Chippenham skipper hits out after home defeat (From Wiltshire Times)

Chippenham skipper hits out after home defeat

2:04pm Tuesday 26th August 2008

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FULL back Kevin Halliday has criticised the performance of his Chippenham Town side after they were defeated by Bashley on Bank Holiday Monday.

Halliday captained the side with Iain Harvey on the bench and said his team had not played to their potential at either end of the pitch.

The defender was credited with a 92nd-minute goal in the 3-2 defeat, although it seemed to be an own goal by Bashley stopper Steve Hollick.

Halliday said: "It was nice to score but it doesn't mean anything now.

"It was a poor performance by the boys against a poor Bashley team. We should be beating teams like that.

"If you give teams three goals you're going to struggle.

"We need to start defending better as a back four, there's a lot of errors to improve.

"But apart from them having three goals I can't remember them having a shot.

"They had three chances and scored three goals.

"We had seven or eight decent chances and should have scored more."

The Bluebirds have taken four points from a possible 12 in a tough start to the Southern League season, and Halliday admitted he had wanted a better beginning to the campaign.

But the left back was keen to emphasise the better aspects of Chippenham's play four games into the season.

He said: "We're disappointed with the start but against Cambridge I thought we played some good stuff, against Evesham we created chances and against Hemel I thought we put in a decent away performance.

"As a team we're creating a lot of chances still, but we're not taking them."

Halliday said there was no need to panic at The Bluebirds' disappointing start.

"At this stage I'm not worried at all. We're a decent team, we get the ball down and create a lot of chances. Everyone knows what we're all about.

"If teams push us high up the field as possible, as soon as we get it up front we murder teams."

Hemel Hempstead Town 1, Chippenham Town 1 CHIPPENHAM claimed a point at Hemel Hempstead Town on Saturday in a match that provided little entertainment.

The match ended 1-1 with Hemel's controversial equaliser the flashpoint of a disappointing match between two teams tipped to challenge for the Southern League title this term.

Boss Adie Mings made one change from Tuesday's 2-0 defeat at Evesham United, handing midfielder Ashley Williams his full debut.

David Pratt was dropped to the bench as Gullick moved up front to partner Sean Seavill.

A poor first half finally had some life injected into it when Luke Gullick found the net a minute before the break.

Sean Seavill escaped from Jon Stevenson and Steve Wales and his mis-hit cross-shot was turned in by Gullick at the far post.

Hemel equalised in the 65th minute in controversial circumstances, with Chippenham convinced the goal should have been disallowed for handball.

The Bluebirds surrounded referee Paul McCaul and linesman Simon Cheney, claiming Yiadom Yeboah used his arm to score from a corner.

The game grew heated and Kevin Halliday, Ross Adams and Iain Harvey all lost their cool as The Bluebirds' frustrations boiled over.

Chippenham claimed a penalty when substitute Pratt was eased off the ball by Nathan Bowden-Haase, but it was not given and the score remained 1-1 until the final whistle.

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