Rylands Way, 29th August 2011
Wootton Bassett Town thrashed Wiltshire rivals Trowbridge Town 6-1 to ensure a happy ending to their Bank Holiday Weekend. Dave Turner's side cruised to the three points, with the Rylands Way boss admitting there was plenty for his charges to improve upon.
Trowbridge have typically proven to be Bassett's bogey side as the Bees had lost just twice against their county foes in the last ten encounters.
However, the past two seasons have seen them, unfortunately for a club with a storied history, fall on hard times, and the gulf in quality between them and their hosts was evident from the opening whistle.
Only a minute into the match, Bassett had unlocked the visitors defence with ease as Matt Bown's lofted ball down the right wing set Sam Packer free. The dynamic playmaker, who has had a fabulous start to the season, raced to the byline before cutting back for Ethan Delaney, and only a reflex save from Adam Shepard could deny the young forward a goal.
The ball over the top proved to be Bassett's best weapon as the visitors' defence were at sixes and sevens all too often. But a combination of Bassett's profligacy in front of goal and tendency to stray offside meant the hosts would have to wait to break the deadlock; both Richie Carter - finding himself in an unfamiliar position with just the 'keeper to beat - and Delaney spurned opportunities when the odds were stacked firmly in their favour.
On the quarter hour mark Packer delivered the inevitable opener as he coolly slid the ball beneath Shepard after latching on to a flick on which split the Trowbridge backline.
He then had two openings go begging, hitting a snap volley into Shepard's gloves following a Bown corner before hitting straight at the visiting custodian after a long Stewart Thompson punt set him loose.
It would be route one stuff which enabled Bassett's second, this time Delaney racing onto his 'keeper's kick before being hauled down by Shepard. Bown confidently swept the resulting spot kick home.
After James Turner wasted another super chance, Bassett found their lead halved as William Birch's header - off the back foot - looped into the top corner in the 43rd minute.
However, Delaney made up for his defence's sleepiness when he fired home from close range after a swift move down the left allowed Craig Bowden to slide an expert pass through to the forward.
The foot was taken off the gas following the restart, and it would take until the 70th minute for the lead to be extended further as an unwillingness to shoot and a desire to overplay in the final third stifled Bassett.
Substitute James Tasker eventually made amends, bundling the ball in from six yards after Delaney had wriggled his way past three defenders and cut back from the byline.
With five minutes remaining a hobbling Delaney poked into the bottom corner after yet another long pass.
Then, in injury time, youngster Jack Ellis capped off the afternoon with the goal of the day. Racing onto Bown's through pass in the left corner, the diminutive frontman cut inside and produced an exquisite lob from an angle that the visiting 'keeper was helpless to prevent.
Trowbridge, to their credit, had not given up - in fact during the final ten minutes they launched a couple dangerous attacks, being denied by the crossbar on one occasion. But there is no denying that this was all too easy for Turner's charges.
The three points were welcome, yet much tougher tests await.
Scoop's Man of the Match: Matt Bown - an effervescent display from the midfielder, who tormented Trowbridge throughout. Bown coolly took his penalty and played a key part in a further two of his side's goals.
Scoop Rating: 6.5/10 - not the greatest display from Dave Turner's side, but it didn't need to be. A first clean sheet of the year would have added to the victory, while - if Bassett could have put away more of their myriad of chances - the score could have been far greater.
Last modified on Monday 22nd June 2015 at 23:38
