malvern town 5 v 2 bashley

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IT’S fair to say this was always going to be a tough task for Bashley, against a side in the hottest form in the promotion race.

And it’s definitely fair to say it was great deal tougher for Bash with a heavily-depleted team on an unfamiliar artificial pitch and after a journey of 130 miles up to the Midlands!

Malvern had won nine and draw one of their last ten matches, a form guide Bash could only dream about after so many misfortunes on and off the field in recent times.

And here they were with yet another unfamiliar line-up. No Steve Walker to skipper and gee-up the team; no Lewis Ross, vice-captain who leads the way so well when Walks is not there; no Luke Holmes to run the game from midfield; no Mitch Speechley-Price to add that fizz of sheer enthusiasm - and no Mack Allan or Charlie Philpott, in goal.

In a nutshell, this was very far from ideal, having to go head to head with a team in such a hot form streak as Malvern with a team not used to playing together.

That applied particularly to 18-year-old AFC Bournemouth rookie, Will Seeley, the goalkeeper who first met his new team-mates an hour or so before the game.

He came in because Mack Allan is still on loan at Basingstoke, and AFCB Development goalkeeper coach Charlie Philpott was unavailable.

And young Will soon had a taste of the hurly-burly of Southern League football. After an even first few minutes Malvern won the game’s first corner which was scrambled away after the keeper, under pressure, couldn’t get a clean clearance.

When Bash got going as an attacking force, young Jamie Power, filling one of the vacant midfield slots, led a breakaway which ended with a shot which kept home keeper Josh Bishop on his toes.

Power, who has been a star for Bashley Under-23s this season, was then involved in another smart build-up with Connor Bent, but the striker couldn’t make his finish count.

On 18 minutes it started to go pear-shaped. Malvern’s Joe Bullock cut in from the left and fired a shot which Seeley did well to parry -  but the ball rebounded perfectly for Bullock to slot it home. 

Bash responded with Conor Whiteley firing a shot which Bishop was happy to deflect away for a corner, the keeper then clearing the flag kick.

But soon Bishop was fishing the ball out of his net. With 27 minutes on the clock, skipper-for-the-day Brett Williams took advantage of a mix-up in the Malvern defence, and neatly clipped the ball over the keeper into the bottom left corner.

So 1-1 and not-so-bad after all, until… just four minutes later Willow gave away a free kick in a dangerous position. That was only half- cleared and when it bobbled around, Levi Francis was brought down by Conor Whiteley, who was booked.  

Now it’s fair to say that Bash do not consider they have had much rub of the green with referees this season and Mark Reilly became the latest to add his name to the list. Having looked as though he awarded the free kick on the edge of he area, he upped it to a penalty kick, which Jack Watts dispensed, sending young Seeley the wrong way.

After that “Grrrr” moment, Mr Reilly soon compounded his action by refusing to award Bash a penalty they thought they deserved when Whiteley was brought down heavily at the other end.

Bashley’s rookie keeper was still looking a tad nervous and spilled an effort from Matt McDonald, which was eventually scrambled away for a corner.

It would have been handy to have got to the break just one goal in arrears, but with four minutes remaining it stretched to 3-1. Bashley lost the ball in midfield, Harry Clark making a smart interception and sparking a quick counter-attack. The ball was played through to Lewis Spurrier, who slipped it under the advancing Seeley.

Even then there was time for Seeley to show his true ability, getting down well to keep out another effort from Spurrier after a linesman’s error had let the Malvern man through.

At 3-1 it was a harsh reflection of the effort Bash had put in, and they obviously needed a quick breakthrough in the second half to make a game of it.

That almost came several times. Jamie Power continued to show well, setting up Connor Bent, who couldn’t manage to get his shot on target. Whiteley then brought the best out of keeper Bishop, who had to dive left to keep out a goal-bound effort. 

The next goal remained crucial - and it was Malvern who got it. After 66 minutes a free kick wide left was headed down by Lewis Platt whose shot was cleared but only as far as the edge of the box where Spurrier hit something of a “worldy”  into the top corner.

Scott Bungay had joined the fray, and he livened Bashley’s attacking efforts. He featured in probably the best Bash move of the game in the closing minutes. Power set him up with a through-ball, Bungay squared it, and Williams did the rest.

So “4-2”, not ideal, unlucky at times, and considering the unfamiliar line-up, a not entirely unexpected outcome - and fairly respectable.

However - and so many times in this unpredictable season there has been a “however” on the end of things, there was still another setback in added time - a messy, horrible little goal. 

Joe Tumelty tried a shot which was blocked - and of course, straight to a Malvern foot, Ryan Brunt stabbing it home.

At least the next game is back at the Veho Stadium, with Cinderford the visitors this coming Saturday.

YOU win some… you lose some… and sometimes you draw… even when it had really looked like a potential cakewalk against a team which had lost 8-2 at home to the bottom club four days earlier.

The Bash started red-hot favourites to win this one - and even though they went down to ten men on yet another ridiculously-harsh red card after only 46 minutes, they still managed to go into the final ten minutes of normal time with a two-goal lead.

Then, for no apparent reason other than maybe a little bit of careless defending, it all went pear-shaped. Helston, who had not really threatened much at all, eeked out two goals from nothing situations, to steal a point.

It was frustrating to watch, especially when, as Bash went 2-0 up with time running out, it looked good enough to be game, set and match. 

Even when Helston sneaked one back there was confidence that despite only ten men, the home side could hang on. Er, no - in fact, alarmingly, they almost surrendered a third goal in the final seconds. 

Bashley went into the game again without influential skipper Steve Walker, finishing his suspension, but with a side certainly looking strong enough to see off opposition in the depths of a horror run.

Without warning Helston’s squad disintegrated two months ago, losing as many as eight of the players who had helped them start the season so well. When Bash went to Cornwall earlier in the season, Helston were third in the table and Bashley fourth.

Since then a lot has gone wrong for Helston, the loss of all those players leading to  a doom sequence which has included not only last week’s nightmare against Cinderford, but also a 9-0 loss to Bishops Cleeve.

In fact this was Helston’s first away point since January 21st - and they had taken only one point overall in their last nine games.

So you could excuse Bash at least some quiet confidence that this was a winnable game. Fair to say that the play-offs are out of reach now, but a top eight finish would be welcome, and certainly achievable.

It was quickly clear that Helston were determined to compensate, if they could, for that home nightmare four stays earlier, and it was ten minutes before Bash got anywhere near enough to force the game’s first corner.

It almost brought the first goal - Helston didn’t clear Lewis Ross’s flighted flag kick and it broke to Lewis Waterfield, whose effort brought a great reflex stop from keeper Andrew Sowden-Bird.

At the other end, Helston’s chunky little winger Will Tucker was proving a menace, his quick feet taking him past two challenges before, fortunately, he delayed his shot too long and it was a comfortable save for Charlie Philpott.

The Bash keeper was soon in action again, saving a worryingly free header by Callum O’Brien from Tucker’s teasing corner.

Most of the action was at the other end, however, and when Tyler Edmondson sent Harvey Bertrand away down the right, it brought a free kick which nearly provided the opener. Ross’s ball in sparked a scramble and when it broke to Conor Whiteley he drilled in a shot which Sowden-Bird did well to tip over the bar.

It was only a very quick reprieve for Helston, however. From the resulting corner, on the left, Lewis Ross sent one swirling into the goalmouth - catching the wind and sailing straight into the far top corner of the net. Did he mean it? Er, possibly. Ask Lewis and he would say “of course I did!”

Anyway 1-0, flood gates open! Or not, as the case may be. The best move of the half saw Bertie, Whiteley and Holmes combine, the move only ended with a flying headed clearance by O’Brien.

