An impressive performance at Twerton Park on Tuesday night left us with a deserved point following a 1-1 draw versus Bath City.
Our result was made even the more impressive after skipper Tom Bearwish was absent with injury, alongside Corey Jordan being forced out during the warm-up.
Yet that appeared to do little to affect us as we came out all guns blazing, and could have been two goals up before halftime.
But despite our threat, it would be the hosts who would take the lead early in the second half when Alex Fisher pounced on an unfortunate miskick from Jordon Thompson.
Though we could come out of our shaky second-half spell and grow into the game once again, before Christy Ward drew us level with 15 minutes of regular time remaining.
We then looked close to scoring a winner before a bizarre sending off for Christy killed the momentum of the game.
Still, our away point ensures we have now only lost once in five league games.
While we remain bottom of the National League South table, we are now only seven points of safety, following Hornchurch’s last-night loss to Boreham Wood.
Before the game we were rocked by Bearwish’s injury, which saw Josh McQuoid come in as a replacement.
Corey Jordan was then forced off during the warm-up, with Brooklyn Genesini taking his place.
But despite our setbacks, we nearly made the perfect start just two minutes in.
Youngster Jaiden Bartolo met a cross with his head, only for his close effort to be denied by ex-Terra Harvey Wiles-Richards.
The Wycombe Wanderers loanee was then fed an accurate through-ball by Ben Greenwood just before the quarter-hour mark, and would have had the cancer to put us ahead had he not been ruled a fraction offside.
However, in true end-to-end fashion, Will Buse would be called into action just a minute later.
Our goalkeeper did well to catch Fisher’s half-volley, which was struck inside the box.
Though our attacking prowess would not yet wane, as Josh’s through-ball was just a little too heavy for Christy to reach.
But in the 21st minute we would come much closer to taking the lead.
With help from Euan Pollock, Ben started the attack by winning possession and dribbled towards the edge of the box before picking out Christy, who was in open space.
Our no.10 then fired an accurate low strike to Wiles-Richards’ goal, only for the ball to bounce off the left post.
But despite not taking the lead, our clear danger signs were there.
Christy was through on goal once more just two minutes later, courtesy of Euan’s through-ball, and came within inches again, this time Wiles-Richards bravely rushing out of goal to make a save.
Two minutes before the half-hour mark then saw successive chances from Jaiden, Christy and finally Ben were kept out by a firm Bath defence, before Ben’s subsequent corner landed to Euan, who fired a half-volley wide of goal.
With all of our opportunities, we were shockingly only half-an-hour into the game.
Yet we didn’t stop there, when Jaiden attempted an ambitious bicycle kick just two minutes later.
Admittedly the young striker didn’t connect with the ball, although the attempt itself was a testament to our growth in confidence.
Though the game would peter out for the remaining minutes, as both teams entered the break goalless.
Though our chances suggested we were the happier team as the second half began, it would be The Romans to draw first blood just one minute in.
Nick Grimes’ cross landed at the feet of Jordon, who looked set to clear the ball to safety.
Instead, in unfortunate circumstances, the ball awkwardly bounced off our centre-back’s boot and straight into the path of Fisher, who slotted home to give Bath a 1-0 lead.
Once again our hard work did not reflect the scoreline, a situation all-too familiar this campaign.
We may have had our deficit doubled six minutes later, had Charlie Rowan not acrobatically cleared Jordan Tillson’s cross behind.
Will was once again called into action in the 56th minute when he bravely caught Grimes’ powerful low free-kick.
The game appeared to grow more intense after the hour-mark, with a total of three bookings in two minutes, perhaps a warning for later events.
Afterwards, though, we began to show our first-half strength once more, Jaiden having a chance in the 74th minute.
Whilst he couldn’t quite direct his header towards goal, we had the ball in their final third again just a minute later.
Andreas Robinson was on the edge of the box when he shot towards Wiles-Richards.
Our former goalie hardly ever made a mistake during his short time at the club last season, yet he spilled the ball straight into Christy’s path.
All Christy had to do was thump into an empty net to draw us level with just 15 minutes left to go.
Game on.
Our next chance came seven minutes later, when Wiles-Richard unconvincingly cleared Keelan O’Connell’s dangerous cross.
Christy then dribbled into the box with five minutes remaining, and may have had the chance to fire towards goal had he not accidentally slipped inside the box.
But, instead of allowing play to continue, the referee handed Christy a second bookable offence for a supposed dive.
Then, to make matters worse, Mark Molesley was handed a yellow card for his protests.
This appeared to kill the momentum of the closing minutes, as both sides settled for a 1-1 draw.
Christy’s sending off unfortunately could rule him out for Saturday’s clash at home to table-toppers Farnborough [Saturday 15.00 BST]…
Still, plenty of positives to take as our season turnaround continues…
