ANDY Sandell is offering absolutely no apologies to the rest of the Southern League Premier Division for Chippenham Town continuing to prove a major pain in the backside.

The Bluebirds remain top of table by four points with just over five weeks of the season to go and last weekend, they once again offered the chasing pack hope, only to roar to three points in dramatic fashion.

The likes of Leamington, Slough Town, Hitchin Town and Merthyr Town – who had all already played – would have been licking their lips at the prospect of Chippenham losing 1-0 at Hayes & Yeading United last Sunday but last-gasp goals from Will Richards and David Pratt saw the Bluebirds claim victory from the jaws of defeat, a feat they have accomplished multiple times this term.

The win was also achieved in the absence of top-scorer Sandell, the prolific hitman having missed the trip to Buckinghamshire with a groin injury.

The 33-goal striker travelled to Beaconsfield to watch his team-mates and was only too happy to witness his Chippenham continue to dishearten their competitors.

“If we’re annoying people, that’s good – it gets in their heads,” said Sandell.

“There is pressure on us but I think the real pressure is on Leamington and the other teams because they’re the ones that have got to catch us.

“The boys are really buzzing at the moment. You can tell that with the atmosphere when we’re travelling to away games.

“We’re enjoying it and hopefully we’re going to get over the finish line.”

Sandell isn’t confident that he’ll be fit for Chippenham’s vital clash with fifth-placed Merthyr Town at Hardenhuish Park on Saturday.

The 33-year-old has struck up a fearsome partnership with fellow frontman Pratt, who himself bagged his 28th goal of the season with a dramatic last-gasp winner against Hayes.

Youngster Jake Andrews, whose loan from Bristol City has been extended until the end of the season, is likely to partner Pratt again and the injured Sandell doesn’t believe that his side will be lacking firepower in his absence.

He added: “Me and Pratty have been doing well in front of goal and with seven games to go, you want all of your strikers to be fit and firing but it’s just one of those things.

“We’ve got some great players and you can tell that Jake will be a player when he’s older.

“He’s got all the attributes and he just needs one to go in, and then he’ll score a lot of goals.”