Then Whiteley was brought down a fraction outside the area. Free kick, central position, toss a coin between Ross or Bertie to take it. Josh, who scored a cracker from a similar position recently, this time whacked it straight into the wall.

The half ended with Philpott, who had been mainly a long-distance spectator, in unexpected action. First he had to go full stretch to keep out a swerver from Tucker, then a three-man move saw Ryan Smith crowded out before he could get a shot in from close range.

Halfway, and sort of an okay scoreline although a couple more goals in the bank would have been handy as insurance.

The need for such insurance immediately became obvious within a few seconds of action in the second half. Luke Holmes, great player, but hardly a tiger-tackler, went in for a 50-50 ball with burly centre-half O’Brien, who went down and stayed down as though he’d been hit by the 9.30 from Waterloo.

He made a decent recovery around the time that referee Adrian Harris harshly flashed the red card at Holmes, and appeared to be moving freely afterwards.

It handed an immediate advantage to Helston and certainly gave them new incentive to have a go.

There was a flurry of action around the Bashley goalmouth. Philpott had to look sharp to dive out and prevent a James Simmonds cross from causing a problem, then the keeper was on the ground again, diving left to make a very smart save from David Barker’s goalbound effort.

It was starting to look a bit iffy when Ryan Smith’s shot was deflected away for a corner. That resulted in a goal-kick which Mr Harris decided Philpott took too long over taking and flashed a yellow card.

To give things a shake-up Bash brought the lively Mitch Speechley-Price off the bench and almost immediately he was involved in what should have been a decisive second goal.

Mitch sent Connor Bent away on a mazy run which took him into the clear for a perfect strike as Sowden-Bird came out to meet him. It was the best move of the match and a very tidy finish.

Into the last ten minutes of normal time, still 2-0, and a sigh of relief from the Bash faithful when Simmonds got the ball in the net but was given offside.

It was only a very brief let-off. On 81 minutes a long throw into the goalmouth by Tucker was headed straight in by Craig Duff. 

Suddenly Bash found themselves in all sorts of trouble. Without playmaker Holmes, the ball was coming back too quickly from clearances, and sub Jordan Copp forced Philpott into a diving save.

The warning from that went unheeded and when Helston came again, in the fourth of five added minutes it was all-square. 

Copp’s free kick into a packed goalmouth was not cleared cleanly, and as it rattled around, any one of three Helston players could have scored - eventually it was Ollie Redd, who forced it over the line.

Even then Copp was granted another half-chance before the ref made his best decision of the half and sounded the final whistle.

It was a disappointing end to what should have been a comfortable afternoon, with some question marks about game management, which, as Bash have proved before, can still be effective, even with ten men.

There’s now a week to re-group for a much stiffer task - at least on paper - away to promotion contenders Malvern on Saturday. Teams with an artificial pitch always start with an advantage - as Bash found last season on the wrong end of a 6-0 scoreline at the HDAnywhere Stadium!

BASHLEY got the old “Cleeve-Ho” at Kayte Lane as the Mitres, easily the hottest form side in the division, eased another step closer to cementing their place in the end-of-season play-offs.

Against opposition which had lost only two of their previous 12 games, and conceded only eight goals in that time, this was always going to be a mountain to climb for Bash - especially with Mr Motivator, skipper Steve Walker, out through suspension.

Lewis Ross, who takes the armband when Walks is out, led by example as he always does, and Luke Holmes was again in good form alongside him in midfield - but Bash couldn’t make the best of a good share of play, and fell to three goals - all “at the wrong time.”

The goal pattern could not have worked better for the Mitres if they had planned it beforehand. How about an early goal? That always helps, so six minutes on the clock and it’s a “worldy” top-corner 30-yarder for the lead.

Another one just before half-time would be handy… so how about in the second minute of added time? Still need to snuff out opposition hopes of a revival, so let’s have another one early in the second half - then a nice gentle cruise home!

That’s how it panned out, and the main difference between the teams was finishing. Yes, all the goals were at exactly the wrong moments, but the fact is they went in while Bash couldn’t dent a mean defence at the other end.

Part of the problem all season has been lack of a settled side, and yet again it was a Bashley team which had not played together previously. 

Conor Whiteley returned from a fitness-related spell in the Wessex League, the back four had a new-look with recent recruit Logan Laird making his first start, and there was yet another new face on the bench, Karol Skoczen, a striker who played in Dave Lewis’s side at Lymington.

In a frantic start, Bashley soon won a free kick in a danger position 25 yards out, but when Lewis Ross’s kick floated in nobody could connect and it drifted harmlessly wide.

Bash continued to have slightly the better of things, but fell behind to one of those goals the like of which the player probably would never have scored before - and probably won’t again! Cleeve’s Matt Bower let fly more in hope than anger from 30 yards and the ball could not have found the top corner tighter if it had been put there by hand!

Two minutes later the lead was almost doubled. Bower found Ben McLean somehow unmarked in shooting distance but he lifted his effort over.

The home side had the taste for things by now and Charlie Philpott had to look sharp to cut out a low cross from Aaron Evans-Harriott.

Bashley were far from out of it, however, and after Mitch Speechley-Price lofted a speculative effort high and wide, Conor Whiteley had a much clearer chance, but his near-post header from a Luke Holmes cross lacked the power he wanted.

There was an even better chance on 35 minutes when Ross sent in a free kick from 35 yards which sparked a huge scramble in the home goalmouth. Mitch had a chance but his effort hit the keeper and Laird couldn’t convert the rebound, his header being plucked out of the air by Clayton.

Bash continued to have a good share of the play and when Lewis Ross won the ball in his own half he sent Harvey Bertrand away on the left. The cross was a good one but Mitch was crowded out.

There was another anxious moment for the home side a minute later when Lewis Waterfield won the ball in midfield, spotted keeper Clayton straying from his line, and tried a pot-shot from distance. 

He didn’t quite measure it, and the keeper scurried back to keep it out.

It had been an even half but three added minutes proved one too many for Bash, who surrendered a sucker-punch second goal. A straightforward corner from Evans-Harriott found Bower unmarked to head in.

So from being in the game, the Bash now had a mountain to climb. A 2-0 scoreline always means the next goal is probably decisive - one for the losing team and the fightback is on, another for the leading team and it’s goodnight!

Brett Williams replaced Mitch at half-time and Bash set about their task. However, only five minutes into the second 45 it took a terrific save from Charlie Philpott to keep Bash in the game. Ben McLean cut in and hit one from an angle which brought the best out of the keeper.

Cleeve had started the half the better and Philpott had to look lively to punch away a free-kick from Evans-Harriott before McLean had an effort blocked.

Bash had become second best for a while - although they might have done better when Ross floated a 30-yard free-kick into the box with no Bashley attacker able to get there.

Soon it was back to the other end and after Philpott saved well from James Harding, it was suddenly all over. Jay Malshanskyj made it to the by-line, cut the ball back perfectly in to the path of Evans-Harriott, and that was that.

Into the last 15 and Bash were at least aiming for a consolation goal. They almost had it when Luke Holmes made one of his typical driving runs and set up Harvey Bertrand - great effort, but an equally great save by Clayton.

Scott Bungay came off the bench for a final fling, but Cleeve had by then decided job done and put up the shutters to see out the match without conceding.

Bashley now have a week to re-group before their next home game, against Helston Athletic. 

One heart-warming footnote - during the week, and again at the gate, Bishops Cleeve had made a collection to go towards the fund set up for Jordan Chiedozie. Jordan himself, and Bashley FC, are grateful for that - a further illustration of how the “football family” has come together to help our seriously injured player.

