Sustain Stadium, Gerard Buxton Sports Ground, 18 March 2023

Royal Wootton Bassett Town got back to winning ways in the Hellenic League Premier Division with a convincing and comfortable 4-1 home triumph against relegation-threatened Chipping Sodbury Town.

Sam Collier's side made sure that there was to be no repeat of their disappointing draw away at Chipping Sodbury way back in August, with three first half goals giving Bassett an unassailable lead.

Louis Spalding opened the scoring on the 20 minute mark, the full back netting his seventh of the campaign - an impressive haul for a defender - as he tapped in after Kai Robinson had flicked on Matt Jones' free kick into the box.

Soon after Bailey Gallagher doubled Bassett's lead as the winger scored for the third game in a row. Racing onto a Jones through ball, Gallagher rounded the 'keeper before slotting into an empty net.

Jones then made it 3-0 shortly before half time, producing a similar goal to Gallagher's after a Jack Hobson-McVeigh pass. That was Jones' eleventh goal of the season - and first since mid-February.

While no doubt delighted to see his side more or less put the game to bed before the interval, Bassett boss Collier may have felt his team could have been further ahead following a half in which they had the visitors on the ropes.

Dropping down a gear while cruising, it then seemed as though the second half would end without the score being added to.

That was before Sean McSherry pulled one back for Chipping Sodbury, heading in unmarked from a corner.

A comeback was not a realistic prospect though. And Bassett ultimately restored their three-goal advantage in stoppage time when Under 18s star Flynn Walters bagged his maiden goal for the Men's First Team, coolly finishing off after Alan Griffin - played in by Chris Taylor - unselfishly squared to the youngster.

With Westfields falling to defeat at Fairford Town, the victory pulls Bassett within four points of the new occupants of sixth place with two games in hand.

Realistically, whether Bassett will finish in such a position will largely be determined by two of their next three league fixtures with away visits to title favourites Cribbs and Roman Glass St George, who now sit in fifth.

But by comfortably seeing off Chipping Sodbury, Collier and his side got the job done against a team that, based on league position, they were clear favourites to beat - something they also need to do against Tuffley Rovers, Shrivenham and Longlevens as a fine season - Bassett's best in the Hellenic Premier - nears its conclusion.

Credit: Stuart Smedley
Last modified on Sunday 19th March 2023 at 12:49