word on the street is you’re a very young side and everyone knows that.’
“I said, ‘Were you surprised by some of those results?’ And he said, ‘Not really.’
“We have to remember and take stock that with young players there will be some blips and inconsistency. But when you look tonight, sat second in the league, with that young group of players, they’ll be one of the youngest in that top ten for sure. That’s credit to them.”
Despite tiring somewhat in the latter stages of the win over Dulwich, owing to those lengthy trips to Essex and Kent last week, Gill was thrilled with his side’s collective performance in sealing victory.
He said: “A really good win and a good week, you have to remember that.
“We go to Concord last Saturday in those conditions, get three points and a clean sheet. We go to Maidstone on Tuesday night, the lads take a half-day at work, getting in at half-two, three o’clock in the morning to go again.
“In the second half, physically we were drained, out on our feet a little bit, so we had to make a couple of changes because they just couldn’t give any more than they gave.
“Dulwich have given us a really good game there, put us under all sorts of pressure – not only second half but also first half – and we’ve had to deal with it.
“The wind blowing down the slope died a little bit second half. Interestingly enough, we were better going up the slope than down the slope.
“It’s a team win for everyone because the effort from each individual and as a collective was outstanding.
“Nine points in a week, two away games and one home game, you can’t beat that.”