THE BASH had to settle for a point from a rather scrappy mid-table affair at the Veho Community Stadium.

A soft pitch, which soon cut up on the surface, was not conducive to the sort of slick passing football Bashley prefer, and welcome though a bit of sunshine was, as it strengthened through the afternoon it became a dazzling hindrance to both sides, streaming straight down the pitch towards the Hoburne end.

Bash found the pitch particularly tricky as they reverted, rather riskily at times, to the “playing out from the back” tactics which had not proved entirely popular with their fans earlier in the season.

In fact it very nearly cost Bashley an early goal. New keeper Charlie Philpott came within a whisker of handing the Farm an early lead when his daring inter-play across the six-yard box was perilously close to being intercepted in front of an empty net by Farm striker Dan Dodimead, whose foot was just inches away as the ball was passed. 

Philpott, goalkeeping coach at AFC Bournemouth, has recent experience with both Winchester and Wimborne and was drafted in at the last minute because AFCB had agreed, 24 hours earlier, to Basingstoke’s request to loan Mack Allan.

Young Mack’s consistent brilliance all season was always going to attract attention, and it had already earned him a new one-year contract at Bournemouth At least then Cherries offered the very-capable Philpott as a replacement - he has appeared at first team level recently for both Winchester and Wimborne.

And apart from the earlier scare-raiser, he showed the class expected of him, being the busier of the two keepers in the first half.

The match kicked off 15 minutes later than planned because Farm’s team bus broke down on the way - but they still made more of a first half impact. They have a nippy, tricky little winger in Evander Grubb, who has caused Bash problems in the past, and he was doing so again here.

Occasionally switching wings to confuse things he went close himself a couple of times. Skipper George Dowling was also keeping Farm on the front foot and in one incident had two tries at a shot, the first blocked, the rebound sent just over.

Then Grubb and Dowling set up more confusion between them and Mitch Speechley-Price was right place, right time, to make a much-needed clearing tackle.

It was not all one-way traffic though. Luke Holmes, in excellent form recently, sparked a good move down the Bash left, carried on by Mitch, and only a terrific sliding block by Harry Lucas preventing Kyran Samadi’s shot going in.

A clever ball from Steve Walker freed Harvey Bertrand down the right and his cross fizzed through a crowded goalmouth with no Bashley foot to convert it - then Speechley-Price and Samadi combined cleverly in the box but were eventually crowded out.

There were still anxious moments at the other end, however. Jake Spence headed narrowly over from Dowling’s corner, then Grubb twisted and turned through four challenges before sending in a shot which had Philpott diving full stretch to his left to push it away.

Either side of half-time Bashley might have taken the lead. As the first 45 ticked down, Samadi and Speechley-Price both had shots blocked in quick succession, and early in the second half Connor Bent’s cross from the left eluded everyone as it skidded temptingly through the goalmouth.

But it was Farm who took the lead on 51 minutes when a quick break down the left caught Bash off-guard. Grubb had far too much time and room for a pinpoint cross which landed perfectly on the head of the unmarked Louis Britton eight yards out. Easy pickings for a competent striker such as him.

Almost immediately Farm showed the first signs of the tedious “game management” most teams with a 1-0 second half lead seem to adopt. 

Fortunately only ten minutes after going behind, Bashley were level. Luke Holmes chased a loose ball into the area to the right of goal. He got there first but was bowled over from behind by Aron Robbins and without hesitation referee Catalin Tanase pointed to the penalty spot.

There was not too much fuss from the opposition ranks - and not too much fuss from Lewis Ross as he whacked the spot-kick hard and low into the left corner of the net.

The referee had been generally efficient and non-controversial most of the game, but despite giving the penalty, he went on to upset Bash fans later in the game.

On one occasion, with Bash building momentum in attack after the welcome return of fit-again Scott Bungay as a sub, the ref denied what looked the most obvious of corners.

Then the one which really caused consternation in the home camp - yet another booking for Steve Walker. In home eyes it was hard to classify his centre-circle tackle on Britton as in any way worthy of a yellow card - but the ref thought it was, and end of the day, what he says goes.

It’s another blow for Bash, who are now set to lose their inspirational skipper yet again to suspension as the season enters its closing stages.

There are nine matches remaining now, four at home - Helston, Cinderford, Cribbs and Bemerton. The five away start in the next game, at Bishops Cleeve, followed by Malvern, Mousehole, Melksham and Evesham.

The table now shows Bashley remaining in 10th place, with the perfect mid-table symmetry of 11 wins, 11 draws, and 11 defeats.

BASHLEY rounded off a run of three long-distance away trips in style with an excellent win to complete a “full set” of results after the loss at Exmouth and the battling draw at Didcot.

Thanks to “JP” and Excelsior Coaches, the Bashley players and fans had a luxurious ride to North Devon, and the team clearly felt the benefit on a bright, sunny afternoon alongside the River Torridge Estuary. 

Yet again, it was a Bashley line-up which had not played together previously - the defence again being shuffled on the basis of one-in, one-out. There was the bonus of influential skipper and centre-half Steve Walker being back from suspension, balanced by the loss to a one-game ban of Dan Walster.

Dan, in fact, did find a team role for the afternoon, however, as the author of the Bashley Twitter/X feed (complete with cartoons!) - and his first duty was to report a Bash goal!

Just six minutes on the clock when Kyran Samadi made one of his tricky runs into the danger area and squared the ball hard and low into middle. Keeper Mike Searle could only push it away and Connor Bent was unmarked to steer in his first goal for the club from close range. As Dan wrote: “One yard out, but they all count!”

Bash continued in control and ten minutes later it was almost 2-0 when Luke Holmes made space for a shot which Searle did well to keep out.

When Bideford got moving they almost managed a leveller. Billy Tucker gave the defence the slip and forced the first serious action of the afternoon for Mack Allan.

Bideford were growing into the game and twice came close to equalising. Alex Moyse made a surging run down the right and sent in a deep cross for which centre-back Ollie Gardner rose highest. Luckily for Bash he could only glance his header just wide.

Then Tucker made a determined run down the right and set up Josh Webber, but under pressure, he dragged his shot off target.

Bashley still had the lead at half-time, but pressure had been building, and it took Bideford only three minutes of the second half to draw level. Mack Allan made a rare fumble and Javan Wright pounced on the loose ball to steer it in. 

However, inside another two minutes The Bash went ahead again. Connor Bent sprinted away past his defender, and sent in a precision cross which Mitch Speechley-Price met with an equally precision finish - celebrating, of course, in true Mitch style!

When Bideford tried to hit back, Tucker tried his luck from distance but Allan was equal to it. Then Javan Wright found space for a cross from the right but Scott Robinson couldn’t find the finish from a good position.

Jamie Hearsey dragged a shot wide when well placed, but Bideford were struggling to create a clear-cut chance and at the other end Steve Walker almost wrapped it up with a header which Searle saved.

Bashley still had to battle through the generous seven added minutes the ref awarded, and Bideford twice thought they had rescued a point, first when Mack kept out Jordan Ewing’s shot and then when Ewing came driving in from the right and shot wide.

In the end it was a deserved win for The Bash, who move up to 10th in the table, seven points off the play-off places. Dave Lewis’s squad now have a week off before finally returning to the Veho Community Stadium on Saturday for a date with Bristol Manor Farm. 

After that it’s on the road again to Bishops Cleeve in Gloucestershire - maybe a tricky time to go there, because while Bash collected their win at Bideford, the Bishops were giving Helston an unholy 9-0 whacking!

A CLEAN sheet and a point on the road after a difficult couple of weeks made this a solid Tuesday night's work by Bashley.

