DERBY day at the Red House certainly did not disappoint as Wootton Bassett Town controversially edged a 3-2 thriller to see off Purton.

Typical of a contest between the two sides, the game had it all – full-blooded tackles, baffling officiating, a cracking comeback from the hosts and a dramatic late winner for the visitors.

Yet the eventual outcome would undoubtedly have surprised Bassett boss Dave Turner, who lost keeper James Domm to injury in the warm up and had to rely on Mitch Wyatt – typically a forward – between the sticks.

However, Wyatt was rarely challenged in the opening half as the majority of the action centred upon the Purton goal.

Fortunate not to have gone a goal down early after Johnny Cowley acrobatically denied a snap shot from James Blake, two moments of madness midway through the period ensured Purton went into the break 2-0 down.

Keeper Cowley turned from hero to villain as he was adjudged to have scythed down Blake in the box after the forward had raced onto an Ethan Delaney flick. Penalty king Matt Bown then coolly dispatched the penalty to give Bassett the advantage.

Minutes later, Purton’s high defensive line was once again caught out.

A clearance from Adam Corcoran caught the hosts’ rear guard out, and Delaney was able to latch onto the ball and race towards goal.

Before he was able to shoot though, Travis Barrett dragged him back and left the referee no option but to point to the spot. Bown, again, was perfect from 12 yards.

A Delaney lob which drifted agonisingly over could have put the result beyond doubt on the stroke of half time. But still with a chance, Purton fought back valiantly, taking the game to the visitors after the restart.

They would have to wait to halve the deficit, but did so in style as Tom Cadden’s 20-yard drive found the bottom left corner.

A sweeping move, initiated by Marcus Hall, then eventually led to Cadden bagging his second as he turned in Scott Campbell’s low cross at the second attempt.

Purton looked set to go on and win, but Bassett and Lee Bowen had other ideas to leave Chris Pethick’s men feeling a sense of déjà vu.

Hit behind the runners, Bown’s free kick from the right wing seemed innocuous. But Alex Green was able to redirect the ball into the danger area where an unmarked Bowen, who appeared offside, headed into the top left corner.

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