So, after three-and-a-half hours of football, Bassett could not score against Wiltshire Division 2 side Marlborough even after completely dominating at least 90 minutes of the two ties. This replay followed the same pattern as the first game. Bassett, once they had cracked the off-side trap, tore the home side's defence to shreds. One thought that it would not be the same this week, but it was. The guilty were Curtis, Ashford and Vincent. The first two were put through with superb balls that left them one on-one with the keeper. It was easier to score than not, but they still missed. Like the previous week, the keeper kept the ball out and so the sorry saga continued. Then, in the 41st minute, disaster for Bassett. As they pushed up, a desperate clearance up field found Paul Davis confronted by three forwards. He went for the ball carrier and got his tackle in but, unfortunately, the ball rebounded off a Marlborough player and he was clear. A mix-up in the goalmouth left Nick Patterson with the easiest of chances.

When the second half started, Curtis had been substituted. Had Bassett kept up their first-half pressure, it would not have been long before they pulled one back before going on to win but it simply didn't happen. Dom Franklin, who had sparkled in the first half, faded completely while Ashford, whose superb running had caused havoc earlier, disappeared from the game. Bassett were going to pay for those misses and, sure enough, in the 62nd minute it was all over. A long ball found Patterson, who was forced wide, but he had a shot at goal from an acute angle. Whether the ball would have gone in is debatable, but Paul Davis made no mistake. From his boot, the ball lay snugly in the corner of the net. So, the Senior Cup eludes Bassett once again and, on Saturday's performance, rightly so.

Credit: John Reynolds
Last modified on Monday 25th January 2021 at 14:01