Milton United
Wootton Bassett TownWBTFC
Milton United Logo
1 ‒ 2
Wootton Bassett Town Logo

WBTFC Scorers:
Matt Bennett, Steve Yeardley

Bassett Give Milton Inferiority Complex

Milton Heights, 22nd January 2005

A rare Steve Yeardley goal three minutes from time gave Wootton Bassett Town a deserved and morale boosting victory against Milton United, as Bassett prevailed 2-1. The win was Bassett's fourth of the season and third away from home.

Milton had the first chance of the match after a quarter of an hour, but Garry Hartley hit well over with a first time shot after connecting with a Rob Powell cross.

Ian Gill was first properly tested after twenty minutes, but still held easily from Craig Antcliffe's strike.

Eight minutes later, Gill made a good stop as he tipped wide a Hartley shot from twenty yards out after Hartley intercepted a Rich Willis clearance.

Matt Bennett – who started to rediscover his form in this match – shot over from just outside the area twelve minutes from half time following a brilliantly whipped in cross from Ash Bradshaw.

Bradshaw again crossed for Bennett in the 41st minute but this time Bennett played the ball back to Lee Morse who fired over.

Dave Tyler then had Bassett's best chance of the half but he headed just over from a Bradshaw cross on the stroke of half time.

Bennett then gave Bassett the lead seven minutes after the restart. Bradshaw played in a cross to the far post where Bennett got a first time touch onto the ball and 'keeper Gareth Walker fumbled the ball just over the line desperately trying to save it.

Two minutes later Walker was able to hold on to a Tyler shot before, in the 61st minute, Milton drew level as substitute Patrick Malone laid off to another substitute – Stephen Munns – who finished off a neat move down the left hand side.

Bassett nearly got a goal back straight after the restart, as Dave Tyler ran through three defenders but his shot from twenty yards hit the top off the crossbar and went over.

Powell was then easily denied by Gill in the 65th minute before Bassett made their first change as Leigh Jones replaced Chris Mills who put in a determined performance on the right hand side.

With nineteen minutes left Malone came close for the home side but his shot on the turn rolled past the far post.

Mark King was replaced by Richard Gee – who slotted into the centre of midfield before Bassett almost went behind when Malone chipped a shot onto the roof of the net after Gill was unable to hold a Milton free kick.

A free head from Antcliffe from a Malone corner went just wide with eleven to go as Bassett began to look edgy at the back but then up stepped Yeardley to score his first ever first team goal in two and a half seasons.

A Bennett cross put in Tyler, who ran through the Milton defence but was tackled, when the ball fell to Yeardley who calmly slotted in from fifteen yards sparking mad celebrations in the Bassett dugout.

But deep in injury time, Bassett had to face a tough test when Steve Yeardley committed a foul just outside the Bassett box, but Robert Lovegrove blasted the set piece into the wall and Bassett were able to clear away and secure a long awaited victory.

Scoop's Man of the Match: Andy Hallett – kept Hartley in his pocket all game, marking him out of it – also fine performances came from Ash Bradshaw, Dave Tyler, Yeardley and Bennett.

Scoop Rating: 8/10 – A gutsy performance to secure all three points, dominated in the first half but looked slightly nervous towards the end of the second.

Credit: Stuart Smedley
Last modified on Wednesday 16th September 2020 at 12:05

Milton United
Wootton Bassett TownWBTFC
Milton United Logo
1 ‒ 2
Wootton Bassett Town Logo

WBTFC Scorers:
Matt Bennett, Steve Yeardley