CHIPPENHAM Park manager Nick Maggs says his side need to tighten up at the back after watching them dragged into an eight-goal thriller with Ashton & Backwell.

Dan Sibley opened the scoring when he rounded the goalkeeper before Aaron Read hauled the hosts back level in the 25th minute.

However, a 10-minute spell before the break appeared to put the game beyond doubt when Mark Robinson, Will Thomson and Sibley all scored.

After half-time, Sam Skidmore brought the deficit down to one goal but Sibley then completed his hat-trick and despite a late push from the hosts, with Ryan Radford scoring in the 86th minute, Park were able to hold on.

“The game should have been done and dusted at half-time,” said Maggs.

“We knew that they would have to come at us in the second half and I guess we saw the game out in some fashion, but it was a bit disappointing to concede two goals.

“We are scoring lots of goals but we are conceding quite a few as well, which is something we will be working on in training.

“I have introduced quite an expansive style of play, which you can see from the number of goals we are scoring, but the downside is that we leave ourselves exposed to counter-attacks and we’re a bit open when we are on the back foot.

“It has been a good start to the season – five games unbeaten; 10 if you include pre-season.”

Elsewhere in the First Division, Malmesbury Victoria continued their impressive start to life in the Toolstation League after coming out on top against Bishops Lydeard on Saturday.

The victory came despite the home side being down to 10 men following Tim Bond’s dismissal for two bookable offences.

Goals from Shane Bumphrey, George Paeare and two from Jamie Packer sealed the 4-2 win that means that Kevin Bridgeman’s team are now second in the league.

A Jordon Matthews strike was enough to secure a 1-1 draw for Devizes Town at home to Bishop Sutton.

Calne Town fell to a 2-1 loss away to Welton Rovers, their third defeat of the campaign already.

Bradley Whittock put the hosts ahead in the 15th minute before Calne equalised with 20 minutes remaining.

Penzi Kakoma secured the victory for Rovers in the 90th minute when the ball dropped to him on the edge of the 18-yard box and he rifled his shot low into the net.

Corsham Town, who played Westbury United last night, clinched their first victory of the season at the fourth time of asking, winning 2-1 at Keynsham Town.

Callum Elms and Adam Shipman got the goals for Nigel Tripp’s side, Patrick Davison notching for the hosts.