Dartford 3 Bath City 3 match report: Luke Coulson scores twice but 10-man Bath claim late equaliser

By Callum Townsend

Despite a mostly positive performance in the rain for Dartford on opening day, it was 10-man Bath who left Princes Park in elation after rescuing a National League South draw from the jaws of defeat on Saturday.

Dartford started on the front-foot, forcing two corners early into the game which were swung in by newly-named captain Luke Coulson, following the departure of Tom Bonner in the summer.

The Darts remained dominant for the majority of the first half, but were given a wake-up call in the ninth minute when Dan Hayfield nodded home at the near-post, and saved only by the linesman’s flag.

The early scare was followed by a succession of unsuccessful Dartford chances, most notably when Harvey Bradbury latched onto a ball over the top by keeper Mitchell Beeney, but saw his one-on-one effort saved by Ollie Wright, before the Romans’ keeper denied Brandon Barzey’s follow-up.

Kieran Parselle received the first booking of the game as he was punished for dissent, and as such the tone of the new officiating rules of the English game was certainly stamped on this match, with a further four yellows being brandished throughout (not including Jack Batten’s second).

Following the new rules, there were an additional eight minutes added onto the first half, and it was Dartford who made the most of this time to break the deadlock.

Luke Allen’s ball into the box from the right was initially missed by Bradbury and Barzey, and the pair both had efforts on goal blocked in a scramble after the ball came back in via Luke Coulson. Within the madness, the ball found its way to debutant Tyrell Miller-Rodney on the edge of the box, who slammed it into the roof of the net to give the Darts the lead. A scrappy goal, which