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Twerton Park

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Bath City 2-0 Chelmsford City

Bath City put one foot into the Blue Square South play-off final after they defeated Chelmsford City 2-0 in the first leg of their semi-final at Twerton Park on Tuesday.

Kaid Mohamed opened the scoring from the penalty spot after 60 minutes with substitute Hector Mackie adding a second with three minutes of the match remaining.

Chelmsford will feel hard done by after dominating large chunks of the tie while the referee also awarded a penalty against them.

Both sides also continued a recent theme as Mark Badman and Ricky Modeste were sent off following a late bust-up.

Chelmsford captain Dave Rainford returned from injury to take his place in the starting line-up and it took him less than a minute to make an impact as he had Bath keeper Ryan Robinson scrambling to reach a shot that went just wide of goal.

The home side's first shot came via the boot of Mohamed in the fourth minute but he too missed the target with Robinson the first to be tested in the 12th minute as Chelmsford's Ricky Holmes picked up the ball after a poor clearance by Jim Rollo before firing it goalwards.

Ashley Harrison was then forced into action as he palmed Mohamed's low shot around the post.

Chelmsford, though remained the more threatening side and Robinson only just denied Oliver Berquez from the edge of the box as he kept the ball out with his feet.

Bath kept their visitors at bay for the rest of the first half and had Matt Coupe to thank for keeping the scores level with an acrobatic block from another Berquez shot

Chelmsford started the second half much the same way they ended the first with Warren McBean coming close on 50 minutes after a mazy run before Ben Martin so nearly converted Ricky Holmes' corner in the 54th minute only to see Adam Connolly repeat the feat that Coupe had achieved at the end of the first period.

And with Chelmsford beginning to get frustrated, Bath enjoyed a slice of luck when the referee pointed to the spot after Darren Edwards and Steve Ward appeared to bump into each other but without either of them going to ground.

Mohamed dummied the keeper from the spot as he placed the ball to Harrison's left with the keeper diving to his right.

Chelmsford were naturally disrupted by the decision but were so nearly back on level terms when McBean got his head to a Holmes cross in the 70th minute only to see Sido Jombati deflect the ball away.

Mackie was then introduced in the 76th minute and it took him just 11 minutes to make an impact but not before Badman and Modeste received their marching orders in the 80th minute.

Mackie doubled his side's lead after good work from Edwards, who played in Mohamed, who in turn found Mackie, leaving him with time and space to find the bottom corner of the net.

Chelmsford saw out the remainder of the match and will be looking forward to the return leg at Melbourne Park on Saturday.

Bath City: Robinson, Jombati, Rollo, Coupe, Jones, Connolly (Mackie 76), Simpson, Badman, Edwards (Evans 89), Mohamed, Hogg. Subs not used: Bartlett, Douglas, Perrin

Chelmsford City: Harrison, Cook, Patterson, B Martin, Ward, Rainford, Berquez, Modeste, McBean, Lock, Holmes. Subs not used: Edmans, Finn, Glover, J Martin, Eyre

Ref: Ian Crouch.

Att: 1425.