ROYAL Wootton Bassett Town manager Sam Collier says the buck stops with him after watching his team go down 5-2 at home to Brackley Town Saints in the Hellenic League Premier Division on Saturday.

Bassett conceded early on at the Gerard Buxton Sports Ground but responded almost straight away through Carl Evans’ header.

Yet a 20-minute period prior to half-time where Bassett conceded three times did the damage, according to Collier, who said his players must start giving him more if they are to overcome a prolonged period of poor form.

TJ Bohane reduced the deficit shortly after half-time, but another goal late on ensured Brackley would walk away with an emphatic victory to their name.

Collier, who pinpointed an enforced first-half change as the turning point in the match, lamented his side’s defending from set-pieces and says the trio of Brackley goals made it almost impossible for his team to take anything from the game.

Collier said: “We started really poorly and Brackley scored a goal from a set-piece, but then we got back in the game, thankfully.

“We then dominated proceedings and I thought it might be the day that things turn around for us, but then we had to make a change and that really had an effect on us.

“We had to change our shape and we never got to grips with it.

“Then it was 20 minutes of poor, poor defending. They scored three goals and that was game over effectively.

“Even at half-time, I thought we were still in the game, to be honest, because I knew we were creating chances and we looked good going forward.

“But it was just a little bit too much for us in the end.”

Defeat leaves Bassett third from bottom in the table having won just two of their first dozen league games.

Collier said that while he could not fault the quality in his squad, he does need more from his players energy-wise before ultimately admitting he must shoulder much of the blame as manager.

He said: “He had a word at half-time and fair play to the lads, we came out in the second half and battered them really.

“We scored straight away, but then we had a lot of the ball without really creating too much.

“I got a reaction admittedly, but it was just 20 minutes of poor defending that cost us ultimately.

“Games are passing people by at the moment – but the buck stops with me, I’m the manager, I make the decisions and I pick the team. So the buck stops with me.”

Bassett are at home again on Saturday, with Burnham their visitors.

Elsewhere, Malmesbury Victoria remain at the top of the Division One West table despite seeing their scheduled game postponed last weekend.

Malmesbury are due back in action on Tuesday night with a home game against Cirencester Town Development.

The Vics travel to second-placed Hereford Pegasus on Saturday, with the two teams only separated by goal difference.

  • PEWSEY Vale survived the wet weekend weather to play in Sydenhams League Division One, although may well wish they hadn't after being beaten 10-0 at home by Hythe & Dibden.

Vale travel to Whitchurch on Saturday.