Sustain Stadium, Gerard Buxton Sports Ground, 13 February 2024

Royal Wootton Bassett Town moved a step closer towards securing a Hellenic League Premier Division playoff place with a comfortable 3-0 home victory against Longlevens.

Coming off the back of two straight league defeats, the pressure on Bassett had upped slightly in the past fortnight as they entered their last ten fixtures of the season. However in a potential trap game - one of only three matches that remain against a side with no shot at either automatic promotion or the playoffs, Sam Collier's side showed few signs of nerves. And on a rainswept evening, Bassett recorded a convincing league double - and third win in all competitions - over their opponents.

Bassett led with quarter of an hour gone as defender Jowan Partridge registered his fourth of the campaign. After patient build up play involving Alfie Presley and Tommy Ouldridge on the right edge of the box, Partridge eventually cut inside and arrowed a low left-footed effort that nestled into the bottom corner via a deflection off Longlevens defender Luke Hitchman.

Hitchman then played a hand in Bassett's second as the hour mark neared. He conceded a foul just outside the box, picking up a yellow card for his troubles too. Well within his range, Jack Hobson-McVeigh - scorer of a set piece goal in the teams' earlier season meeting in Gloucester - stepped up to take the free kick with only one thing on his mind. And he coolly steered a low effort into the bottom right corner.

Hobson-McVeigh soon turned provider for Bassett's third. His initial corner was met by Adam Corcoran, whose header was no threat to goal at all. But Alfie Presley was alert to keep play alive, sweeping the ball back out to Hobson-McVeigh in the right corner. This time Luke Softley rose to connect with the midfield talisman's delivery and the centre half's close range header left visiting 'keeper Harvey Moroney with no chance.

Longlevens were lucky too that their margin of defeat was not any higher. Bailey Gallagher had the misfortune of hitting the bar three times in the second half - once with a curling free kick from the right side, once with a powerful left foot drive from the edge of the area and once with a header. A few inches lower and he would have wrestled sole possession as Bassett's second leading scorer for the season. Instead, Hobson-McVeigh and Connor Waldon currently share that position.

Bassett now turn their attentions to the visit of basement side Wantage Town on Saturday. Win that - as they should be expected to do - and Collier's team will have reached the sixty point mark.

65 was enough for fifth place last year. And with the race for the remaining playoff places behind Bassett a tight one featuring multiple teams, a similar total may be enough to secure a postseason spot this time round.

Credit: Stuart Smedley
Last modified on Wednesday 14th February 2024 at 09:09