ROYAL Wootton Bassett Town secured their passage through to the FA Cup preliminary qualifying round after a thumping 4-0 triumph away against Thornbury Town on Saturday.

With Thornbury playing their first ever home fixture in the competition, Bassett made it an afternoon their hosts would rather forget thanks to goals from Tommy Ouldridge, Alan Griffin, Dave Bampton, and Tom Moore.

The 4-0 success meant Sam Collier’s men matched the club’s biggest margin of victory in the FA Cup, with Bassett’s only previous win by four goals coming in a 5-1 triumph against Dilton Rovers in the extra preliminary round during the 1946-47 season.

Ouldridge set Bassett on their way in the 2021-22 campaign after quarter of an hour, stabbing a left-footed effort over Thornbury goalkeeper McKenzie Welsh from the edge of the area with the outside of his boot.

The lead was doubled three minutes later when Gio Wrona whipped in a free kick from the left side that veteran Griffin headed home while holding off his marker.

Bampton - another experienced campaigner - then made it 3-0 as he fizzed a low drive from 25 yards into the bottom left corner with his right boot.

Bassett showed no mercy after half-time either. With four minutes remaining, Moore cut in from the left hand side and powerfully struck a right-footed shot beyond Welsh to make it 4-0.

Bassett move onto the Preliminary round where they will host former Hellenic League foes Ardley United, who saw off Ashton and Backwell United 2-0 in their Extra Preliminary tie.

Back in Western League action, Bassett lost 2-0 to Roman Glass on Tuesday night. The Gerard Buxton Sports Ground outfit will host Chipping Sodbury Town this Saturday.