MATCH REPORT: Dover Athletic 1 Bath City 0
Bath City's poor FA Trophy record continued this afternoon as they exited the competition at the first hurdle with defeat in Kent.
Nathan Elder's bullet 33rd-minute header from a Tom Murphy cross proved the difference between the two Skrill South sides and ensured Dover entered Monday's draw for the first round proper.
City edged the first half-hour and went close to taking the lead when a superb 25-yard strike by Ross Stearn dipped and swerved towards the bottom corner but was fingertipped away by keeper Mitch Walker.
But they trailed at the break and Dover had a goal disallowed for offside seven minutes after the restart after Sean Raggett's header looped into the net.
The same player denied City an equaliser with a goalline clearance on the hour, with Walker making a brilliant save to keep out a header seconds later.
An unmarked Liam Bellamy sidefooted over the bar from six yards at the other end from another Murphy's cross.
City piled on the pressure in the closing stages and Stearn was presented with two chances from free-kicks. The second – a fierce effort - was blocked by the head of Chris Kinnear junior in the fourth minute of stoppage time as Dover nervously held on.
DOVER ATHLETIC: Walker, Stone, Wynter, Kinnear, Raggett, Forbes, Bellamy, Rogers, Elder, Sawyer, Murphy. Subs: Charles, Bakare, Orlu, Woodall, Carew.
BATH CITY: Mellor, Bowman, Ball, Preece, Gallinagh, Simpson, Stearn, Connolly, Pratt, Watkins, Keats. Subs: Low, Allen, Burnell, Rollo, Brown.
