Royal Wootton Bassett Town Veterans opened their 2022-23 season with a game against last season's Wiltshire League North Division champions Redhouse.

Redhouse's 3-1 win over Bassett in their penultimate league match effectively secured the league title last season.

This time though, Bassett emerged victorious.

Bassett got off to a fast start, scoring within two minutes of the start when Chris Head outpaced the Redhouse defence and hit a shot across goal which ended up in the back of the net off a defender trying to clear the ball.

They doubled their lead shortly after, Head getting on the end of an excellent pass from the left flank from Jeremy Newton for 2-0.

Redhouse got themselves back into the game shortly after and it came courtesy of a gift from Bassett 'keeper Nick Warren who was caught trying to dribble the ball out, allowing Dave Rendle to intercept and poke into the net. An embarrassing moment for the 'keeper, and it gave Redhouse a foothold in the game just when it looked like it was getting away from them.

However, Bassett very quickly restored their two-goal advantage, Steve Yeardley firing powerfully into the bottom corner of the net past Stewart Thompson from just outside the 18-yard box for 3-1.

With 20 minutes gone they extended the lead further Jeremy Newton turning a defender before firing into the net for 4-1.

There was still time for one more goal before the break and it went the way of Redhouse - and again Warren probably should have done better, allowing a shot from just inside the half-way line from Nolan Paul to slip past him into the net to make it 4-2.

Whilst the first half had yielded six goals, the second half was something of an anti-climax with neither side really creating any clear-cut chances until five minutes from time when Bassett's Nick Mason turned a defender and curled a shot into the top corner of the net past Thompson for 5-2 in what turned out to be the final action of the night.

Credit: Mark Smedley
Last modified on Saturday 1st October 2022 at 20:34