In chilly weather, with a brisk wind, it was never going to be a classic, and a draw was probably the fairest outcome in a game of few real chances at either end.

Bash went into it straight from a long trip to Exmouth, and still depleted, with Steve Walker missing at the back through suspension, and Scott Bungay, through injury, up front.

The line-up was again experimental with recent signings Tyler Edmondson and Logan Laird bolstering a new-look back line which also included Callum Baughan.

However Cal, who has battled back to top form and fitness from the frustration of a year out after a knee operation, lasted only 18 minutes, going down without a noticeable collision, but having to limp out of the action - unfortunately again with an ACL problem.

The nature of the ever-evolving Bash line-up in recent times was illustrated by the fact that at one stage of the second half there were four players out there who were not with the club at Christmas.

Tyler Edmondson, Logan Laird, Kyran Samadi and Connor Dunesby-Bent are all relative newbies still settling in to the club - and Sam Lewis, who was brought back from Totton & Eling (dual signed) come on for last 10 minutes and impressed from the bench.

Even so, this was a solid team performance and one which sets up Dave Lewis’s side in good spirits for yet another lengthy away trip, to Bideford, on Saturday.

The key to winning a point was that for much of the evening Bash held their own in the midfield battle, with Luke Holmes again outstanding and skipper Lewis Ross leading by example, as he has done during Steve Walker’s absence.

The opening stages were frenetic, with neither side able to take grip. It was nine minutes before the game’s first corner, which went to Didcot after Mack Allan had to deal with Dan Warre’s volley after a long throw found him unmarked.

That came to nothing - as did most of the attacks in this period of the game. Bash had a free kick in a dangerous position, within shooting range, when Brett Williams was brought down, but Lewis Ross couldn’t make it count.

Bashley’s best raid yet came on the half-hour, Samadi with a typical buccaneering run ending with a shot which keeper Leigh Bedwell did well to keep out.

At the other end, Jenson Wright intercepted a loose pass out by Mack and pulled the trigger from long distance. Luckily for Bash the ball cleared the bar with the young keeper stranded.

Bashley ended the half with a flourish and a corner but although the ball broke loose in the area a couple of shots were blocked before Didcot finally got it away.

Bash soon picked up in the second half where they had left off, and Samadi made another driving run down the right, sending a dangerous ball into the box, Mitch Speechley-Price narrowly failing to connect.

At the other end Warre was still the danger man - he latched onto a pass from Ewan Lynch, but Allan raced out to meet him and snuff it out. 

Lewis Ross then came to the rescue with a timely saving tackle, but Bash made a series of substitutions and it freshened things up for a final flourish.

With Bashley getting on top, Didcot had to deal with a dangerous-looking 30-yard free-kick from Lewis Ross. The home side conceded two more free kicks as they struggled with Bashley’s push, but neither came to anything.

As time ran out, in a Didcot breakaway, Warre almost caught Allan out with a curling shot from wide left but the keeper got back in time to push it away to safety.

There was one final push at each end, Didcot not being able to take advantage of a free kick 30 yards out, and Bash breaking away for Conor Whiteley to have a shot blocked.

And that was that, all square - but Bash having very little time now to re-group before that next long-distance journey on Saturday, to Bideford.

THIS was what jokers would call Déja Vu all over again - but there was nothing for Bash to laugh about in this fairly luckless result on the South Devon coast.

When Exmouth came to the Veho Community Stadium at the end of October, Bashley had a man harshly sent off at 1-0 down just after half-time and crashed to a 4-0 defeat. This time, in the return game, Bashley had a man harshly sent off at 2-0 down just before half-time and, well…the scoreline tells the rest!

Exmouth also had a man sent off two minutes from the end, while halting a move which might have brought the scoreline back to 2-1 - but just to rub in what sort of a miserable afternoon it was, the home side then nicked a third goal right at the end in added time.

Bashley went in still without key players at both ends of the park, skipper and defensive kingpin Steve Walker suspended, and striker Scott Bungay remaining injured after his trial at Stoke City.

There was another new face on - and then up and off - the bench, defender Logan Laird, on loan from AFC Totton, alongside Connor Dunesby Best, who made his debut in the match against Thatcham on Tuesday.

Bashley were slow out of the blocks and came under pressure in the opening minutes. Exmouth immediately had a shooting chance, which, fortunately, Josh Cann blazed over from just inside the area.

The first corner of the game brought more danger from Bash. Mike Landricombe headed it down for Luke Steer in a dangerous position, but his volley was way over the top.

When Bash got moving they had the best chance yet, but just when chaos was breaking out in front of the Exmouth net, Landricombe stepped in with a commanding clearance.

The heavy conditions were suiting the home side better and they went ahead after 16 minutes. Tom Bath found space for a shot from just outside the area, and despite the distance, it was hit well enough to fly past Mack Allan.

And soon it got worse - on 25 minutes Bash were on the wrong end of a debatable handball in the area. It looked as though a freak bounce off the pudding of a pitch sent the ball up onto unluckily Dan Walster’s hand.

There was no move to gain an advantage, but referee Mark Senior decided it was hand-to-ball rather than ball-to-hand, and up stepped Bath to slot it home. Mack got a hand to it, but couldn’t keep it out. 

It was a goal for the oddball statistics bank, because having scored three in the last half-hour for Exmouth at the Veho Stadium, and two in the first 25 here, it gave Mr Bath a grand total of five goals in less than an hour’s play against The Bash!

It also brought his total among the league's top scorers to 19 for the season so far. He was a good signing for Exmouth 18 months ago, having been round the west country block with Willand Rovers - where he started ten years ago, then Tiverton, Dorchester and Plymouth Parkway.

Things continued to look tough for Bash as Exmouth underlined their ambition to be promotion contenders. There was an anxious intake of breath when Bath broke clear again onto a through ball from Luke Steer, but this time the offside flag came to Bashley’s rescue.

Exmouth were getting greedy and when Ben Steer went down in the box they yelled long and loud for a penalty - so loud that their only reward was a booking for Joe Belsten.

Very little was going right for Bash, including their own loud appeal for a handball penalty which was waved aside by the referee. 

That inspired a spell of Bashley pressure leading up to the interval, but suddenly, just as things were looking up, came another shuddering turn for the worse. 

Dan Walster, already booked earlier, was judged to have fouled the canny Ben Steer. The Exmouth player slipped down, Walster tumbled on top of him and ref Senior decided that was worth a second yellow and off.

It was already looking like Mission Impossible, and Exmouth were quick out of the blocks in the second half trying to rub in the misery. Cann sent a searching cross into the box, but neither Bath nor Ben Steer could get there before Mack Allan. 

As the half drifted on Bash, surprisingly, looked in with a shout of pulling back a goal, and Landricombe had to come to Exmouth's rescue again, as he had done earlier, when things got hectic in the penalty area.

Landricombe was soon prominent again, this time at the other end. A short corner routine saw the ball worked to him just inside the box, and his snap-shot rattled the bar.

Luke Steer also went close - and then Ethan Slater went even closer. When he was sent through one-on-one with Mack Allan, it looked as though the Exmouth man had got past, but Mack never gives in easily, and recovered to save well.

Two minutes from the end, fussy ref Senior equalled up the numbers - about three quarters of an hour late from Bashley’s point of view. Louis Morrison was sent off for dragging back Conor Whiteley in full flight for what might possibly have been a goal back. 

However, to add insult to injury it was Exmouth who had the final say, Tor Swann bundling the ball in during a goalmouth scramble in added time.

