Alfredian Park, 11th December 2004

Steve Tucker struck twice for Wantage Town as Bassett endured another difficult afternoon losing 3-1.

Bassett started out nervously in their first game since Pete Yeardley stepped down, allowing Wantage to put the Bassett defence under pressure.

Bassett though threatened first as Harry Hambridge had a shot blocked at his feet by 'keeper Jon Beames after fourteen minutes following a corner.

Four minutes later Danny Allen came close following a corner from Steve Tucker but Ian Gill held Allen's shot from the edge of the area.

Geoff Swatton and Harry Hambridge started causing problems for the Wantage defence but it was Ash Bradshaw who came closest for Bassett in the first period.

On 29 minutes, the Bradshaw was on the receiving end of a Steve Yeardley through ball which put him in behind the Wantage defence but his shot from fifteen yards was tipped just wide by Beames.

Bassett fell behind four minutes later when the Bassett midfield failed to close down Danny Allen and his twenty-five yard effort went in the bottom left corner.

Two minutes before the break, Gill was caught off his line when Tucker fired in a shot from just outside the box which struck Andy Hallett's arm giving the referee no option but to award a penalty. Tucker neatly put away the spot kick to double Wantage's advantage.

The second half started slowly for both sides with the only action of note being Swatton's caution on 55 minutes for dissent.

Just after the hour mark, the Bassett forward struck wide from eighteen yards following a ball over the top before Mark Hammond replaced Hambridge six minutes later.

On 69 minutes, Bassett were lucky to clear a shot from a Wantage corner off the line but weren't so lucky a minute later as Wantage stretched their lead to three.

Gill was again caught off his line as Matty Allen found Tucker unmarked and Tucker's shot from the edge of the area found the back of the net.

Chris Mills replaced Steve Bunting with fifteen minutes left before Swatton cut the gap to two – firing in on the turn. Tom Messenger then replaced Stu Hemsley before Swatton fired over with eight minutes left following a Hammond ball.

It was too little too late though for Bassett as they started to try claw their way back in far too late in the game.

Scoop's Man of the Match: Ashely Bradshaw – showed the right attitude throughout the game and was creative down the left hand side linking up well with the central midfielders.

Scoop Rating: 5/10 – Three mistakes led to three goals in a game which was there for the taking.

Credit: Stuart Smedley
Last modified on Tuesday 15th September 2020 at 13:44