Wanadio goal ends Bath revival in narrow defeat
Luke Wanadio’s 40th minute strike saw Dover return to winning ways and end Bath City’s recent revival.
The winger curled home expertly from 18 yards after a slip in the Bath back-line.
Cody Cooke hit the post in the first half and was denied by Stuart Nelson in the second as City struggled to break down a well organised defence.
Despite making three attacking changes within the hour, City failed to score for the first time in the league since the opening day.
Ryan Clarke made his first start of the season in goal in place of Joe Wright, who dislocated a shoulder in the draw at Havant. Remarkably the 40-year-old wasn’t the eldest player competing with opposite number Nelson having turned 41 last month.
Dover were rocked by Tyrone Sterling picking up a knock inside two minutes which forced his early withdrawal with Will Moses on in his place soon after.
City grew into the game midway through the half as the visitors rode their luck on 25 minutes. Chris Lines’ corner saw Alex Fletcher’s header blocked by a standstill Nelson with Cooke’s scuffed rebound
bouncing against the upright and back to the keeper’s grasp.
Another corner gave Andy Hessenthaler’s men issues with Lines’ in-swinger nodded wide by Fletcher.
Having weathered the storm, former Manchester United youth Lee Martin curled wide on 36 minutes before the Kent outfit took the lead five minutes before the break.
Jordan Higgs’ ball from the right preceded a slip from Kieran Parselle and after Jack Batten couldn’t clear, it eventually found Wanadio who cut inside and neatly bent home from the corner of the penalty area past Clarke and Parselle’s desperate efforts off the line.
The Romans continued to threaten from set-pieces with Parselle given a free header from Lines’ corner but he couldn’t find the target as Dover went into the break the happier.
Despite a combined age of 81, both goalkeepers showed their reflexes are still intact in the second half. Nelson gathered Cooke’s stab from close range after good work by Scott Wilson and Clarke threw himself to his left to palm away the dangerous Wanadio’s precise drive which threatened to creep into the bottom corner.
Elliott Frear hammered high and wide as the hard-working hosts enjoyed enough possession but found the away side determined to make up for Tuesday’s shock loss to Concord.
Dover defended superbly in numbers to nullify any more scares from open play to seal their fifth successive league win over City.
“I thought they were a very well organised side,” said Gill of Dover.
“Teams are coming to Twerton Park and being really solid behind the ball.
“We should have gone two or 3-0 up in the first half. We had some really good set plays but nothing really from open play.
“The disappointing thing is the goal conceded is two mistakes. Kieran and Jack have been brilliant for us but they know they’ve got to be better with their clearances.
“Wanadio’s a really exciting player and it was a fantastic finish in the end, there’s nothing Ryan could do about it.”
Having struggled to make inroads early in the second half, Gill made three changes within the hour for the first time in his five years in charge.
“Having played Wednesday night I knew that it would physically be a challenge for the players,” said Gill, referring to the draw at Havant & Waterlooville three days before Dover’s visit.
“I said at half-time: ‘if we can’t win this game let’s get something from it.’
“They gave it everything. We were the ones pushing and pushing, we just couldn’t quite get over the line. We’re not going to look at this game and say we were so far off it. It wasn’t night and day from Wednesday.
“It’s not like they’ve cut us open, I thought it was a good level performance. Tactically it was everything we wanted from the team apart