The players may have changed many times over but the song remains the same as, in going down to a dispiriting 3-0 National League South defeat to a previously winless Bath City, St Albans City extended their run of visits to Twerton Park without scoring to seven on Saturday.

Time spent in the inspiring city of Bath is always time well spent, but the time St Albans spend at the Romans atmospheric stadium is nothing but a fruitless waste of time.

Almost 2,000 years have passed since the Romans slaughtered Alban on his path to become England’s First Martyr, but a visit to Twerton Park all these years on show that little has changed with the Romans once more slaying the Saints.

The Saints form in the opening two games of the season, coupled with Bath’s poor start, suggested that the hoodoo the Romans hold over St Albans would finally be broken by the magic potion that Ian Allinson has sprinkled over his side since taking charge back in February.

But after a three-goal mauling, it could have been considerably more in the closing stages, and a first sending off of the season, it is back to the drawing board for Allinson’s new-look Saints.

St Albans made their first change to the starting XI this season with former Biggleswade Town midfielder Ian Rees stepping in for Shaun Lucien.

Bath manager Gary Owers also made one change from the side that lost in midweek to early season pace-setters Weston-super-Mare with Dan Bowman replacing Jack Batten.

St Albans appeared keen to put the ‘we never score here’ nightmare behind them early on with Junior Morias going close with a fine over-head kick from 18 yards after Nick McCootie had headed away a Lee Chappell throw inside the opening minute.

Bath first threatened on six minutes when Bowman hooked the ball forward and Marvin Morgan beat Ben Martin to head it on for the lively Andy Watkins to test James Russell with a low shot towards the near post that the Saints custodian turned away for a corner.

The rest of the half was pretty insipid although on 15 minutes the home goal enjoyed a remarkable slice of good fortune when a goal at this time would surely have seen St Albans take full advantage of Bath’s suspect confidence.

Martin headed on a Chappell throw from the right and Ryan Johnson got the better of ‘keeper Steve Philips to send a backwards header onto the crossbar, Tom Bender looked to have scored from the rebound but his header was dramatically headed off the goalline by Romans defender Chas Hemmings.

If St Albans had believed that this would be the day that they would finally score in this corner of Somerset then this incident will have shot down any such notions.

Ben Herd found his way into referee Marc Whaley’s notebook on 18 minutes for a foul on Morgan. While Morgan appealed in vain for a penalty Herd, with some justification, argued, unsuccessfully, that it was no more than a run-of-the-mill collision.

An air of inevitability to proceedings engulfed the 107-year-old stadium on 34 minutes when Bath opened the scoring.

Bender did well to tackle McCootie at the cost of a corner but City’s world fell apart as Hemmings timed his run superbly to meet Billy Murphy’s set-piece cross and head downwards to the right of Russell for his first league goal in two seasons.

City had a let off when a slip by Martin allowed Morgan to attack down the Bath left only for his cross to be diverted wide by McCootie.

During the opening two league fixtures St Albans strength was in going forward but City’s lack of creativity here was underlined by tame efforts from outside by the penalty area by Louie Theophanous, twice, and Dipo Akinyemi dribbling harmlessly wide.

A single-goal deficit at the interval should not have been insurmountable but St Albans’ second half showing was thoroughly inept and within moments of the half getting underway Russell had to dive to his right to keep out a firm drive by Morgan.

A wayward cross by Akinyemi on 57 minutes was the final straw as far as Allinson was concerned and the anonymous Stevenage teenager was replaced by Rhys Hoenes.

Hoenes went on to have one of only two second half shots by the Saints, his effort drifted aimlessly high and wide while Theophanous struck the base of an upright.

On 64 minutes Herd became the second Saint to be dismissed at Twerton Park when he became embroiled in a spot of petty tussling with Watkins and was adjudged to have pushed the Bath player to the ground to pick up a second yellow card.

McCootie headed wide from Murphy’s free kick but the writing was very much on the wall for the now ten-man visitors.

A minute later Bender somehow evaded a booking when pulling Watkins back and then kicking the ball at the Bath winger.

But the Romans took full revenge from the set-piece with Murphy’s in-swinging left-footed cross dropping amongst a cluster of players for Bath’s Man of the Match Manny Monthe to head past the static Russell for his first goal for the club.

Matt Ball (midfield) and then Josh Hill (right-back) were thrown into the fray as City looked to stem the growing tide of Bath attacks and only a weak shot denied Watkins a second goal after meandering in from the right.

A flowing move of ten passes ended with Stuart Fleetwood getting behind the Saints defence but the Romans substitute carelessly dragged his shot wide.

But Fleetwood made no mistake on 80 minutes when a move that began deep inside the Bath half saw Bowman weave his way down the right and exchange passes with Josh Hutchinson before sliding a delightful ball into the penalty area for Fleetwood to sweep home from six yards.

Bath could have added to City’s embarrassment during the closing stages but shots from Hutchinson, Hunter and George Rigg all sailed over Russell’s goal.

St Albans return to Clarence Park on Tuesday evening (18th August) with the visit of unbeaten Chelmsford City for a National League South encounter, kick off 7.45pm.

In goal for the Clarets will be Joe Welch who left the Saints for Melbourne Park during the summer.

Bath City: S.Phillips, D.Bowman, D.Ball, C.Hemmings, M.Monthe, G.Rigg, N.Diallo (S.Fleetwood 71), B.Murphy, N.McCootie, M.Morgan (S.Hunter 64), A.Watkins (J.Hutchinson 78), subs not used: L.Marshall, J.Batten.

St Albans City: J.Russell, B.Herd, T.Bender (J.Hill 71), L.Chappell, B.Martin, R.Johnson, I.Rees (M.Ball 66), Sc.Thomas, L.Theophanous, J.Morias, D.Akinyemi (R.Hoenes 57), subs not used: S.Merson, S.Lucien.

Booked: Morias.

Dismissed: Herd.

Referee: Marc Whaley (Plymouth).

Att: 379.