Action from Radstock Town's 5-3 win over RWBT on Thursday night (pictures courtesy of Steve Green)

Just two games survived the wet weather but both featured the top two sides and it is very much advantage Kintbury Rangers after nearest rivals Royal Wootton Bassett Town lost at home for the first time this season.

On Monday night at Kintbury Recreation Ground the home side Kintbury Rangers were looking to put the pressure on their nearest rivals by opening up a six point lead at the top of the table with a win over Kingsdown Lions. Kingsdown have been in much better form in the second half of the season and could not be taken for granted. However, any nerves that may have existed in the Kintbury camp were quickly settled with a goal in the first few minutes and they were to add three more in the opening 25 minutes to effectively end the game as a contest by half time. Those first half goals came through Ashley Howes, James Tomlinson ad Brad Passey, with the other goal being an own goal from a Passey corner. Kingsdown continued to battle away and a much improved second half saw them concede just one more goal, the scorer for Kintbury being Joseph Sheridan with his ninth goal of the campaign as it finished 5-0. With just two games to go Kintbury now need four points from those two games which are against Warminster Town and Bishops Cannings to be guaranteed the league title.

Royal Wootton Bassett Town were hoping to keep the pressure on Kintbury when they met an in-form Radstock Town side on Thursday night at the Gerard Buxton Sports Ground and it looked like things were very much going to plan until the closing stages of the game. The home side went in front early on when, following a corner, the ball was played back into the Radstock box by Euan Spackman and full-back Spencer Bowen, who had taken the original corner, was on hand to smash the ball into the net for 1-0. Royal Wootton Bassett Town then doubled their lead just before the half-hour mark, the goal coming somewhat against the run of play and the result of an error in the Radstock defence, their keeper spilling the ball at the feet of the home side’s Joe Beavis who seized on the opportunity to give his side a 2-0 lead. Radstock continued to push to get a foothold back in the game and were duly rewarded when a cross into the box was not properly cleared and the ball fell to Barclay Lloyd-Foster just inside the 18-yard box and he fired in for 2-1.

The second half continued to see the visitors Radstock have the better of things, but they were to fall further behind just before the hour mark, a throw-in from the left was flicked on at the near post and fell to substitute Jacob Rendell-Haines who had only just come on and he headed home to make the score 3-1 to Royal Wootton Bassett Town. Having regained their two-goal advantage, the home side for some reason went very defensive sitting deeper and deeper inviting the visitors to take the game to them. Whilst Radstock were creating numerous chances it remained 3-1 and it took a free kick on 77 minutes to get them back in the game. The freekick on the edge of the box was taken by Radstock’s Lex Southall who hit a powerful low shot towards goal which took a deflection off a Royal Wootton Bassett Town defender and ended in the back of the net for 3-2. Radstock now had their tails up and went in search of an equaliser. That equaliser was to come five minutes from time from a throw-in on the right. Just as the throw-in was about to be taken for some reason a Royal Wootton Bassett Town player decided to sit down holding his leg but the game was allowed to continue and the ball was flicked on from the throw-in and headed in by Bartek Grzywa for 3-3 and a huge dent in the home side’s title chances. Royal Wootton Bassett Town knew they had to win the game and now finally came out of their defensive shell. By doing so they left themselves vulnerable at the back and when keeper Finlay Cranswick-Coates failed to gather a difficult high ball into the box and the ball hit Ryan Thatcher on the head and ended up in the back of the net for 4-3 to Radstock it looked game over for the home side. It went from bad to worse when Cranswick-Coates failed to hold onto a powerful low shot and the ball fell to Lewis Wheeler who fired in for 5-3, making it three goals for Radstock in those last five minutes of normal time plus stoppage time to win the game. That is now six games unbeaten for Radstock, five of which have been won ahead of next week’s big cup semi-final against the league leaders Kintbury Rangers. In the title race, it is now very much advantage Kintbury, four points from their remaining two games and they will be crowned champions, whilst Royal Wootton Bassett Town will be hoping that either Warminster Town or Bishops Cannings can do them a favour and then needing to make sure they do not drop any more points.

Next week the focus switches to the League Cup with the two semi-finals set to take place. On Monday night there is the Kintbury Rangers v Radstock tie, whilst on Thursday night Calne Town host Royal Wootton Bassett Town.

More action from Radstock Town's 5-3 win over RWBT on Thursday night (pictures courtesy of Steve Green)

League Table

Leading Scorers

Results Grid

Results and Next Week's Fixtures

24 March 2023