Epic Fightback: Bath City Progress Past Whitchurch 6-3

Key Points

• Bath City Women staged a remarkable comeback from 2-0 down and 3-1 down to defeat Whitchurch Ladies 6-3 in the MGM Sports League Cup on 2 February 2026.​
• Whitchurch Ladies scored first through Hannah Gillett in the 8th minute, skipping past Lucy Clay before converting.​
• Jessica Taylor doubled the lead in the 13th minute with a long drop-kick misjudged by Rosie Burridge, allowing Faith Constable to drill into the bottom corner.​
• Bath City pulled one back on 21 minutes: Bex Fry’s pass found Tara Taylor, who squared for Maddy Brown to score from close range.​
• Ilarna Nche made it 3-1 for Whitchurch when her persistence beat Sophie Storey on the byline, deflecting over Clay despite Romans’ defence efforts.​
• Jasmine Rennie scored Bath’s second in the first half, controlling Eve Trivett’s ball, holding off a defender, and firing from 12 yards.​
• Bex Fry netted Bath’s third just after half-time with a thunderous strike into the roof of the net following a one-two near the box.​
• Emma Vilday equalised from a Tara Taylor cross that Jessica Taylor batted onto her head, nodding in to put City ahead for the first time.​
• Rosie Burridge saved a fine effort from Kelly Dadds via Lucy Clay before Bath’s fifth: Tara Taylor’s low corner flicked by Clodagh Moran to Burridge for her first goal for the club.​
• Clodagh Moran scored the sixth with a perfectly placed curler from inside the box, her maiden goal for Bath City.​
• The match took place at Whitchurch’s ground, with Bath City, known as the Romans, advancing in the Divisional Cup Round 2.
• Bath City Twitter confirmed the comeback, listing goals from Maddy Brown, Jasmine Rennie, and others in a post-match update.​

Whitchurch(Cardiff Daily) February 02, 2025 – Bath City Women produced a stunning recovery from 2-0 and 3-1 deficits to triumph 6-3 over Whitchurch Ladies in the MGM Sports League Cup this afternoon, securing progression in the competition.​

What Triggered Whitchurch’s Early Dominance?

Whitchurch Ladies seized control early at their home ground. As detailed in the official match report from Bath City FC, Hannah Gillett opened the scoring in the 8th minute, skipping around Lucy Clay’s desperate dive before calmly converting past the Bath keeper.​

Five minutes later, Jessica Taylor’s long drop-kick was misjudged by Bath’s Rosie Burridge. Faith Constable capitalised fully, drilling superbly across Clay into the bottom corner to make it 2-0.​

Bath City responded on the 21st minute. Bex Fry’s pass over the top was collected by Tara Taylor, who squared for Maddy Brown to ram home from close range, reducing the arrears to 2-1.​

How Did Whitchurch Extend Their Lead Before Half-Time?

Ilarna Nche restored Whitchurch’s two-goal cushion. Her persistence saw her get the better of Sophie Storey on the byline; Storey inadvertently deflected Nche’s cross over Clay, despite desperate attempts on the line from the Romans’ defence.​

The first half concluded with further drama. Jasmine Rennie rounded off the scoring in an action-packed period, brilliantly controlling Eve Trivett’s ball forward, holding off a defender, and firing home from 12 yards to make it 3-2 at the break.​

This sequence highlighted Whitchurch’s attacking threat, with four different scorers in the opening 45 minutes, as per the Bath City FC report.​

When Did Bath City Mount Their Comeback?

The second half ignited Bath City’s revival. Bex Fry worked a one-two near the edge of the box and unleashed a thunderous strike that flew into the roof of the net, leaving Jessica Taylor helpless and bringing City within one goal at 3-3.​

Five minutes later, Taylor was left red-faced. She failed to collect Tara Taylor’s cross, batting it straight onto the head of Emma Vilday, who gleefully nodded City in front for the first time in the match.​

Lucy Clay preserved the lead with a fine save from Kelly Dadds, denying Whitchurch an immediate riposte.​

Who Scored the Decisive Goals for Bath City?

Just past the hour mark, Bath extended their advantage. Tara Taylor’s low corner was cleverly flicked by substitute Clodagh Moran to Rosie Burridge, who fired in her first goal for the club from close range, making it 5-3.​

Moran then sealed the stunning turnaround. The substitute netted her maiden Romans goal with a perfectly placed curler from inside the box against a strong Whitchurch side.​

Bath City FC’s official account on X (formerly Twitter) celebrated the “CUP COMEBACK,” noting the fightback from 3-1 down at Whitchurch and crediting goals from Maddy Brown, Jasmine Rennie, Bex Fry, Emma Vilday, Rosie Burridge, and Clodagh Moran.​

What Context Surrounds This Fixture?

This clash formed part of the MGM Sports League Cup, specifically Divisional Cup Round 2, as listed in Bath City Women’s 2025-26 fixtures. Whitchurch hosted, with the kick-off at 2pm, following a preview in Bath Echo where the Romans anticipated a tough test against fourth-placed Whitchurch in Division One North.

Severn Sport noted the fixture among Gloucestershire women’s football matches on Sunday 1 February, alongside games like Mangotsfield United Women vs Bitton Ladies. Bath City had built momentum from prior results, including a 3-0 win over Mangotsfield days earlier, with Maddy Brown scoring twice.

How Does This Result Impact Both Teams?

Bath City advances in the League Cup, boosting morale under manager Matt Abreu. The Romans now eye upcoming league tests, such as away at Paulton Rovers on 8 February and home against Whitchurch later in the season.​

For Whitchurch Ladies, despite the strong start and goals from Gillett, Taylor (assist), Constable, and Nche, the collapse proves costly. As a higher-division side, the defeat underscores vulnerabilities in defending leads, per the detailed Bath City FC narrative.​

What Do Key Players Say About the Match?

Direct post-match quotes remain unavailable from independent sources at this early stage. However, Bath City FC’s report attributes the turnaround to individual brilliance, such as Fry’s “thunderous strike” and Moran’s “perfectly placed curler,” with Abreu’s team praised for the recovery against a “strong side.”​

Bath Echo’s prior coverage highlighted players like Lucy Clay, Bex Fry, Tara Taylor, Maddy Brown, Jasmine Rennie, Rosie Burridge, and Emma Vilday in recent form, many featuring prominently here.