Passley knocked out cold as Hawks suffer shock home National League South loss to lowly Bath City

Paul Doswell’s side were beaten 3-1 at Westleigh Park this afternoon by a Bath City team who had lost nine of their previous 12 league matches.

Tommy Wright headed a first half consolation for Hawks, who rarely looked like getting back in the game once Alex Fletcher had restored Bath’s two-goal lead just before the hour mark.

It looked a game too far for a Hawks squad which has been stretched in recent weeks by the worst injury crisis Doswell has known in his 25-year managerial career.

Hawks, having pieced together a six-game unbeaten NL South run, went into the game without the injured Ross Worner, Sam Magri, Manny Adebowale, Scott Rendell and Alex Wall.

In addition, Paul Rooney was serving a one-game suspension and full back Michael Green has retired from playing.

With Nicky Bailey also suffering from illness, Doswell only had three outfield players on the bench. And within six minutes he was forced to use one of them, Benny Read, after Josh Passley had been forced off through concussion.

Passley had been clattered by Bath striker Cody Cooke in only the second minute. Though the contact was in the stomach region, Passley hit his head on landing on the pitch and was briefly knocked out cold. At least in Reed, making only his second appearance after a shoulder injury and a hamstring complaint, was a ready-made replacement at right-back.

Hawks fell behind on 19 minutes. Jamie Collins, restored the starting XI in place of Rooney at centre half after recovering from injury – his last game had been at Tonbridge on November 9 - needlessly lost possession near the right-hand corner flag.

Hawks conceded a free-kick seconds later and, from it, Elliot Frear whipped in a quality left-footed delivery which centre half Jack Batten glanced past Will Mannion.

Hawks, having fallen behind for the fourth time in seven home league games this term, levelled on 35 minutes.

Left-back Joe Newton swung in a cross to the far post where Jake McCarthy rose highest to direct a header back across goal - giving Wright a simple header from within the six-yard box.

Bath were back in the lead just before the fourth official signalled six minutes of time added on - mainly for Passley’s injury.

A quick counter attack - Hawks had been on top since their equaliser - ended with leading scorer Cooke lashing home his eighth league goal of the season.

It was the fifth time Hawks had conceded two goals at home in the league this season, and it was hard to believe they had the third best defensive record of any side in the division entering this game.

James Roberts, looking short on confidence, twice shot over in the early stages of the second half before Bath stunned most of the 912 crowd with a third goal.

From a nicely-worked short corner routine, the ball ended up coming to Fletcher just inside the penalty area and he struck a fine low shot which beat Mannion’s dive and nestled low in the left-hand corner of the net.

Hawks were to enjoy good possession after that but, until the last 10 minutes, rarely looked like breaking Bath down.

Prior to throwing Collins up front, the nearest the hosts came was when Ryan Clarke could only parry a Billy Clifford shot with Wright knocking his rebound over the top of the bar from close range.

Hawks finally showed some urgency late on which resulted in Clifford blasting over from inside the penalty area and McCarthy having two efforts - a shot saved by Ryan Clarke and a header wide.

Abdulai Baggie also had a shot saved low down as Hawks suffered a home league loss by a two-goal margin for only the third time under Doswell - previous defeats being 3-1 to Braintree in September 2019 and 4-2 to eventual champions Wealdstone the following January.

Next up for Hawks is a tie no-one at the club really wants – Tuesday’s Hampshire Senior Cup trip to Eastleigh. Rendell, who has been out since November 9 with a rib injury, could feature.

Hawks: Mannion, Passley (Read, 6), Newton, Oastler, Collins, Gobern, McCarthy, Clifford, Baggie, Wright, Roberts (Chambers-Parillon, 64).

Bath City: Clarke, Raynes, Delaney, Batten, Wood, Dyer, Touray (Smith, 72), Frear, Cooke (Sims-Burgess, 87), Fletcher, Jones.