FOOTBALL: Chippenham Town 0 Basingstoke Town 3 (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

FOOTBALL: Chippenham Town 0 Basingstoke Town 3

8:08pm Sunday 12th August 2012 in Wiltshire Sport

A CLASSY performance from the Blue Square visitors demonstrated the level the Bluebirds must emulate if their dream of Conference football is to be realized.

Basingstoke’s slick and quick passing game ensured victory. For their part Chippenham produced glimpses of the required standard but they were always second best to the Hampshire side.

In the first half the Bluebirds were on the wrong end of two decisive decisions made by each assistant referee.

Ten minutes before the break referee Shaun Tobin awarded Chippenham a goal kick, only to change his mind on the advice of his assistant. It was to prove costly as Chippenham failed to deal with the flag kick and Stuart Lake lashed home the loose ball.

A minute before the break, Alan Griffin played strike partner Lee Phillips in and the former Plymouth Argyle man raced clear to calmly shoot past Ashley Bayes, only for the other assistant to rule the goal out for a dubious offside decision.

Otherwise the half had belonged to Basingstoke who spurned several chances to open the scoring although Chippenham’s James Guthrie almost caught Bayes unawares with a long range effort.

The opening minutes of the second half saw the visitors twice carve their way through the home defence. Shaun McAuley benefited from Jordace Holder-Spooner’s cross to double the lead, before the latter scored a fine individual goal.

Chippenham substitute Dean Griffiths tested Bayes late on before firing straight at substitute keeper Joe McDonnell.

Chippenham: Dempsey, Osman (Seery 68), Lamb, Williams, Casey, Rudge (Kite 68), Ballinger (Egan 68), Harvey, Griffin (Griffiths 68), Guthrie (Barnes 68), Phillips Ref: Shaun Tobin Attendance: 172