Gerard Buxton Sports Ground, 17 April 2022
Royal Wootton Bassett Town's 2021-22 Hellenic League Premier Division campaign ended in defeat as Nathan Davis' first half double decided a closely fought encounter in Corsham Town' favour in a game played in front of a bumper Easter Sunday crowd.
341 spectators – Bassett's largest crowd of the season – packed the Gerard Buxton Sports Ground for a fixture played as part of the league's annual ground hopper weekend. And while the contest ended in a 2-0 win for the visitors from west Wiltshire, Sam Collier's side can at least be satisfied with the performance they put in, particularly with the game being played less than 48 hours since their derby triumph against Shrivenham.
It was certainly a much closer affair than that between the teams in November, but ultimately Corsham claimed a season double over Bassett courtesy of Davis' brace with both goals scored in the final quarter hour of the game's opening period.
It had been extremely tight up until Davis scored his first, with the best opportunity in the opening half hour falling to Bassett's Bailey Gallagher, who saw a shot just cleared off the line.
But it was the visitors who wound up breaking the deadlock. Corsham's first goal came in somewhat fortunate circumstances as the visitors profited from a throw in decision that should have gone Bassett's way. The hosts still had the opportunity to successfully defend from it though. However, Davis scored with a low curling shot from the right edge of the box that found the corner of the net courtesy of a deflection.
That goal initiated a spell in which Corsham found themselves on top. And they were soon 2-0 up after Chris Taylor conceded a penalty and Davis sent Eddie Cavanagh the wrong way from the spot.
It was then almost three just before the interval, but Cavanagh did brilliantly to save Gary Higdon's header at point blank range.
Bassett were by no means defeated at the break, but with a two goal deficit they found themselves with plenty to do if they were to have any chance of getting something from the match.
And the hosts fought well after the restart, being arguably the better side during the second half.
On the hour mark, leading scorer John Mills hit a powerful shot from the edge of the box that 'keeper Rob Brown took well. Late on the forward had the ball in the back of the net direct from a corner, but that was disallowed for a foul on Brown. Shortly after, Chris Taylor's free kick from just outside the area deflected narrowly wide off the wall.
The visitors then had the final opportunity of the match when sub Baldwin Osayi Igbinobaro went on a surging run. However, Cavanagh was equal to his effort, the 'keeper saving with his feet.
The loss means Bassett were unable to finish the campaign with a winning record, their final totals for the season being 16 wins, 16 defeats and six draws from their 38 league fixtures – enough for 12th place.
That points haul does mean the side finish with the highest total the club have recorded while in the Hellenic Premier Division. Combined with the record-setting run in this year's FA Vase, the campaign can, on balance, be counted as a success.
But the season also ends with the sense that Bassett could have perhaps achieved at least a bit more in what was a highly competitive division.
Against the nine teams they finished alongside in the bottom half, Bassett picked up a hugely impressive 42 points. However, against those winding up in the top ten, twenty matches yielded a return of just twelve points – six of which came against Longlevens.
While suggesting Bassett were a fair distance in quality behind those teams, a closer inspection of the team's record suggests otherwise. Indeed, of their losses in the league, just five were suffered by greater than a two-goal margin, while Bassett claimed points off three of the teams finishing in the division's top four.
Nevertheless, after 14 seasons (twelve of which have been completed) in the top tier of the Hellenic League, a top half finish remains elusive still.
Here's hoping that 2022-23 will finally be the campaign in which that duck is broken.
Credit: Stuart Smedley
Last modified on Sunday 17th April 2022 at 15:00
