MATCH REPORT: Hayes & Yeading United 0 Bath City 2 (Pratt 45+1, Watkins 70)
Strikers Dave Pratt and Andy Watkins were both on target as Bath City beat Hayes & Yeading United in gale-force winds and driving rain at Woking FC's sandy Kingfield Stadium.
Pratt struck on the stroke of half-time to put the visitors ahead and victory was capped when Watkins bagged his fourth goal of the season with 20 minutes remaining.
The win was City's second in four days, following on from Saturday's 2-1 home success against Bishop's Stortford, and keeps them in fifth spot in the Skrill South table.
Visiting supporters made up a good portion of a meagre gate of 97 - certainly the lowest that has witnessed a City team play in the league in many years.
Hayes opened the brighter of the two sides as 6ft 7ins forward Inih Effiong had an eighth-minute shot which sailed narrowly over Jason Mellor's crossbar.
Kamaron English was then denied by Mellor's feet, with Effiong putting his follow-up effort wide.
City soon got into the game and began to pressurise the home side, with Watkins the main threat. On 18 minutes a long ball down the right from Adam Connolly was crossed in by Pratt and Watkins, coming in at the far post, was only inches away from touching it home.
Four minutes later and again Watkins was the threat. This time, Andy Gallinagh put the ball into the box and while Hayes keeper Jamie Young hesitated, Watkins almost flicked it into the net.
As City failed to take their chances, they were forced into a reorganisation of their defence as Joe Burnell limped off with a hamstring strain to be replaced by Chris Allen.
The home side then enjoyed what was to be their best spell of the game. The third of a quartet of corners for Hayes saw Effiong fire in a shot which Mellor again just touched around his post.
But it was City who led at the break thanks to a goal in first-half stoppage time. A ferocious long-range effort from Noah Keats was turned away for a corner and, after Hayes failed to clear the ball, Josh Low put in a shot which came back off the upright. Just as it looked as if City might have missed out, the ever-alert Pratt stepped up to knock the rebound home.
As the conditions worsened and torrential rain came down in the second half, both sides struggled to play fluent football.
An early opportunity for Daniel Wishart went wide of Mellor's post yet although City were pushed back, they rarely looked like conceding.
Their clinching goal arrived on 70 minutes as a ball played down the right flank was picked up by Watkins, who raced past the defender to slide it past a helpless Jamie Young. Watkins' first goal since December 7 was a great reward for his efforts in recent matches and, as he said himself after the match, it was perhaps a good thing that he didn't have too much time to think.
From then on City continued to press forward but despite introducing Ross Stearn for a tiring Watkins, they could not add to their tally.
Hayes & Yeading United: Young Mills, Everitt, Merrifield (Williams 55), Wassmer, Inman, English (Hughes-Mason 55), Mitchell, Effiong, Blake, Wishart. Subs not used: Brown, Johnson, Ruiz.
Bath City: Mellor, Bowman, Gallinagh, Burnell (Allen 30), Preece, Connolly, Keats, Adelsbury, Pratt, Watkins (Stearn 82), Low. Subs not used: Rollo, Wilson.
Referee: Paul Harris.
Attendance: 97.
Great win tonight for the Romans!!
And delighted to get back on the scoresheet again!! ⚽️
— Andy Watkins (@watto85) February 4, 2014