Sustain Stadium, Gerard Buxton Sports Ground, 3 September 2022

Royal Wootton Bassett Town saw their hopes of extending their Emirates FA Cup run even further extinguished as a poor day at the office defensively enabled Paulton Rovers to triumph 4-2 in a hectic and entertaining first qualifying round tie.

While the Southern League Division One South side were deserved winners come full time, Bassett will be disappointed that they failed to spring an upset - or at least force a replay - with all four of the visitors' goals being in some way avoidable. A poor clearance gifted Paulton an equaliser midway through the opening period before Bassett conceded from three set pieces in the second half.

In the end, Bassett were left with a sense of what could have been as they came up short in their attempts to equal the club's record run in the FA Cup for a second time in three seasons.

There was action right from the start as both teams should intent from the opening whistle. Ed Butcher narrowly missed the target twice in the opening three minutes for Paulton, while at the other end Jack Hobson-McVeigh saw a firm drive deflected over and Alfie Presley found the roof of the net with a cross-cum-shot.

It was Paulton who had a firmer grip on proceedings though and they should have been ahead on 18 minutes when Kyle Tooze beat the offside trap to race on to a ball into the right corner before teeing up strike partner Paulo Borges but he could only produce a weak shot on the turn from twelve yards that was straight at Matty Crowther.

Having passed up that golden opportunity, the visitors soon found themselves behind. Bailey Gallagher won a penalty as he beat Mircea Ilea to a Presley cross and was felled by the centre half. Chris Taylor's effort from the spot was comfortably parried by Aaron Sainsbury. However, Tommy Ouldridge was on hand to sweep home the rebound.

The goal came against the run of play but at least offered a platform from which Bassett could build.

Instead the hosts' lead lasted all of five minutes. Adam Corcoran failed to clear, instead finding Butcher on the edge of the box and the lively midfielder confidently swept home into the bottom corner.

Butcher could then have had two in minutes as Corcoran again played the ball into his path. However he dragged his snap shot from close range straight at Crowther.

The game would then remain level up until the 65th minute. Until that point, the game fell into something of a lull - and that was not helped by the stop-start nature of the opening 15 minutes of the second half which yielded four bookings - three for the visitors - and saw Bassett forced into two changes as Taylor and Dave Bampton picked up knocks.

Those substitutions hurt Bassett, depriving them of experience and leadership at a crucial point in the game.

And soon enough Bassett found themselves behind as Paulton scored a soft second. Tooze floated in a free kick from the left wing and Ilea - completely unmarked at the far post - scored with the simplest of headed goals.

A third soon arrived. Crowther produced a fine save to steer another Butcher effort around the post. But from the resulting corner, swung in by Nuno Felix, Ilea again found himself unmarked and coolly swept in from twelve yards.

That goal initially seemed to sap Bassett's confidence. However Sam Collier's were soon gifted a lifeline as Matt Bennett seized upon a Martin error in the right corner, surged into the box and squared for substitute Luke Whelan, who found the net with a deft backheel.

Bassett were lifted and came close to an equaliser when Harrison Lea connected with a Hobson-McVeigh free kick, seeing his glancing header go narrowly over. Presley then arrowed a low drive narrowly wide of the left post after collecting Gio Wrona's diagonal ball and bursting past Felix.

There would ultimately be a sixth goal - but it came for Paulton in the last minute. Felix delivered another inswinging corner and substitute Dave O'Hare rose highest to head home at the near post.

The Somerset side thus march on, while Bassett are left to stew over a brave cup effort that ended in disappointment.

Man of the Match: Tommy Ouldridge - playing slightly deeper than usual, the midfielder executed his defensive duties well and posed a threat to the Paulton defence when on the ball. Bassett would have benefited from getting the playmaker on the ball more as Paulton sought to defend deep.

Credit: Stuart Smedley
Last modified on Sunday 4th September 2022 at 08:25