CHIPPENHAM Town manager Mark Collier felt even Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo would have been unable to inspire his side to victory after a 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Bath City in National League South on New Year’s Day.

The Bluebirds found themselves four goals down by half-time at Twerton Park, and boss Collier conceded even the world’s best players would have struggled to help them mount a comeback.

Anthony Straker gave Bath the lead with an early penalty before Ross Stearn’s double and a goal from Robbie Cundy put Chippenham 4-0 down with little more than half-an-hour on the clock.

There was little to cheer for the Bluebirds after the break either as Adam Mann struck a fifth goal for the home side 10 minutes after the restart to seal the rout.

A deflated Collier said: “We got exactly what we deserved, which was nothing.

“There is no hiding behind anything, we were outplayed and outfought almost from minute one.

“We conceded a penalty early on and once Bath had scored that, they scored three more goals in a short space of time and at 4-0 at half-time, it is game over.

“We tried to make some changes at half-time to come back into it, but even if we’d had Ronaldo and Messi on the bench, I don’t think it would have mattered.

“I think it is my biggest defeat as Chippenham Town manager and it hurts.

“I apologise to the supporters who travelled and by the players’ own admission, they under-performed all over the pitch from numbers one to 11.

“If you do that, you are not going to win many matches.

“Credit to Bath, they played well, but we were very, very poor.”

Chippenham are back at home on Saturday and face Eastbourne Borough at Twerton Park.