HELLENIC LEAGUE: VALE bounced back from their midweek 6-3 defeat at Shortwood to close the gap on their close rivals at the wrong end of the division.

Despite going a goal down in the first half Pewsey kept their cool and produced a solid performance to turn the result on its head and defeat Chipping Norton.

Manager Steve Wootton said: "We went behind to a poor goal but in the second half we battled really well.

"It was the response I wanted from the midweek game. If we had lost on Saturday as well a gap might have opened up between ourselves and the teams above.

"But now we have won that game we are only four points behind the team four places above us."

In front of a crowd of 28 it was the visitors Chipping Norton who broke the deadlock on 30 minutes.

Alan Blake mistimed a header at the back for Vale and two Norton strikers went clean through on goalkeeper Lee Wilson with Robbie Wyatt applying the finishing touch.

But Pewsey showed spirit to battle back in the second half and Barry Flippance blazed home the equaliser with 67 minutes on the clock.

With the momentum swinging firmly in Vale's favour they notched the winner ten minutes from time through Richard Pearson.

After that Craig Wall had a couple of chances to extend the lead but Vale had already done enough to claim the three points.

On Saturday Pewsey travel to seventh-placed Highworth Town for what manager Wootton expects to be a tough encounter. "It will be a hard game away to Highworth because they are a good side," he said."Our last win has made things tighter at the bottom and any result we can get at Highworth would be good.

Vale will welcome back Neil Riley and Darren Walters who were both unavailable last weekend and Justin Messenger could make his comeback from a leg injury.