After spending weeks praying for a goal to come their way, Chippenham suddenly produced four in 90 minutes as they tore through local rivals Mangotsfield Town.

Manager Adie Mings recalled skipper Iain Harvey to side, while Sean Seavill, the subject of interest from Salisbury City, missed out due to a groin strain.

The change forced Scott Lye out to the left of midfield and allowed Sam Allison to play in his favoured role of leading the line alongside Bristol Rovers loanee Joe White.

Cossham Street is not known for being one of the more picturesque grounds in the Southern Premier League and the week’s poor weather made for an extremely poor pitch that made the ball difficult to pass and control.

This meant that chances early on were at a premium and although they bossed possession, Chippenham were largely reliant on long range drives and free kicks for their efforts on goal.

Just as it seemed that Mings would have to give the familiar half time team talk of telling his players to keep going and the goal will come, Allison showed predatory instincts in front of goal to react the quickest after the ball pinballed around the penalty area following a testing cross from David Pratt on the right.

The lead noticeably lifted the visitors who came out for the second half with a renewed sense of vigour and purpose, despite the freezing cold conditions.

They continued to control the game against opposition who were unable to mount many chances of note in the entire contest, and Mings threw on Kevin Slack on 61 minutes, in place of White, to try and rectify the scoreline to reflect their superiority.

The move paid immediate dividends when the former Bishops Cleeve hitman flicked on a cross from Kye Holly into the path of Pratt, whose initial effort was blocked, but sprang to his feet to convert the rebound and help make the game safe.

While seemingly conscious with the scoreline at 1-0 that they were just a mistake away from possibly conceding two points, the second goal was the cue for the visitors to play the sort of football that guided them to the play-offs last season.

50/50 challenges were suddenly turning into 80/20 in favour of Chippenham and Slack was unlucky not to make it three when, after winning the ball on the sideline through sheer endeavour, he blasted wide after running into the box.

However he did provide another assist minutes later when he again linked up with Holly, who tormented his marker before delivering a perfect low cross into the path of the onrushing Harvey to tap into an empty net.

The visitors continued to attack their dispirited hosts in force and it was symbolic of their display that Lye continued to chase down an apparently lost cause on 72 minutes, but forced a mistake from Mangotafield keeper Neil Hanson.

With the stopper stranded, Lye played the ball into the path of Slack who blasted past the covering defender on the line to score a goal that was deserved from a personal and collective point of view.

With half a mind on Tuesday’s game against Yate Town, Mings then replaced Lye, making only his second start after an injury, with Luke Bryan but the Bluebirds continued to attack in force.

Pratt scuffed a shot from the edge of the area before Slack twice frustrated Allison by shooting when simple passes would have no doubt laid on goals five and six for the pacey forward.

Allison produced a turn and shot at the end of the game that went inches over the bar and proved the last meaningful chance on goal in the match.

The Chippenham players will view this as almost the perfect result given the poor playing conditions and their recent barren spell in front of goal. They now face another local derby on Tuesday and if they can recreate this kind of form then they will be a fearsome prospect for anyone in the division.

Chippenham Town: Snoddy, Williams, Halliday, Kite, Adams, Pratt, Lye (Bryan 79), Harvey, Holly, White (Slack 61), Allison.

Subs not used: Gardener, Casey.

Goals: Allison 45, Pratt 63, Harvey 68, Slack 72.

Referee: Mr Roger Vaughan.