Bash now have to regroup for another trip on Tuesday, this time up the A34 to Didcot with an even longer jaunt ahead next Saturday, to North Devon to face Bideford.

AFTER the electric, emotion-charged atmosphere of Saturday’s “Win for Jordan” it was always possible this one might fall a little flat in comparison.

And flat it certainly was, all the real excitement coming at the very end of a rather dour contest. It was 0-0 after 90 huffing and puffing minutes… At 91, it was 1-0 to The Bash and surely they had sneaked what had been an unlikely-looking win?

No such luck! “Four minutes” of added time somehow became five and that’s when Thatcham poached a controversial equaliser which - in fairness - they probably deserved on the night.

Bashley started with yet another new face, Connor Dunesby-Bent, on loan from AFC Totton, up front alongside a more familiar face, Assistant Manager Brett Williams.

That bundle of energy Mitch Speechley-Price, who has been a revelation in defence covering for Steve Walker, was again in a fluctuating back line with Dan Walster, Tyler Edmondson and Josh Bertie. Callum Baughan was pushed further forward into midfield, alongside the usual trio of Luke Holmes, Lewis Waterfield and stand-in skipper Lewis Ross.

The ground staff had done a terrific job getting the pitch to look flat and playable, even though sanded a bit like Boscombe beach in places. It had taken a pounding in the rain on Saturday and was clearly likely to cut up again.

And cut up it did, from the very early moments, making ball control even more of an art form than usual and creating a lot of often seemingly aimless long-distance up-and-unders.

The first half was end-to-end ping-pong, almost entirely devoid of meaningful action - although Thatcham probably looked the more likely to make something of what was going to be a tricky evening.

It was 20 minutes before either keeper had anything to bother them - and it was Bashley’s Mack Allan, who had to stretch up and back to flip away a header from veteran striker Harvey Flippance in the melee following a corner.

When Bash replied, good work on the right by Baughan ended with a cross which found Williams - but his 20-yarder lacked pace and Matt Pullinger saved easily.

Dunesby-Bent almost made an instant impact, his close-range shot being cleared off the line during a goalmouth scramble, but that was as near as Bash came in a first half which ended with Thatcham’s Kyle Daniel-Spray sending a free kick sailing a foot too high from 25 yards.

The second half was livelier. Mack had to show a safe pair of hands to pluck the ball out of the air in a packed goalmouth, and when play switched to the other end, one of Lewis Ross’s floated free kicks forced a free-for-all which ended with a Thatcham wobble being saved by the ref’s whistle.

Another Bash free kick, 30 yards out on the right, again caused chaos in the Thatcham goalmouth and the ball broke for Tyler Edmondson to shoot, but he couldn’t find the target - too high again.

By now Bash had started to “go for it”. Various substitutions brought Toby Bailey, Harvey Bertrand and Kyran Samadi into the game. Mitch S-P moved up front and suddenly there was a real spark about Bash for virtually the first time.

Almost immediately Mitch wriggled past two or three challenges cutting in from the right, but was eventually crowded out, then Samadi slipped over going for a loose ball which might have given a shooting chance. 

Time was running out now, and there was almost a horror moment for the usually safe-as-houses Mack Allan. Uncharacteristically he spilled a straightforward 20-yarder and after a scramble, Dundas gratefully potted the loose ball.

Thatcham thought the resulting offside decision, which ruled out the goal, was a harsh - but they were to have better luck, with the same linesman, later.

The 90 minutes passed - and some of the crowd started to drift away, perhaps certain, as were most, that if it had gone another hour it would have remained 0-0.

Not so! Into the first of those four added minutes and another free kick to Bash in the danger area. Lewis Ross, who Thatcham would have realised was the regular free-kick taker, lined it up. Lurking to his right, however, was Josh Bertie, and as soon as the ref blew it was Bertie who surprisingly strode up to take it. Bang on target as well and the slightest flick off a defensive head took it flying past Pullinger’s right hand into the net. 

Time to shut up shop, so Mitch hurried back where he had started, in defence, and it was all hands on deck because Thatcham, trying to escape the relegation area, were clearly not going to roll over. 

Bash came in for some terrace criticism for their apparent “hoof it anywhere upfield” tactics, because probably too often the ball was coming straight back.

So there was relief all around as the clock ticked past the “four” extra. But there was no whistle - at least until ref Paul Barber blew to point for a Thatcham free kick on the edge of the penalty area after Sam Tanner took a tumble. 

Mr Barber, who had a decent enough evening until then, seemed sure of his decision. However, Thatcham, at first ambitiously, started trying to persuade him to consult his linesman. They persevered and eventually he did just that.

Even though Bash fans in line with the incident claimed later it was up to a yard outside the area, the lino convinced Mr Barber it was inside - and so a penalty.

Even then the real drama was only just beginning. Mack Allan has a decent enough record against penalties and dived brilliantly to his left to push away Kyle Daniel-Spray’s spot-kick. However - and it was a whopping however - the Bash defence was then caught snoozing and  Christian Johnson skipped in cheekily to net the rebound. 

So even-stevens after all, and when the curtain came down, Bash probably had all that they deserved. Three points from a bit of a scramble would have been rather a cheeky bonus. However, there were probably some drained emotions after Saturday, and a pitch which cut up badly into muddy divots, did not help the sort of football Dave Lewis and Jack Williamson like the team to play.

Talking of the pitch, we should mention that while Jordan Chiedozie remains seriously ill in hospital, one of Bashley’s loyal volunteer ground staff, Peter Burr, suffered a suspected heart-attack while working at the stadium on this matchday, and after falling backwards during the incident, has cracked the base of his skull.

Swift action by his colleagues, Brian Eady, Brian Grogan, Dennis Dyson and  Norman Luffman , conceivably saved Peter’s life. Ambulance staff said that had Norman not successfully applied CPR the outcome could have been different.

All at Bashley FC would like to wish Peter a speedy recovery.

The match result left Bash 11th in the Southern League Division 1 South table, and now facing a run of three away games, first at Exmouth this Saturday, followed by a trip to Didcot next Tuesday (18th), then back to Devon and Bideford the following Saturday. Next home game is against Bristol Manor Farm on Saturday March 1st.

BASHLEY achieved the result they so desperately wanted on an afternoon of high-emotion at the Veho Community Stadium.

With striker Jordan Chiedozie still laying seriously injured in hospital after that freak road accident seven days earlier, his team mates hoisted his No11 shirt onto a pillar behind the home dugout - and it certainly gave them inspiration.

Jordan’s family, including partner Michaela, and his father John - the former Spurs winger - were guests of the club and watched on as Bash collected all three points on the back of a terrific trio of headers by Mitch Speechley-Price, Brett Williams and Dan Walster.

At a meeting on Thursday, the Bashley players considered whether to hold back from playing this game, as they had done to everyone’s understanding for the Tuesday fixture against Thatcham - or return to action and dedicate the game to Jordan.

They chose the latter - and gave a performance to be proud of. The scoreline has a falsely-close look mainly because of what Bash players and fans considered a generous penalty decision in favour of Willand six minutes from the end of normal time.

Likewise, referee Tom Farlow didn’t quite capture the mood of the moment when he fussily showed a yellow, then straight away a red card to Bashley manager Dave Lewis, banning him from the touchline for the final 15 minutes.

The opening stages were fairly tentative, with little goalmouth action, but soon  the pendulum started swinging decisively in Bashley’s favour - the home side, unusually, attacking the clubhouse end first.

Josh Bertie, returning at left back in a new-look back line, made a long, foraging run down the left and sent in a teasing cross which took a frantic diving block by Ross Edwards to prevent trouble developing behind him.

