UP FOR THE CHALLENGE: Keenan Meakin-Richards tries to win possession. Ref: NT05609
Rovers 2
Team Bath 3
DUANE Darby couldn't hold back the tears as the last rites were delivered to Rovers' season.
It was the caretaker boss who epitomised the full range of emotions that were felt around the Victoria Ground on Saturday.
From his first goal in a green and white shirt, to his tussle with Sami El Ald to retrieve the ball in the closing stages, right through to his pain at the climax, Darby would not lie down.
To their credit, neither would his players, who tried their best to make sure such a crucial game lived up to its billing.
Ironically, with Corby winning 2-1 at Bedford, Darby's equaliser would not have been enough even if Rovers had held on for a point.
But after this display - the Greens' most passionate and entertaining for some time - the team would have been fully deserving of one more second chance at Rod Brown's Rugby Town this Saturday.
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That is without adding it to the countless list of what ifs that come with sporting disappointments such as this.
And there have been plenty of those during this campaign.
All the more gut-wrenching for the Rovers supporters, is that we all know what could have been had their side displayed the same determination, passing, final ball and composure in the squandered games at Cirencester and Cheshunt.
There was a sense of all or nothing' about the title-chasing visitors too.
The Rovers camp had taken heart from this, and knew there were ways to nullify the technically sound Students.
A return to the line-up for Dave Bridgwater and Chris McHale signalled faith in the tried and trusted, and it was them who set about causing Bath problems.
In an encouraging start, dangerous balls were pumped into the Team Bath box as Rovers attempted to test their opponents' physical capabilities.
Chris McHale headed Dave Bridgwater's cross back across goal for Keenan Meakin-Richards, whose fierce shot was charged down.
Indeed, the Students' main weakness came at the first signs of aerial threats, and Dean Curtis was allowed to head just past the post on 12 minutes from a Jordan Fitzpatrick cross.
Rovers still had their work to do at the back, however, with the league's top scorer Sean Canham on the prowl.
Karl Lewis denied the hot-shot with a brave stop at his feet after Danny Wring had shrugged off Fitzpatrick to break into the box.
Lewis foiled efforts from Joe Arnold and Steve Abbott, but the in-form keeper's season was to take a cruel twist after the break.
First though, Jake Meredith in the Bath goal took his chance to shine, pushing the ball out of Curtis' path when the forward looked odds on to capitalise on a miscued volley from Chris Cornes.
But it was the Students who seized the moment and just four minutes after his introduction, Mike Perrott's dipping header gave them the lead, after Arnold was given too much space to cross.
The crowd was silenced, and as Bath sensed victory, the inadequacies that have hit Rovers hard over the last two months imploded on the otherwise impeccable Lewis.
Dan Dillow broke free on the right and steered a cross towards the six-yard box. Lewis misread the delivery, the ball deflected under his body and Rovers were packing their bags for Midlands Division One.
You couldn't help but feel for the young custodian, who has stood up to be counted perhaps more than any other Rovers player since the midpoint of the season.
The team have been indebted to Lewis on a number occasions, but now the harsh reality of relegation was taking its toll even on him.
His team-mates clearly felt he was deserving of a rescue act, and Jozsef Jakab opened the floodgates for a thrilling finale, restoring hope with a brilliant drive which found the bottom left-hand corner.
Fittingly, it was Darby who rallied the rescue act, and he tapped home the equaliser with four minutes left, after Meredith's save from Jakab led to a goalmouth scramble.
Jakab nearly won it in the final minute, getting the better of Abbott to reach Bridgwater's punt forward, but as Meredith rushed out, the Hungarian chipped wide.
But in injury-time Canham met Matt Cooper's cross to head home his 31st goal of the season and put the final nail in Rovers' coffin.
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