Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development may be relinquishing their Wiltshire Senior League Premier Division title, but Mark Simpkins' side still may have played a decisive role in determining who inherits their crown after an impressive 1-0 home victory against Devizes Town.

Devizes went into the game looking to extend their lead at the top of the table to five points and put the pressure on Trowbridge Town. Bassett, meanwhile, came into the match on the back of a tough run of results which had seen them lose six in a row and fail to score in their last five. All the games apart from the defeat to Pewsey Vale had been close run affairs and they were in need of some luck as they went in search of a win which would confirm their safety.

Bassett were forced into playing an outfield player in goal due to a keeper injury crisis, first team manager Sam Collier donning the gloves.

The first half saw the two sides cancel each other with the two defences generally preventing any real chances of note.

The most notable action of the half came when Devizes's Jack Baker was put in the sin bin by the referee for something he said when disputing a decision. Once in the technical area, Devizes manager George Bettles said something to Baker that then triggered an altercation between the two, resulting in Baker leaving the ground before his ten minutes in the sin bin were up, with the Devizes physio also leaving at the same time. Devizes survived the ten minutes of their temporary numerical disadvantage, but were forced into making a substitution to restore the eleven men as the two sides turned round with the game still looking for its first goal.

Devizes went close to getting the opener within a minute of the restart, when Jamie Walters headed back across goal and Paul Gittens headed over when unmarked from the edge of the six-yard box and probably should have done better.

Walters also had a golden chance from a ball played across the six-yard box but failed to make a decent connection when it looked like he would score.

Devizes were reduced to ten men for the second time in the game, and this time the reduction in number was permanent, when Olly Clarke saw a deserved red for a poor challenge from behind on Zach Pettifer.

With Devizes a man down, Bassett started to push for the opener and Matt Bennett got the wrong side of the Devizes back line but saw his shot well saved by Jack Cross.

It was then the turn of stand-in keeper Collier to keep his side on level terms, Rhys Talmash linking up with Kieron Gleed before hitting a shot which Collier saved.

It was end to end now and Cross once again saved well from Bennett on 70 minutes.

Just as it looked like the two sides would have to settle for a point apiece for the second time this season, the deadlock was finally broken a couple of minutes from time. A corner to the edge of the box was headed goalwards by Scott Chilcott and found substitute James Close who headed home for the three points that ensured safety for Bassett and ended that run of defeats.

The win for the home side also put a huge dent in Devizes' title aspirations. Despite the defeat, they remain two points clear at the top but have played two more games than Trowbridge, with it now being the Bees title to lose.

Credit: Mark Smedley
Last modified on Sunday 23rd April 2023 at 18:17