Worthing showed six changes to the side that were defeated at Hampton & Richmond in midweek. Glen Rea made his full debut for the club, while Joe Felix returned from suspension to bolster the Reds in defence.

The hosts started the brighter of the two sides and created a couple of early chances through Luke Russe. First, Russe tried his luck with a volley from the edge of the area which Joel Colbran headed onto the crossbar and out for a corner.

From the resulting corner, the ball found its way to Russe at the far post who struck his effort wide on this occasion.

Worthing were allowed to have plenty of the ball by the Romans and were patiently trying to work openings but struggled to make their long balls stick in the torrential conditions at Twerton Park. The heavens opened five minutes before kick-off and it continued to rain relentlessly throughout the first half.

Ricky Aguiar tried his luck from some 30 yards on the half-hour mark but his low shot was about a yard wide of the upright.

Aguiar turned provider two minutes later when he headed down Colbran’s diagonal ball into the path of the advancing Kane Wills. Wills’ first-time effort was comfortably saved by Will Buse.

There was a nervy moment at the back soon after for the Reds. Jordan Thomas cut in from the right and unleashed a shot with his left foot which Roco Rees parried straight into the path of the league’s top-scorer, Scott Wilson. But, the forward didn’t make a clean connection with his effort and Rees gathered.

Into added time, Danny Greenslade fired an audacious attempt at goal from some 40 yards which had Rees scrambling to make a fingertip save to his left.

But, it was Worthing who found the breakthrough when the hosts were having their best spell in the game. On the counter-attack, Colbran found Aguiar with another diagonal ball which Aguiar chested down brilliantly in front of him before hooking it past Buse and into the back of the net.

The Reds were good value for the goal, having dominated possession for large parts of the first half and found themselves in front at half time.

The contest had a different feel to it after the break with the hosts coming out with a lot more intent to move forward with the ball.

Ewan Clark was brought down on the edge of the area on the hour mark, earning a free-kick in a dangerous position. He stepped up himself to take it, but hit the dead-ball over the crossbar.

Soon after, Hinshelwood rang the changes, replacing Joan Luque and Michael Klass with Bailey Smith and Ollie Pearce, switching his shape to a more traditional 4-4-2.

Jordan Thomas worked another good opportunity for himself as he danced past the Rebels defenders before firing his left-footed shot over the bar.

The Rebels again hit the Romans during another positive patch for the hosts. This time, substitute Smith found room to work down the right flank before delivering a dangerous, low cross which hit Jake Robinson on its way into the back of the net and all of a sudden, the Rebels had a two-goal lead to defend.

Robinson was immediately substituted after scoring, as Hinshelwood brought on Joe Rye in an attempt to shut up shop.

Infuriated by a decision not to award his side a free-kick, Bath City boss, Jerry Gill was yellow carded by the referee with fifteen minutes left on the clock.

The home side probed away at the Rebels’ defence and Greenslade went close on 88 minutes as he delivered a wicked cross which Rees tipped over the bar.

But, the Reds remained firm in defence and were quite literally singing in the (torrential!) rain at Twerton Park after keeping a long-awaited clean sheet and picking up three points in the National League South.

Attention turns to the First Round Proper of the Emirates FA Cup for the Reds as they prepare for their long trip north to Alfreton Town next Saturday.