Sustain Stadium, Gerard Buxton Sports Ground, 5 November 2022

Time and again this season, Royal Wootton Bassett Town's resilience has stood out as the team's defining characteristic. Unlike in previous years, so far this campaign there has never been a time when Sam Collier's side have been out of a game - even when they have fallen behind.

And that strength was again on show in Bassett's first ever meeting with Worcester Raiders.

After last week's clash with Westfields, this was another tough engagement with the Raiders opening the afternoon in third.

But Bassett - without centre halves Adam Corcoran and Dave Bampton through suspension as well as Matt Bennett, Scott Chilcott, Jack Hobson-McVeigh and Chris Taylor - dug deep, producing another solid display to earn a point.

They did so the hard way too, twice coming from behind in an entertaining 2-2 draw.

Bassett should arguably have been ahead though as Gio Wrona managed to rattle the bar with the goal at his mercy early on after great interplay between Tommy Ouldridge and Matt Jones.

Worcester soon capitalised on that miss, taking the lead through Jordan Murphy who slotted home from Jade Ferron's fizzing low cross.

While plugging away at the Worcester back line and dealing with what the dangerous Raiders threw at them, it took until midway through the second half for Bassett to draw level for the first time. After Ouldridge won a free kick inside the visitors' half, Jones teased in a delivery which Landon Golding, having lost his marker, met with a glancing header into the corner of the net.

Raiders then made it 2-1 as Joe Billingham was on hand to tap in after Matt Crowther could only parry from Murphy's shot on the turn.

That meant Bassett were again forced to dig deep.

But, with time winding down, they snatched the equaliser and point they deserved in some style.

Veteran Alan Griffin drew a foul around 30 yards from goal, and Jones stepped over the ball. Catching Raiders 'keeper Ryan Young off guard, the left footer steered a delightful low curler around the wall and into the bottom left corner.

It was a fine strike - and one that earned another important, valuable result against one of the division's fancied sides.

Credit: Stuart Smedley
Last modified on Saturday 5th November 2022 at 17:50