Bath City produced a resilient showing as they fought back to claim a pre-season draw with League Two side Newport County, rescuing a 2-2 result after falling behind twice in a contest that felt, in the players' words, like "the first proper game" of pre-season.
Spirited response after two setbacks
Newport twice took the lead through Ged Garner and Harrison Halpin, either side of half-time, but Bath would not be denied. A fortuitous goal from Dan Greenslade — struck directly from a corner — levelled the contest shortly after the interval, and Alex Fisher later converted a tidy finish to make it all square. Fisher’s strike came against his former club and followed a lively cameo from academy product Seweryn Streczen, who provided the assist.
“It felt like the first proper game we’ve had – really tough against good opposition. It needs to be like that.”
The contest offered a stiff early examination for Bath’s defence and goalkeeper Harvey Wiles-Richards, who produced several key saves in the opening quarter. Newport enjoyed the greater share of possession in the first 15 minutes and saw former City loanee Moses Alexander-Walker test Wiles-Richards, who got down well to deny him and also turned away a fierce Keenan Patten free-kick.
How the goals unfolded
Bath’s first significant defensive intervention came when trialist A nearly capitalised on a couple of ricochets, only for centre-back Dan Sassi to block. The deadlock was broken four minutes before half-time, when Garner advanced through midfield and fired from around 20 yards. The effort took an unfortunate deflection off ex-Newport man Kieran Parselle, wrong-footing Wiles-Richards and nestling in the bottom corner.
The second half began in dramatic fashion. Greenslade swung a corner towards the near post that Newport’s trialist goalkeeper failed to gather, and the ball bounced in to level the tie. On 53 minutes, Newport regained the lead when Matt Smith’s corner found 16-year-old Harrison Halpin, who escaped his marker and finished past Wiles-Richards.
Bath’s persistence paid off as they again found parity. Fisher’s goal, supplied by Streczen, completed the comeback, although the report notes the finish may have come from a marginal offside position. The draw will give Bath encouragement heading into the remainder of their pre-season programme, not least from the performances of young prospects.
Context and consequences for Bath City
For Bath residents and supporters, the result is a useful barometer: the side competed well against higher-league opposition and showed character to recover twice. The display also continues the development of academy players, with Streczen’s short cameo singled out and Halpin, at just 16, marking himself on either side of the game with a goal for Newport.
Newport arrived on the back of managerial turbulence following the recent departure of Christian Fuchs. That uncertainty — and the use of trialists by both clubs — lent the fixture a competitive edge and offered Bath manager and coaching staff an opportunity to assess squad depth and match sharpness against a professional League Two outfit.
- Final score: Bath City 2–2 Newport County
- Bath goals: Dan Greenslade (corner), Alex Fisher (from Seweryn Streczen)
- Newport goals: Ged Garner, Harrison Halpin
| Minute | Event |
|---|---|
| ~41 | Ged Garner gives Newport the lead (deflected shot) |
| ~46 | Dan Greenslade converts a corner to equalise |
| 53 | Harrison Halpin puts Newport ahead |
| Late | Alex Fisher levels for Bath (assisted by Seweryn Streczen) |
The draw leaves supporters with reasons for optimism: a goalkeeper in form, evidence of promising youth talent, and a squad that can respond under pressure. Pre-season results are, of course, secondary to fitness and tactical preparation, but performances such as this help build momentum and belief as Bath City prepare for the campaign ahead.
Bath’s next fixtures will be watched closely by local fans keen to see whether this resilience can be translated into league form when competitive matches begin.