Willand won the game’s first corner, which caused a bit of confusion as it came in - but it was Bashley’s first corner, on 20 minutes which brought the opener.

A typical Lewis Ross inswinger from the left was met at the far post by the very fired-up Mitch Speechley-Price with a powerful downward header. 1-0, and inspirational - Mitch’s long-awaited first goal on his return to the club.

Suddenly Bash started playing with more freedom and spirit of adventure, with heroes all over the park. It could easily have been two when Luke Holmes sprung the offside trap and raced clear. He veered to the right of the advancing George Burton, but somehow the keeper kept the ball out despite going to ground what seemed too early.

There was a momentary lapse when Harvey Dorothy got in behind the Bash back line. Mack Allan looked as though he might have gone too soon in racing out 20 yards to meet him - but the young keeper got there in the nick of time to blast the ball off the striker’s toes.

Soon Bash came rampaging forward again, and on 35 minutes it was deservedly 2-0. Lewis Ross, this time with a free kick high into the box where Brett Williams turned back the clock with a vintage Brett Williams header. Here we go, nice big win ahead! 

But, oops, 43 minutes on the clock and a penalty for Willand which few saw through a forest of players. It looked as though Lewis Waterfield may or may not have tripped Ashton Hewitt but there was no maybe about the way Bailey Kempster took the spot kick, text book, low and hard to Mack’s left corner.

So at 45 it may have been Bash two or more ahead, but instead it was a modest 2-1 and still some work to do. 

Willo was in the mood and might have had a penalty - possibly more convincing than the one Willand were awarded, when he was flattened as he raced in from the right.

No dice on that, but it didn’t seem to matter just short of the hour mark with the third fabulous headed goal of Bashley’s afternoon. Lewis Ross completed a hat-trick of assists with a right wing free kick which Dan Walster came diving through a pack of players to head in at the near post.

Luke Holmes had the ball in the net again but couldn’t beat the offside flag - then came the moment which looked as though it could have set in motion the spoiling of the afternoon.

Six minutes of normal time remaining, and some goalmouth tussling before a corner kick, the like of which we’ve all seen a hundred times before. Referee Farlow decided to have a discussion with what seemed six-of-one and half-a-dozen of other players jostling.

From the ref's mannerisms, however, cynics on the touchline were already guessing what would probably come next, either a free kick for the defenders or a penalty for the attacking side. In came the corner, down went Mr Farlow’s hand, pointing to the penalty spot. Probably fair to say if you are giving those you could give half-a-dozen a game.

Anyway, penalty it was, and a second expertly-placed spot-kick by Bailey Hempster. Suddenly from a position of comfortably coasting home, Bash still had a bit to do.

However, on this day of such massive passion and determination, there was seldom a doubt that they would hold on, even through a generous seven minutes of added time.

In fact it almost got even better when Lewis Ross tried his luck with a cracking cross-shot from left of the area, bringing a diving save from Burton.

And that was it, all over, 3-2 and mission accomplished - a win for Jordan! Non-playing skipper Steve Walker proudly held aloft the Number 11 shirt as the Bashley players took a lap of honour, applauding the crowd as they came around and the crowd reciprocating in style.

Fair play, it must be said, to Willand, whose players stood back in the centre-circle and joined the applause. From their point of view, probably not ideal to be the potential fall-guys on such an emotional roller-coaster of a day.

If they are not too drained, physically and emotionally, the Bash squad have to do it all again on Tuesday evening when Thatcham are the visitors (7.45).

IF you were one of the 263 people at the Veho Community Stadium who watched this game, there’s no doubt you will remember it for many a day, maybe even many a season!

If you weren’t there, this is what you missed - how one sensational afternoon unfolded as the clock ticked down into a superb win for a team which played with ten men for 50-plus minutes:

3pm - Kick-off. Terrace mood a bit apprehensive. No win since late November, while in-form Westbury only one loss in seven and plenty of away goals. Key Bash strikers Scott Bungay (on trial with Stoke City) and Conor Whiteley (injured) both unavailable, midfielder Luke Delaney left the club to sign for Ollie & Co at Downton - but a 'new' young face on the Bash bench, Toby Bailey, made a welcome return after spells with Brock and Shaftesbury.

3.05 - Bright start by Bash - plenty of fluidity and bossing the midfield - might even have had an early penalty when Jordan Chiedozie was brought down as he cut in from the right. Referee Liam White waved play on. He was not the most popular man in town then, and nor was he - at least in the opinion of the Bash faithful - for most of the afternoon! 

3.08 - Chiedozie was keeping the Westbury defence busy. He was on the end of a slick move from the left but Dan Restorick slid in hastily to block the shot.

3.11 - Almost ahead. Luke Holmes saw the chance of a snap shot which looked as though it was dipping into the net, but Swindon Town loanee keeper Redman Evans leapt up and back to tip it over. Brilliant save.

3.15 - Little had been seen of Westbury but they won their first corner, capably dealt with by the Bash back line, and soon the action was at the other end again, Kyran Samadi on a typical jinking run past three defenders but not able to get enough ooomph in the shot and Evans saved.

3.25 - More excellent approach play by Bashley - Samadi prominent again creating an opening for Chiedozie, who shaped to shoot, then lost his footing on the slippy surface.

3.30 - Chiedozie escaped his markers again down the right and fizzed the ball through the goalmouth - Mitch Speechley-Price was inches away from getting a vital touch.

3.33 - Similar move to the last one - good work on the right by Mitch this time. Played the ball low into the danger area and Samadi was there with the finish. 1-0 Bash!!

3.35 - So far so good, a really promising first half-hour and Bash remaining on top. Chiedozie prominent again, shrugging off a challenge and breaking clear for a shot which had Evans diving full stretch to push it round the post.

3.37 - One of Lewis Ross’s precision corners found Steve Walker’s head but he couldn’t get enough power on it and the busy Evans saved again. It was to be almost the last taste of action for Walks.

3.40 - What the *$@*! Ball there to be won in the centre circle, Walker and Joe Beardwell arrived at the same time, and in his typical no-nonsense style, the Bashley skipper slid into a one-footed challenge. He won the ball, Beardwell went down with a shriek and the Westbury players crowded referee White. He had a good long think, then pulled the red card out of his pocket. Anger in the home crowd, who had visions of a possible win slipping away. (Bashley, by the way, are appealing the decision and will use video evidence).

3.43 - But already there were signs that all may not be lost. Mitch Speechley-Price took Walker’s role in the back four and immediately looked like a carbon copy of the skipper - even though a little shorter!

3.49 - Four added minutes safely negotiated and it’s almost looking too good to be true - perhaps Westbury now slight favourites, though, with a whole 45+ to come against ten men.

4.10 - Early stages of the second half safely negotiated and already the pattern looked promising. Bashley clearly fired up by what they considered an injustice on the Walker incident, and continuing to dictate play.

4.12 - Luke Holmes was just one of many in top form, and he was unlucky to see his shot blocked away after a brilliant dummy left two defenders kicking at air. Almost immediately Samadi was away down the same flank, beating two men, but unable to make the most of it as he reached the area.

4.15 - Bashley keeper Mack Allan had been a spectator for most of the game, but he and his colleagues were relieved to see Jack Witcombe’s low driven cross from the right skid clean through a packed goalmouth with no attacker to touch it in.

4.22 - Chiedozie was enjoying his best game yet for Bash and twice in quick succession he almost set up the second goal which would surely settle it. First he shimmied in from the right only to see his shot blocked - then he had a clearer sight and sent in a low, angled cross-shot from the left which Evans was grateful to push round the post.

4.30 - Westbury started to sense the ten men tiring and with 75 minutes on the actual game clock they had their first dangerous shot on target, defender Steve Hulbert firing in from close range and Mack Allan saving with his legs.

