Bassett Town suffered their second loss this season against Don Rogers' Pewsey Vale in the Cherry Red Records Challenge Cup Preliminary Round, as Rich Stevens leaves the management team with an up and coming suspension headache after being sent off for the second match in a row.

Both teams got off to a slow start with the only bit of action in the first ten minutes being when Craig Wall shoved Bassett captain Rob Hopkins into an advertising hoarding after only 30 seconds. Hopkins had to come off in the 17th minute with a shoulder injury as he gave way for Steve Woodman.

Rob Day had a half chance on 4 minutes for Bassett as he latched on to a good ball from Pete Cahill but Day shot wide.

Bassett pressed from then on and nearly found themselves one ahead when Pewsey midfielder Christian Ashurst deflected a looping ball which nearly went into his own net.

Two minutes later Craig Wall came close for Pewsey forcing Rich Stevens to tip the ball over for a corner. Wall then came close from the corner heading the Mark Jordan corner over the crossbar.

Stuart Lamont blasted over when there was an open goal for Bassett four minutes later.

Pewsey then broke the deadlock two minutes later as Ross Anderson scored after the Bassett defence made a mistake. Pewsey went into the break with a 1-0 lead and looking like the only team who could score.

The second half began slowly as well, the ball just being kicked around the midfield.

On 51 minutes the referee got his cards out for the first time showing one to Bassett playmaker Allan Pluckrose for retaliating. Two minutes later he booked Pewsey defender Adam Stevens for dissent after he had a long chat with the ref.

Bassett had a chance to draw level in the 54th minute when a Pete Cahill ball went out for a corner ahead of a Stuart Lamont header.

A couple of minutes later Craig Wall scored his first for Pewsey, and deservedly so, as he slotted the ball home after another defensive mistake by Bassett.

Mark Jordan nearly made it three for Pewsey in the 59th minute put he put it wide after a brilliant run.

A minute later Bassett's Dave Turner was booked for dissent after an argument with the referee. From that free kick Craig Wall sent the ball high over the bar into Row Z.

Pewsey Vale made their first change in the 61st minute when Brian Combellack replaced M. McNally. Pete Yeardley then made Bassett's second change in the 65th minute when Justin Hyde came on for Pete Cahill. Pewsey then made their second change when A. Wainwright came off and Doug Imrie came on in the 67th minute.

Two minutes later Bassett's Neil Bridges narrowly avoided injury when he was shoved underneath the barrier onto a track but he got up and continued to play.

Justin Hyde was placed up front for Bassett as they were in search of a goal to keep themselves in the game.

Allan Pluckrose nearly got a goal back for Bassett in the 85th minute when he struck a free kick over. Bassett then wasted two corners in which they could perhaps have found a lucrative goal.

In stoppage time Pewsey were all over Bassett and they got a scare when Combellack missed an easy chance.

Then Craig Wall was fouled by Rich Stevens in the box and Stevens was sent off for his actions. Luke Sharps came on in goal for Steve Woodman and Steve Thomas blasted the penalty home which secured a 3-0 win for Pewsey.

Managers Man Of The Match: Stuart Hemsley.

Scoop Rating: 5/10 – A poor performance by Bassett apart from a couple of individuals. This was the Craig Wall show.

Credit: Stuart Smedley
Last modified on Thursday 27th August 2020 at 12:53