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Dave Pratt

Chippenham Town 1, Brackley Town 2

CHIPPENHAM Town slumped to a 2-1 defeat at home to Brackley Town on Tuesday evening as their play-off hopes continued to hang in the balance.

The Bluebirds could have virtually assured themselves of a place in the play-offs had they beaten the Northamptonshire outfit.

But with no game this weekend, players and management alike will be looking anxiously at the results of Gloucester City and Hemel Hempstead Town, the only two teams that could steal a play-off place from Adie Mings' men.

Boss Mings made one change from the side that beat Hemel on Saturday with the inclusion of Luke Hall-Prince at left back.

The 18-year-old City of Bristol College man was drafted in to make sure Kevin Halliday did not pick up a booking, and therefore become suspended for the Team Bath fixture and the first leg of a potential play-off.

Ollie Price was first to test visiting stopper Richard Knight when he fired straight into the arms of the Brackley goalkeeper.

Jerome Anderson headed a free kick off-target before David Oldfield shot wide from distance.

Pratt could not find the net with a volley before Anderson missed the target at the other end, and the frontman then forced Chris Snoddy into a reflex save.

The Bluebirds had their best chance of the first period on the half hour when David Pratt headed across for Matthew McEntagert, but the defender placed his volley wide of target.

The lively Anderson missed another chance nine minutes before the break and Iain Harvey skewed off-target, before Sam Allison was denied from a tight angle.

Aaron Cornwall cracked an effort clear of the crossbar after the interval and Sean Seavill's fizzing effort was tipped over acrobatically by Knight.

Snoddy had to be alert to snatch the ball off the feet of Anderson before the game entered a quiet period.

The game reignited on 71 minutes as Seavill blasted over from 18 yards before Brackley took the lead two minutes later.

Anderson did what he had been threatening to all night as he broke down the left and looped an effort past Snoddy.

The Bluebirds equalised with 10 minutes left when Pratt nodded home after Iain Harvey's drive deflected towards him off a Brackley defender.

But Chippenham were condemned to defeat five minutes from time as substitute Josh Green headed in a corner from Oldfield.

Boss Mings said: "Three points would have secured a place in the play-offs but as has happened a few times this season, we couldn't put in back-to-back performances."

5:10pm Thursday 10th April 2008

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