CHIPPENHAM Town manager Mark Collier saw his side give him the perfect response to Saturday’s defeat at Eastbourne with a 2-0 win over in-form Gloucester City on Tuesday night.

The victory was the Bluebirds' second of the season at Hardenhuish Park, to lift them up to 13th place in National League South.

It took less than two minutes for the hosts to take the lead, Nuno Felix, a late addition to the starting XI after the withdrawal of Andy Sandell in the warm-up, with a long throw that Dave Pratt rose for with the Gloucester defender in the box, the ball looping over goalkeeper Tom Hadler.

Jake Andrews, who was a constant menace for the visitors, got Chippenham’s second in the 54th minute, latching onto a long ball over the top before calmly finishing in the far corner.

“With Sandell and (Alex) Ferguson, two big players both missing, the team shape was good and the discipline, defensively, was spot on and they didn’t really look too much of a threat,” said Collier.

“Nuno Felix has been out of the side and he has come back in and shown what he can do.

“Pratt is claiming he got there first, we won’t take that away from him, and then it’s a great finish from Jake Andrews and we could have scored a couple more.

“That’s the one thing that has pleased me above all else, we have kept a clean sheet and Jared (Thompson) has had little to do.

“It’s a big three points for us.”

With Chippenham travelling to Dartford this weekend, Ferguson should be back in contention for a place, while Sandell could take longer to return to the side according to Collier.

“It’s a blow when you lose one of your number one players,” he added.

“Not only does (Sandell) score goals, he holds the ball up well.

“But credit to everyone who has come in and done a great job. I thought the front two of Andrews and Pratt were just as much as a threat.

“Sands has got an ankle injury, which is a longer term one and we are trying to manage it as best we can, possibly leaving him out for a couple of weeks to let him repair and some treatment.

“Fergy has just got a bit of a thigh issue, which is better. He could feel it tonight, which is why we took the safer option.”

Chippenham also learnt their FA Cup fate on Monday, with a trip to Southern League Premier side Weymouth a week on Saturday, with Collier content with the draw.

“Weymouth is a good place to go, I have no problems with that,” he said.

“I’ve always said, you get who you are given. It is a potential banana skin for sure and we have got to make sure we are ready for that when it comes around.

“Prior to that, we are off to Dartford and Truro, so I think the lads will be fed up of the coach by then.”