Manager Garry Haylock will consider this two points dropped after United conceded an equaliser just three minutes from the end, but it is hard to argue that our visitors from Bath City didn't deserve it.

The Romans started the game well and in just the fifth minute a long ball forwards saw Aaron Howe race from goal to challenge Darren Edwards. The striker managed to get his head to the ball first and kept his composure to slide the ball into Howe's now vacant net from the edge of the area.

United were not in arrears for long though, just eight minutes after going behind the game was once more level. Josh Scott received the ball from a Calum Botham forwards surge, he in turn laid it back to Will Hendry who made space for him self and hit a curling shot that keeper Steve Perrin pushed away towards the touchline. James Mulley, realising the ball would not go out of play gave chase, collected the ball and rolled it back to Steven Gregory who planted a perfect cross to the far post, Perrin missed it at full stretch and Scott headed home.

Midway through the half a long Tom Cadmore pass was superbly controlled by Esmond James who then turned past his marker Jim Rollo before losing his composure and firing high over Perrin's goal. Six minutes later United had the lead. A free-kick was rolled to Scott inside the area, the striker rolled his marked and crossed with his weaker right foot. Perrin allowed the cross to go through his hands under pressure from Botham and this resulted in Bath's Steve Jones hitting the ball into the roof of his own net in an attempt to clear his lines.

The game had just entered first half stoppage time when Scott chased down and dispossessed Gethin Jones on the left flank, he advanced into the box and picked out the on-coming Hendry who in trying to power his shot home fired a foot too high.

The visitors came out with renewed gusto in the second half, possibly thinking of the let off they had just before the break, and with just seven minutes played United were fortunate to stay in front when Howe punched the ball at Cadmore inside the six yard box. Thankfully the keeper was quick enough to react and dive on the ball before it crossed the line, sparing his skipper an own goal that would not have been of his own making.

Despite the Romans having a greater amount of the ball, it was not until the final thirteen minutes that chances started to come forth, the visitors having two good chances to equalise in just a couple of minutes. Firstly, Chris Holland rose highest to meet a Lewis Hogg corner but could not keep his effort down and this was quickly followed by an interchange between strikers Edwards and Dave Gilroy that saw the latter denied by a superbly timed James Mulley tackle.

Five minutes remained when Scott had two chances in 60 seconds to wrap up the game for United. Hendry sent the striker through on goal and with defenders chasing him he rounded Perrin but found himself going wide of goal, he did however turn and make his way back into a shooting position where he fired through Perrin's legs only to be denied by Holland who cleared off the line. Seconds later the same combination saw Scott shoot from just outside the area but this time he was wide of the target.

These two misses were to prove crucial as sixty seconds later Romans substitute Ali Gibb crossed from the right, Cadmore headed skywards, Edwards headed on and Gilroy touched the ball over the line from a foot out as Howe tried to punch clear.

The final minute saw the final chance of the game fall to United substitute Kieran Knight who had been sent through by Scott. Knight held the ball up rather than try a strike with his left, managed to turn his marker and with Perrin off his line tried to curl the ball into the far corner, Perrin was to deny him by getting his finger tips to the ball at full stretch to force it wide.

Report by Kevin Watts. Photos by Ray Peploe.

Match Highlights available at www.fcvideo.co.uk

Website United Man of the Match: James Mulley.