4.32 - Chiedozie’s afternoon is over. Exhausted after running for miles up front, he was replaced by Jamie Arnold.

4.35 - And almost immediately Arnold played a key role. He broke clear down the right, played a teasing cross into the middle which Westbury failed to clear cleanly, and Lewis Waterfield, just inside the area, pounced on the loose ball to smack it through the crowd into the net. YEEEESSSS! 2-0!

4.40 onwards - Time to run down the clock. Heroes all over the pitch, and Westbury, disappointing by their recent high standards, unable to mount a late challenge of any consequence.

4.52 - Added time seemed an eternity, but eventually it was all over - with almost the first blast on referee White’s whistle which was approved of by the crowd!

Delighted manager Dave Lewis found the one word which summed the performance and the sheer effort all over the pitch - "Immense!"

There is now a week to rest weary limbs before the 100 miles-plus trip to Tavistock on Saturday.

NOTE: The official programme for this match is available free on this link: http://bashley-fc.com/matchday-programme

THE old boys were back in town - six of them, ex-Bashley players now in Shaftesbury shirts, determined to put on a show for their former fans and stick it to their former club.

That was enough to give a keen pre-match edge to proceedings, even the possibility of a bit of a feisty un-neighbourly edge - especially with Bash currently needing to halt an untimely slide down the table, and ambitious Shaftesbury needing to climb away from the danger zone.

In the end it all went off without any notable unsavouriness, and with “two-shots/two-goals” Shaftesbury holding out for a point they barely deserved.

Newly-returned manager James Milligan's side ultimately avoided defeat on the back of two fantastic saves by skipper-keeper Shane Murphy in the closing minutes - and also on one, in particular, of several surprising decisions by referee Jacob Wright.

Bash started like an express train and were ahead inside five minutes. Two “old boys” combined to level it in first half added time, then the Rockies sneaked into the lead after Bash had been refused what looked - at least from the sidelines - like a 100pc nailed-on penalty.

Bashley’s determined search for an equaliser eventually paid dividends and they at least salvaged one of the three points they would have deserved.

Yet it had all started so brightly. With the team appearing to respond to the need for a first victory since late November, they soon had Shaftesbury under the cosh.

The all-ex-Bash Rockies’ back four - Liam Farrugia, Sam Davidson, Cam Beard and Ronan Moore - were soon working on overtime, and almost immediately conceded.

They came an immediate cropper on the rapidly-becoming legendary “playing out from the back” syndrome, as illustrated frequently by Southampton! A square pass across their own territory 25 yards out, was well-read and intercepted by Kyran Samadi, who took a couple of strides forward and rattled it past Murphy.

Bashley’s first moment of dispute with the referee came when it appeared the keeper tipped over Scott Bungay’s cross-shot after the young striker cut in from the left and let fly. Goal kick.

Then Bungay robbed the keeper on another dribble-out excursion wide right. Samadi sent it into the unguarded goalmouth but there was no yellow shirt there to complete the job.

Then Luke Delaney had a go from the edge of the area, and Murphy needed two goes to keep it out. It was all Bash, and when Delaney had another try, the keeper pushed it round the post.

Soon another apparently baffling decision, this time by linesman Brian Channing, robbed Bash of a great chance. When the ball was played through from midfield, Bungay, who would have been offside, wisely put his arms in the air and walked away from the action. Samadi, who looked a bus-ride ON-side, was clean through but halted by the flag and whistle (good name for a pub?!) presumably because Bungay had been off.

Chiedozie’s effort from a 30-yard free kick had too much last-moment swerve, and it had been very much Bashley’s half - until the final moments.

With the Bash midfield working hard and some excellent form right across what is looking a very promising back four, Shaftesbury had not had a single shot on target as the clock ticked into first added half-time.

Then it went slightly pear-shaped. The Rockies won their first corner, Moore curled it perfectly into a packed six-yard box, and it fell conveniently to the feet of Farrugia to force it over the line.

Early in the second half the home crowd launched a tirade of “advice” to the ref as Chiedozie carved a path into the area from the left, wriggled into space for a shot, and was clattered down unceremoniously from behind.

From the sideline it looked as though the sometimes-laborious VAR would have taken all of ten seconds to indicate a penalty had it been operating - but in fairness to the referee it has to be said he was nearer the incident than any of we sideline judges who were tearing our hair out!

Whatever the rights and wrongs, it was a costly moment. Bash might have been 2-1 up, but suddenly they were 2-1 down. 

Steve Walker had been enjoying a typically dominant day against - it must be admitted - a very nippy and capable opponent in Leighton Thomas. However, the skipper’s one lapse of concentration all afternoon was costly.  

An everyday sort of cross came in from the right - usually bread and butter for Walks - but this time he misjudged the flight. It skimmed his head and landed exactly at the feet of the wrong person six yards out.

Brett Pitman has been a non-League goal machine since ending a pro career with the likes of Bournemouth, Pompey and Swindon. Still only 36, he is, according to the grapevine, allegedly paid per goal as well as per game. If so, he is another bonus richer, because he doesn’t miss from six yards with just the keeper to beat.

So suddenly 2-1 down - completely against the run of play - Bash had to head uphill. Luke Holmes, Lewis Waterfield and Mitch Speechley-Price came off the bench - and it was Mitch who, literally had a hand, or rather two hands, in the equaliser.

From a throw-in level with the area, wide left, he launched the ball right in to the mixer near the penalty spot. Bungay swung at it and the effort was blocked - but reflexes took over and Bungay was first to the loose ball, prodding it perfectly into a gaping part of the net.

There was another penalty appeal - much less convincing as Delaney went over a tad easily - leading to another moment of surprise from the referee. Mr Wright looked wrong on two counts. He gave a free kick a fraction outside the area, even though the probably non-existent “offence” was a yard inside.

Whatever, Bashley were soon still pressing for the winner their performance deserved. Bungay was through again with a shooting chance, but Murphy made the first of two terrific saves in quick succession.

Soon afterwards another Speechley-Price throw led to more goalmouth chaos. Walker got his head to it, but not cleanly and it dropped down behind him. Showing more skill than your average tough centre-half, Walks, now with back to goal, hooked it over his left shoulder. It was dropping perfectly into the far top corner, but Murphy leapt up and backwards to tip it over the bar.

And that was it. Still no win since November 26th - but if Bash continue playing like this they should soon be back up among the play-off contenders.

The players have a week to re-group now before Saturday’s visit from Westbury - with Conor Whiteley and Harvey Bertrand likely to be back in the squad after injury and illness respectively. 

THIS was supposed to be the night Bashley got their season back on track by giving the Bishops the old Cleeve-ho - but things didn’t go to plan.

A scruffy match, where two evenly-matched teams pretty much cancelled each other out, was settled by a suitably scruffy penalty.

After 35 minutes Bishops’ tricky little winger Aaron Evans-Harriott took only a moderately-convincing tumble under a joint challenge by Callum Baughan and Steve Walker, and referee Jordan McRitchie, unfortunately for Bash, was rather more than "moderately-convinced."

The penalty was neatly slotted and that was a setback from which Bashley, ultimately, could not recover, despite throwing everything into attack as the clock ticked down.

This was yet another “new-look” Bashley side. Winger Kyran Samadi, on loan from Dorchester, was making his home debut alongside other newcomers Tyler Edmondson and Jordan Chiedozie.

Left-back Tyler, a former two-year scholar at the Southampton Academy, has arrived via Sholing and more recently Bognor, while Jordan is the son of former Tottenham and Nigeria winger John Chiedozie - who, coincidentally, had a brief spell with Bashley and now lives locally in New Milton.

