WEYMOUTH 1
Bearwish 87 pen
BATH CITY 0
TOM Bearwish netted a precious penalty to give Weymouth a late 1-0 win over Bath City at the Bob Lucas Stadium.
Weymouth were utterly dominant as Bath failed to record a shot on target, but the Terras looked as if they might go unrewarded for their efforts.
That was until Ahkeem Rose was upended in the box and Bearwish, Weymouth’s fourth different penalty taker of the season, kept his composure to score.
Weymouth closed to within a point of Cheshunt and, more importantly, four points of Dulwich in the final safe position in the Vanarama National League South standings.
READ MORE: Weymouth 1-0 Bath City - how it happened
Weymouth were completely unchanged from the 2-2 draw at Havant on Good Friday.
It meant Ben Thomson and Harry Kyprianou (both hamstring) were not risked, with Luke Nippard (hamstring) further behind after a recurrence of his injury.
There was no place in the Bath squad for ex-Weymouth striker Cody Cooke.
Bath had slumped to three straight losses prior to this game and Weymouth began the brighter as Tom Blair curled a free-kick well over.
Weymouth were finding early joy down the wings as Keelan O’Connell cut inside and supplied Bearwish to stab over under pressure from behind.
Blair was then guilty of spurning a golden chance for Weymouth on 15 minutes.
The winger did everything correctly, darting inside after Ahkeem Rose picked him out, but he delayed his shot and then scuffed a tame attempt wide.
Seconds later, Brad Ash scampered through on goal but was forced left of the area and Bath keeper Max Harris made a regulation save to his left.
Bath’s only shot of the half came 22 minutes in as Tommy Smith skewed an ambitious volley beyond the right-hand post.
After Smith’s effort, Weymouth continued to look the likelier to score as Bearwish fired a deflected shot that worked Harris into a diving stop.
O’Connell was next to find the target, his volley clattering off the head of City captain Kieran Parselle and into the grateful gloves of Harris.
Weymouth had time to conjure yet another chance just before half-time when O’Connell’s low and goalbound shot was blocked by a sliding Jack Batten.
After the break, Weymouth took just 70 seconds to create their next opening as Rose nipped in to steal possession and ran through on goal.
The Jamaican jinked back onto his favoured left foot but Harris read the situation well and blocked his shot.
Weymouth had Bath’s defence under all sorts of pressure and Ash later won the chase to a long ball, only to slice his volley well wide.
Bath stifled the Weymouth attack briefly before two efforts from Blair halted the lull in action, the winger curling over the far angle before whacking a powerful shot straight at Harris.
Teddy Howe was next in the Weymouth queue to try his luck at goal, scuffing badly from right to left and allowing Rose to send a more promising effort on target that Harris parried away.
Weymouth were barely troubled at the other end, leading to the impression of a major chance to secure a crucial victory.
However, the Terras were met with a Bath defence dropping ever deeper and seemingly intent on claiming a point.
With ten minutes to go, Weymouth were urging the ball towards goal but found luck deserted them as Teddy Howe’s strike was ruled out for offside.
Nathan Carlyle then ballooned an opening over from Rose’s set-up as Weymouth tried desperately to force a winner.
However, Lady Luck shone on the Terras as Bath appealed that Rose was tackled fairly in the area only for referee Dale Wootton to point to the spot.
Wilkinson handed penalty duties to Bearwish and the skipper made no mistake, slamming to the right of Harris who guessed incorrectly and was well beaten in the 87th minute.
Weymouth saw out the game with ease to record a potentially crucial win and gain two points on Dulwich, who conceded a 95th-minute equaliser at Hemel.
Terras: Benfield, Howe, Carlyle, Willson, Sesay, Bearwish, Hemmings, Blair, O'Connell, Rose, Ash. Subs not used: Procter, McBurnie, Buse, Rees, Slade.
Bath: Harris, Raynes, Greenslade, Batten, Parselle, Hayfield, Smith, Frear, Spokes, Wilson, Morton. Subs not used: Ford, Clarke, Lines, Minzamba.
Referee: Dale Wootton.
Attendance: 1,093.
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