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Somewhat Lucky Opening day win for Bassett Dev Team

There was a high scoring contest at the Gerard Buxton Ground where Odd Down Reserves were playing their first game in the league against Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development. They fell behind on eight minutes when Sam Ockwell headed in powerfully from a corner. Odd Down got themselves back into the game on 21 minutes when Brad Evans got on the end of a free kick to head past Adam House in the Royal Wootton Bassett goal. In an even contest, with both sides playing some good football, it was the home side who went in front when Dale Richards stretched to get on the end of an Ockwell free kick to slide the ball past Seb McKie in the Odd Down goal. Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development just about deserved the lead at the break having had the best chances, with McKie pulling off a couple of good saves to deny them more goals. Second half it was a different story as the visitors came more into the game. Two goals in a minute through Jacob Bird and Brad Evans, the latter with his second of the game, put them in the ascendancy. However, they did not help themselves when their left back was sent off for a second yellow after kicking the ball away when a free kick was given against him. They then had a player sin-binned for dissent and went temporarily down to eight men when goal scorer Bird was sent off for what appeared to be something that was said to the referee. Despite the numerical advantage Royal Wootton Bassett could not make it count, on three or four occasions they were through only to be denied by some excellent saves from McKie. With their number increased back up to nine and with the game deep into injury time it looked like it would be a winning start for Odd Down Reserves in the Wiltshire League. However, an equaliser from Dale Richards made it 3-3 and it looked like the points would be shared. Frustrated by the late equaliser Odd Down captain Dan Taylor then took an audacious shot straight from the kick-off and only an acrobatic save from Adam House denied Odd Down from regaining the lead. There was still time for more drama as the home side when, even deeper into added time, Bailey Gallagher got behind the Odd Down defence from a ball over the top, for once keeper McKie was slow to react and Gallagher bundled the ball over the line to give the home side all three points. Very tough on the young Odd Down side who had played so well in the second half. Commenting after the game, Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development manager Stephen Yeardley knew his side had got out of jail after falling behind,

"We were lucky today. Second half they were the better side, more organised, fitter and caused us all kinds of problems. In the end it was ill discipline that cost them. They will do well in this league and will take points off a lot of sides."

Credit: Mark Smedley
Last modified on Sunday 20th December 2020 at 15:26