Old Woodstock Town Logo 1 ‒ 0 Wootton Bassett Town Logo

Moses Madness Adds to Bassett’s Woodstock Woe

New Road, Saturday 3rd September 2005

Wootton Bassett Town suffered another single goal defeat, this time at the hands of early pace setters Old Woodstock Town as Bassett's inability to defend set pieces again showed.

Bassett were all over the place for the majority of the first half, allowing their hosts to create chance after chance.

In the first minute, Matt Jenkins saw a long range effort go just wide after Bassett failed to clear properly from a James Brown corner.

Five minutes later Ricky King sent a header just wide of the post after Brown whipped in a free kick.

Steve Bunting and Leigh Jones were unable to finish decent chances midway through the half as both missed the target by inches.

Bassett rode their luck with 27 minutes gone when a cross from the right was met with a header by Steve Ayris. The ball ricocheted off the inside of the near post before travelling across the line and bouncing back out off the other upright.

Dwayne Quinn was booked for the fourth time this season in the 34th minute for petty dissent before Steve Bunting picked up a knock on his ankle and was forced off – Lee Marshall replacing him.

Woodstock finally found the back of the net four minutes before the break after a stupid foul on the edge of the box. Brown whipped the ball in and Nick Neal headed home from twelve yards.

Neal could have made it two three minutes later after winning the ball off Steve Yeardley at midfield but his attempted lob went well over. A fine double save from John Haines kept out Duncan Fitzgerald, who for some reason was booked for challenging Haines for the ball.

Two minutes after the restart a fine save from Danny Clifford denied Yeardley a wonder goal from a long range free kick before Woodstock once again found the woodwork. A Brown free kick wasn't cleared and fell to Ayris at the far post but his volley bounced back out of the bar.

Jones then forced another good save out of Clifford after a neat one-two between Ben Gascoyne and August Player of the Month Stu Hemsley enabled Jones to get open. From the resulting corner Craig Maclaren had his header at the near post comfortably saved.

Moses Greene replaced Dwayne Quinn on the hour, however Greene's stay on the pitch was to be short-lived.

Fitzgerald had a shot from 20-yards cannon off the post after Neal played him through, again breaching the Bassett back three.

Greene was booked in the 67th minute and seventeen minutes later was given his marching orders after elbowing Simon Lenagan.

A Steve Tucker corner found the head of Maclaren with six minutes left but Clifford was able to tip the ball onto the bar and danger was averted.

An altercation in the 90th minute brought out two more cards – one for either team – with Yeardley picking up a third of the year for Bassett and Ben Thomas being cautioned for Woodstock.

Yet again discipline seems to be an issue with Steve Tucker and now Greene heading for lengthy suspensions as well as Yeardley and Quinn, who are continuing to rack up the yellow cards.

Scoop's Man of the Match: John Haines – pulled off some brilliant saves and kept Bassett – who never looked liked scoring anyway – in the game.

Scoop Rating: 4/10 – Worst performance of the season by far with players moaning at each other and indiscipline costing dear. Arrogant and inconsistent officiating didn't help but neither did the fact that most of the team weren't playing for each other.

Credit: Stuart Smedley
Last modified on Thursday 17th September 2020 at 09:53