Sustain Stadium, Gerard Buxton Sports Ground, 11 February 2023

Royal Wootton Bassett Town made it three wins in a row in the Hellenic League Premier Division with a deserved - and important - 3-1 triumph at home against Hereford Lads Club.

Matt Jones' first half double set Bassett on their way, while Alan Griffin's tap in midway through the second half gave Sam Collier's side enough of a cushion to not have to worry too much after Henry Dyde pulled one back for the visitors with ten minutes remaining.

The result ensured Bassett exacted revenge over Lads Club for a 3-2 defeat suffered in Hereford back in November. And it was a vital three points too, opening up a ten point gap between the teams, while, more importantly, closing the gap to Hereford Pegasus - who are the visitors to the Sustain Stadium next Saturday - to just a single point.

A Hereford double will therefore be Bassett's aim. Repeat the quality performance that produced victory against Lads Club, and that should hopefully be achieved.

It certainly helped that Bassett got off to the perfect start, taking the lead inside the opening two minutes.

It was a well worked goal too with Bailey Gallagher involved at the beginning and end of the move. Pressing hard, the left winger was able to force a turnover in possession with the ball being worked out to Jowan Partridge on the right. The defender delivered a cross from the deep that Gallagher then successfully kept in play, before cutting back to Jones, who dispatched a fine curling effort beyond Steve Bell from the edge of the area.

Taking confidence from that early goal, Bassett were on top throughout the remainder of the half. Lads Club did threaten from time to time with diagonal balls forward asking questions of the Bassett defence - but that failed to materialise into any real chances of note.

Instead it was Bassett who appeared far likelier to extend their advantage with dangerous opportunities fashioned at regular intervals.

Driving forward with intent, Gallagher almost forced Jamie Cuthbertson to turn into his own net on 12 minutes before a powerful Jones drive was well held by Bell after the Bassett playmaker danced past his marker on the edge of the box.

The chances continued just before the half hour mark when a run into space and neat one-two with Alfie Presley opened up a one-on-one opportunity for left back Louis Spalding, with Bell needing to tip around the near post.

The resulting corner was only half cleared and Gallagher, with a speculative shot from deep on the left side, forced an outstretched Bell to scramble clear with the ball seemingly destined for the top corner.

A goalline block then denied Dave Bampton as he rose at the far post to powerfully head another Jones corner towards goal.

Lads Club were therefore lucky not to be further behind - and they almost drew level with 44 minutes on the clock as Cuthbertson struck narrowly wide from close range after Adam Hockey's low corner caused panic in the box.

Soon enough though Bassett were 2-0 up.

The visitors had breathed a sigh of relief when Bell denied Matt Bennett after the veteran forward seized on a wayward Jordan Burke pass and bore down on goal. But, enduring a poor couple of minutes, Burke was soon guilty of scything down Gallagher in the box when he need not have made a challenge. It was a clear penalty and Jones kept his cool, placing the spot kick into the left corner beyond Bell, who guessed correctly.

Bassett started the second period with the same confidence that they had demonstrated in the opening half, and Chris Taylor and Gallagher both came close to a third early on.

However, the visitors grew into a game that increasingly opened up.

And an incisive counter on 55 minutes ended with Jack Harding flashing narrowly over with a powerful 20 yard strike.

Shortly after, an unmarked Mason Godsall failed to hit the target from close range following a Harding cut back.

Bassett weren't helped by the fact they were forced into three substitutions due to injury. Presley had departed late in the first half, replaced by Alan Griffin, while centre halves Adam Corcoran and Dave Bampton both limped off in the second half.

The latter two injuries forced Collier to reshuffle his defensive line, relying on the talented - but very inexperienced - pairing of Partridge and Sonny James to see out the game at centre back for the final 25 minutes.

Both acquitted themselves well, though their job was made somewhat easier with a third goal at the other end that arrived with quarter of an hour to go.

It followed a fine move featuring Taylor, Bennett and Griffin. Their combined age may exceed 100, but the experienced trio showed the quality they still possess.

Taylor clipped a perfect pass into the right corner behind the Lads Club defence for Bennett. After racing towards the byline, Bennett then played a precise pass across the six yard box that split the gap between Bell and his defence. And Griffin - stretching out as far as his body would allow - was on hand to guide the ball into the roof of the net from close range.

Seemingly out of the game, the visitors quickly grabbed a goal back as Dyde raced onto Hockey's quick pass in behind the defence, rounded Matt Crowther and tapped home.

But Bassett, despite disappointed to miss out on a clean sheet, were not shaken by conceding and saw out the remaining minutes.

Collier and his team now have three league triumphs in a row. And there's an excellent chance to make it five with upcoming home fixtures against Pegasus and Longlevens.

If Bassett are to claim a top six finish, these are games - like that against Lads Club - that they need to win.

Man of the match: Bailey Gallagher - Bassett enjoyed great success getting at the Lads Club defence down the left side - and that was in no small part thanks to the attacking intent shown by Gallagher and left back Louis Spalding. While not getting on the scoresheet, Gallagher played a critical role in the first half goals that set Bassett on their way to victory.

Credit: Stuart Smedley
Last modified on Monday 13th February 2023 at 19:45