Bassett claim some cup cheer

Royal Wootton Bassett Town brought their seven game winless streak to an end as Jonny Aitkenhead's side came from behind to beat Cirencester Town 2-1 in the Marsh Challenge Cup.

Ben Cleary's eleventh goal of the season and a second half own goal secured the derby victory for Bassett as they set up a date with Worcester Raiders in the last sixteen.

A fixture between two evenly matched sides the game was at times feistily contested and saw action throughout.

Indeed, it took the hosts all of four minutes to open the scoring - and they did so in style as Theo Jeremy produced a fine solo goal, beating three players before firing past Henry Sandys-Lumsdaine in the Bassett goal.

And Cirencester could have been two the good inside ten minutes - only for Harlie Price to be denied by the crossbar before Joe Turley struck narrowly wide as Bassett got off to a rather shaky start.

But the visitors' nerves were soon settled when Marcel Lewis fed a through ball into the path of Cleary who finished well to make it 1-1 with less than quarter of an hour on the clock.

The teams then exchanged chances in a fluid game, Cleary coming inches away from getting his second before Price headed just over.

Bassett were forced into an early substitution midway through the half as Sandys-Lumsdaine - who is just coming back from an injury - picked up a knock, with Aitkenhead fortunate to have Lewis Clark on the bench and able to take over between the sticks.

Clark wouldn't be troubled before the interval, with the closest Cirencester came being when Jeremy saw an effort deflected wide.

At the other end, Bassett almost took the lead heading into half time when Marcel Lewis' long range effort rattled the bar.

It wouldn't take long after the restart for Bassett to get their noses in front though. The goal arrived in rather bizarre fashion as a wayward touch from Elliott Keightley saw him put the ball past his 'keeper Ronnie Newberry.

Down on their luck in recent weeks, Bassett were more than happy to accept that gift.

They would be forced to work hard to hold onto their win too as a goalline block from Rudi Hopkins denied the veteran Nick Peare and Clark saved well from Ethan Rose.

Bassett then almost earned some breathing space with ten minutes to go as Bonsa Teshome shot only to see Newberry save well.

Unlike in the week against Highworth Town, though, Bassett's lead was one that they were able to hold onto to secure cup progress - and an end to their winless run.