CHIPPENHAM TOWN: Chippenham Town 1 Bashley 3 (From Wiltshire Times)

CHIPPENHAM TOWN: Chippenham Town 1 Bashley 3

11:04pm Tuesday 7th February 2012 in Sport By Dan Barnes

A quickfire double on the stroke of half-time shellshocked Chippenham Town and saw them go on to slip to a disappointing loss at the hands of Bashley earlier tonight.

Richard Evans made his Bluebirds debut but couldn’t prevent his new side tasting defeat at Hardehuish Park.

The visitors had a glorious chance to take the lead just minutes in when Liam Green put Mark Gamble through on goal but Chippenham goalie Tommy Smith quickly rushed off his line to block.

At the other end, Dave Gilroy drew a save from Stewart Kearn but the next big chance of the game again fell to Bashley striker Gamble, who was denied by the fingertips of Smith after the ball broke to him on the edge of the area.

With three minutes to go in the first half, the Bluebirds were left wondering how they hadn’t opened their account, with Luke Gullick somehow latching on to the ball and being left with a free run on goal, only to see his left-footed finish blocked by the legs of Kearn.

Soon afterwards, Ross Stearn’s inswinging corner crashed against the crossbar, with Steve Casey’s hooked follow-up also bouncing back off the woodwork.

But it was the away side who broke the deadlock in the 45th minute, with Jack Smith getting to the byline down the right flank before crossing to striker James Stokoe to finish at the near post.

Almost straight from the re-start, Bashley doubled their lead through the same combination, with Smith feeding Stokoe, who swivelled before sweeping the ball into the net for his second goal in a matter of minutes.

Finding themselves chasing the game, Adie Mings’ side did pull a goal back nine minutes into the second period with a well-worked team goal.

Ian Herring played the ball out to Evans on the left-flank, whose deflected low cross was laid off by Dave Gilroy and side-footed into the corner of the net by Scott Lye to make it 2-1.

Minutes later, Bashley keeper Kearn was at full stretch to claw away Gilroy’s header from substitute James Guthrie’s free-kick.

From a similar position towards the right-flank, winger Guthrie forced Kearn into another save with an shot from a set-piece while the Bluebirds’ Smith saved at his near post at close range from Josh Casey after he had been played in by Green.

In the 78th minute, Bashley restored their two-goal lead on the break, with strike Stokoe finding space on the left flank to find the arriving Ian Oliver, who slotted home into the side netting.

Soon after, Smith had to produce a superb diving save to push away Gamble’s snapshot, as Chippenham’s evening ended in defeat.

CHIPPENHAM TOWN: Tommy Smith, Luke Gullick, Greg Tindle (Shaun Lamb 45), Ian Herring, Steve Casey, Alex Kite, Scott Lye, Ross Stearn, Dave Gilroy, Alan Griffin, Richard Evans (James Guthrie 55).

Subs not used: Mani Randhawa, Toby Osman, Nathan Rudge.

Attendance: 222