Bath City needed penalties to overcome Frome Town in the FA Trophy 1st Round.

Bath City needed penalties to overcome Frome Town in the FA Trophy 1st Round.

Reuben Reid, Joe Raynes, Enzio Boldewijn and Matt Bowman were successful from the spot after a goalless draw at a sodden Cannon Clarke Stadium @ Twerton Park.

Jon Davies’ spot-kick was saved by Harvey Wiles-Richards and Harry Lucas fired over for the Robins.

While Alex Fisher’s penalty was repelled by Kyle Phillips, making his 300th appearance for Frome, the four other successful kicks meant a fourth straight shootout win in all competitions and progress to round two.

The visitors had the better of the early exchanges and squandered a glorious chance to take a 14th minute lead.

Zac Drew’s perfectly weighted crossfield ball on the counter was delivered first time into the penalty area by Albie Hopkins.

It was inviting for the onrushing Zack Ali but he lost all composure and somehow spooned over from six yards.

Ollie Chamberlain lofted over from 25 yards after an unintended one-two with Hopkins and Donovan Wilson volleyed Jordan Tillson’s corner into the side-netting from an acute angle.

Drew forced Wiles-Richards into a flying save to his left after Minturn slipped on the soaked surface and Callum Gould lofted over after Archie Ferris’ tidy control and lay-off.

Seweryn Streczen, given a rare start, headed Boldewijn’s hanging cross onto the top of the bar when off balance.

Sam Meakes chested and volleyed into the side-netting to conclude a decent first half display from the Robins, keen to build on their August league win between the sides.

City came out more determined from the restart and forced Phillips into his first save on 52 minutes.

Wilson held the ball up well and teed up Streczen, whose low drive across goal was beaten away by the experienced glovesman.

The Romans thought they’d taken the lead three minutes later.

Tillson’s corner deflected kindly to Wilson, who swivelled and slammed home from two yards out, but he was flagged offside with City protesting that the ball had ricocheted off a Frome player.

Ali’s header back across goal was denied by an outstretched leg of the unsighted Wiles-Richards as Frome looked a threat on the counter.

Reid wastefully headed Raynes’ cross wide while at the other end Wiles-Richards produced the save of the match with just over five minutes left.

A pinpoint delivery from Ali was met by Ferris, whose well-directed header from eight yards was superbly tipped onto the bar and behind by City’s number one.

Neither side looked keen to rely on penalties for progression as they attacked with menace.

Substitute Fisher sent in a well-measured low ball across to fellow replacement Bowman but he shinned off target when he should have tested Phillips.

From the resulting corner an inspired Sam Teale block kept out Bowman, before the final counter of the game nearly saw the visitors snatch success.

Minturn air-kicked Ali’s long ball forward leaving Hopkins in the clear, but the midfielder shot early and the advanced Wiles-Richards blocked to safety.

No breakthrough meant a first goalless draw of Scott Bartlett’s tenure as the sides prepared for a penalty shootout.

Having won two in the trophy last term going second, the same pressure was instilled on City as Frome captain Teale won the toss for them to go first, looking to make it two shootout wins from two having overcome Willand Rovers the previous round.

Hopkins and Reid both calmly slotted home before Frome blinked first with ex-City man Davies denied by Wiles-Richards low to his right.

Captain Raynes coolly converted against his former employers to nudge the Romans ahead.

Gould went third for Frome and having seen one saved against Falmouth in the FA Cup last month, he made amends by placing out of Wiles-Richards’ reach.

Frome’s tails were up as Fisher’s powerful attempt was well blocked by Phillips to his right to keep the scored level.

Their celebrations were soon cut short as Lucas’ kick grazed the bar in going over allowing Boldewijn to put City ahead again with his kick squirming under Phillips.

Ferris emphatically scored to heap the pressure on Bowman, but he held his nerve, placing his kick just out of Phillips’ reach to finally send the Romans through.

“We did a lot of prep on their penalties but they all went a different way anyway,” laughed Bartlett. “I fancied Harvey to save one.

“We haven’t trained properly for a few weeks so we couldn’t practise them.

“As long as you have five, six or seven lads willing to take a penalty I always think you’ve got a chance.

“It’s out of your hands when it gets to that stage. I was pleased with the second half performance after we didn’t have enough control of the game in the first, Frome were pretty relentless.

“We won more first contacts second half and defended the slope amazingly. It was all about being patient.

“I’m delighted for the supporters that we’ve won that shootout and another round to look forward to.”