Sustain Stadium, Gerard Buxton Sports Ground, 3 October 2023

Royal Wootton Bassett Town were fortunate to escape with a point as Scott Chilcott's last minute equaliser earned a 2-2 draw at home against lowly Thornbury Town.

Hosting a Thornbury side who started the evening in 17th place having lost four straight in the league - and who had lost all previous encounters with Bassett, Sam Collier and his team would have been pinning their hopes on getting back to winning ways against such opponents.

However in the end Bassett, who were well short of their best, were forced to settle for a point - and one which was earned the hard way as they twice came from behind.

The teams played out a goalless first half. However Bassett were fortunate not to go into the break behind with Thornbury passing up a golden opportunity when a header from six yards out was somehow headed wide after Harry Pickering could only parry from a fiercely struck Luke Franklin free kick.

Thornbury eventually took the lead midway through the second half courtesy of Thomas Sage.

That sparked a quick flurry of goals as Jack Hobson-McVeigh equalised with a coolly taken penalty before Joe McLaughlin restored Thornbury's lead almost immediately.

Bassett were thus staring at defeat. But Chilcott came to the rescue in the last minute, steering in from close range to guide home Hobson-McVeigh's delightful low cross from the right.

Credit: Stuart Smedley
Last modified on Tuesday 3rd October 2023 at 22:05