Rylands Way, 28th February 2009

The banks may be getting some bad press of late but Wootton Bassett's Banks was very popular when he netted on Saturday to secure the three points in a tight encounter against Clanfield.

After the midweek draw against Lydney it was important that Dave Turner's men returned to winning ways in order to keep in touch with the leading pack but they were made to work hard by an industrious Clanfield side although, as part time statistician and Reserve Team Manager Mike Hartley pointed out, keeper Stuart Thompson was not called on to make a single save all match. Bassett's first chance of the game came as early as the 2nd minute when a free kick from the right was flicked on by Tom Richie to Chris Oram but his shot went into the side netting. Clanfield immediately went down the other end but Adam Little shot well wide from 25 yards. Almost immediately Bassett broke with a flowing move. Chris Oram set Shaun Terry away who fed Scott Ward who in turn laid the ball back into Terry with a return pass but Terry's shot was well saved by the keeper, although the linesman had indicated offside against Terry in any event. Bassett thought they had taken the lead on 16 minutes when Ward headed in Lee Moulton's cross but the goal was disallowed for offside. Bassett had a lucky escape three minutes later when Nathan Harris was put clean through but shot wide of the goal when it looked easier to score. However, this was not to be the worst miss of the game that honour fell to Tom Richie. Ward beat the Clanfield defence and was clear through with the keeper coming out but with Richie much better placed he unselfishly laid it across to Richie who with an open goal in front of him somehow managed to blaze his shot well over the bar. A gilt-edged chance if ever there was one. Ten minutes from the break neat play set Moulton through on the left and his cross was met by Ward with a glancing header which went just wide. A minute later a Terry shot was well saved by Clanfield's younger keeper Chris Brain. However, Bassett were not to be denied and their pressure finally paid off a minute later when a cross from Richie was headed back by Ward into the path of Ryan Banks who fired into the net to finally break the deadlock.

Bassett thought they had extended their lead immediately after the break when Yeardley netted but was adjudged to have handled the ball in bringing it under control before firing in. A minute later another chance fell to Shaun Terry but he shot straight at the keeper. The same player went close on 52 minutes when a free-kick which looked destined for the top corner of the net was just tipped over by Brain in the Clanfield goal. When your luck is out those goals can dry up and that is certainly the case for Terry at the moment. He could not have been closer to ending the famine in the 54th minute when he was set up by Ward and fired in a shot that hit the far post and then just as it looked like it would cross the line was somehow flicked out by the heel of keeper Brain. On 60 minutes Moulton was put through by a Richie header but Moulton shot well wide. The next chance for Bassett came on 71 minutes when Ward met a cross from Terry with a glancing header which went just wide of the post. On 79 minutes centre back Chris Oram was booked for a block on the edge of the box. A free kick in a dangerous position but again Thompson was not called into making a save as the free kick from Steve Olphert was fired straight into the Bassett wall and cleared. In the closing stages Adam Little started to give Luke Sharps a few difficulties but this did not turn into any goal scoring chances for the visitors. Five minutes from the end Bassett's wastefulness in front of goal was further demonstrated when Steve Yeardley was nicely set up by Shaun Terry but somehow managed to shoot 10 yards wide from only 5 yards out, summed up the day really. There was still time for a Richie Carter cross to cause difficulties for the Clanfield defence but keeper Brain managed to save to restrict the home side to the one solitary goal but three welcome points.

Man of the Match: Scott Ward – involved in most of Bassett's chances on goal.

Scoop Rating: 7/10 – A good performance but need to find their scoring boots, particularly Shaun Terry who has now not scored in four games.

Last modified on Monday 22nd June 2015 at 23:38