Jordan has enjoyed previous success with Sholing and AFC Totton, and although not yet 100percent fit after injury showed glimpses of his Dad’s old swashbuckling style.

Kyran scored early on in his debut at Yate in the previous match and for a moment looked as though he would repeat that feat here, setting off on a long, weaving dribble which took him past three challenges, only to be crowded out before he could get his shot away.

That was Bashley’s best chance early on having previously come under some pressure in the opening stages from a team in serious pursuit of a play-off place.

Bishops’ giant defender Matt Bowers - all 6ft 7ins of him - had the ball in the net with a header after five minutes, but was correctly pulled up for a foul on keeper Mack Allan, who had the ball in his hands with a clean catch before Bowers came bundling through the back to knock the keeper over.

Bishops’ Matt Liddiard created himself a shooting chance which went narrowly wide, before Bash began to get up some momentum.

Luke Delaney cut in from the left after a neat build-up but couldn’t find the target, then Chiedozie got in a header after good work on the right by Luke Holmes, but was slightly off-balance and it lacked power.

Bash kept coming and another neat build-up ended with Scott Bungay’s effort being well held by keeper Lewis Clayton.

Then, on 35 minutes, it went pear-shaped with the penalty decision. Bash seemed rightly aggrieved at how easily the Bishops player went down, but there was no sympathy from Ross Langworthy who sent Allan the wrong way with a precision penalty.

And it was all uphill from there. Steve Walker, perhaps noting the ease with which the visitors won their penalty, went down under a challenge from a corner kick in the Bishops area but no dice.

Samadi made another one of his jinking runs through but was crowded out at the vital moment and screwed the shot wide.

However, just before half-time it took a great diving save to his left by Mack Allan to push away Ethan Dunbar's shot, and keep the margin at just one. Going two down might have been a totally impossible task because Bishops proved masters at shutting the game down in the second half.

After the break it developed into one long, frustrating battle of attrition, fought out almost exclusively in midfield.

There was only one real chance at either end as Bishops played the tedious - but effective - “run down the clock” tactics on goal-kicks, corners and throw-ins and Bash became increasingly desperate.

Bishops’ chance came from a misplaced pass from Samadi which set Langworthy through one-on-one with Allan, but the young keeper was equal to it.

Bashley’s only real chance of saving it also came, ironically, via Samadi whose brilliant weaving run through on the left ended with him shooting just wide under pressure.

Manager Dave Lewis made a raft of substitutions, bringing on veteran Brett Williams, along with Jamie Arnold, Josh Bertie and Charlie Wooding to inject some fresh attacking ideas, but it just didn’t work.

Credit should go to Bishops Cleeve for the efficiency they showed in shutting Bash out but it was frustrating - again - for the Bashley faithful who turned out on a chilly evening with Bournemouth also in action and several other good games on TV.

Cleeve, much-improved after an indifferent start to the season, moved up to the play-off places with their win, while Bash now sit 12th after themselves being in the top five only a few weeks ago.

Getting back on track will not be easy in the next match either. A few weeks ago James Milligan was manager of Bemerton when they beat Bash 2-1 - now he’s back at Shaftesbury, who come to the Veho Community Stadium on Saturday with a raft of new signings as well as a whole bunch of ex-Bash players who will be looking to impress back at their old hunting ground. See match preview.

BASHLEY became the latest victims of the runaway express which is Yate Town, a team surely already destined to be playing at a higher level next season.

This win put Yate 12 points clear of the pack, so it was a really tough task going into the game for Bash to have any realistic ambition of wiping out the memory of an indifferent spell over Christmas.

But Dave Lewis’s men gave it a go. With half an hour gone a lot of pieces had clicked promisingly into place. Bash deservedly had the lead and even on a cold, frosty, miserable afternoon of weather, there was a glimmer of sunshine about their performance.

However, in the space of two minutes, the warmth had disappeared and Bashley were suddenly 2-1 down, partly on the back of a soft penalty, and now having the mountain to climb all over again.

Hopes were still there of a second half recovery for at least a point, but a rare defensive mistake by skipper Steve Walker on the hour put that out of sight.

On a tricky, but playable surface after recent frost and rain, Yate made the faster start against a Bash side yet again showing changes and including a new face in former Eastleigh, Poole and Dorchester winger Kyran Samadi.

Bashley, however, quickly grew into the game - and Samadi was quick to make his mark in Black and Gold, pouncing on a loose ball with just nine minutes on the clock and smashing his new team into the lead. 

Bash continued on the front foot and at that stage there were genuine hopes of going on to an impressive win. Lewis Ross had the chance of a trademark free kick from 30 yards, and beat the wall, but keeper Aaron Sainsbury saw it all the way and gathered comfortably.

When Bash attacked again, Jamie Arnold sent a teasing cross into the danger area, but Luke Delaney was penalised as he tried to cash in. Moments later Delaney was in the thick of it again, this time claiming what looked an obvious foul against him in the danger zone without success.

But you don’t get to the top of the league by a mile without a capable attack, and after weathering some more Bashley pressure Yate countered and found an equaliser when Joe Guest created the space for a shot which beat Mack Allan.

In Yate’s very next attack they struck again - or as Bash saw it, "struck lucky". During a skirmish in the Bashley goalmouth, the referee spotted the slightest of pushes, and - to away eyes at least - gifted Yate the lead as Ross Stearn gratefully slotted the penalty.

The game had been turned on its head, and suddenly Yate, who were getting more of a tussle than they might have bargained for, had renewed confidence. 

It gave the crowd something to chirp about as well, and for reasons that were not obvious, there were times when they became almost hostile towards Bashley.

They almost had something to silence them as the game drifted towards half-time when Delaney’s shot almost deceived Sainsbury who fumbled it round the post.

The keeper made a more confident catch just before the break when Scott Bungay’s footwork created an opening, the young striker sending in a tempting cross.

Yate came out all guns blazing in the second half, looking to make the game safe. They hit the post, then Bash just about survived after getting in one of those groan-inducing tangles trying to “play out from the back”.

They re-grouped, and picked up the pace for a time - Bungay almost silencing the home crowd by bursting through one-on-one with the keeper, but sending his finish a fraction wide.

Harvey Bertrand then went on one of his cavalier runs top from the back but shot wide, and Sainsbury made a clean collection to end another Bash raid.

Having lost ever-solid centre-back Dan Walster to injury just after half-time Bash did not seem as secure as usual and several times Yate looked dangerous - including one occasion in particular.

Bash feared the worst when Yate screamed for a penalty against Mack Allan - however they did not get what would have been another soft spot kick.

It was only a temporary reprieve however. On the hour, Steve Walker made an uncharacteristic error, rolling a back-pass short. Ollie Dewsbury nipped in to slot it past the advancing Allan and that was pretty much game, set and match.

Bash had the majority of play after that, but having had that early scare and a bit of luck along the way, Yate were in no mood to surrender the points they had in the bag.

Manager Dave Lewis made a shuffle up front, bringing Brett Williams off the bench, but it was too late for the veteran striker to make any difference.

Bashley now have a week to regroup before another away trip, this time to Didcot, with the need for a win increasingly urgent to halt the recent slide away from the play-off zone.

IT’S been a Cruel Yule for Bashley and their loyal fans with just one point from three games, two of them at home.

When you need a win from a winnable game, it’s exactly the wrong time to be without your main strike force - a fact that was underlined in deeply frustrating fashion.

Bash went into it with one hand tied behind their backs. Scott Bungay, Conor Whiteley and Mitch Speechley-Price were all missing from the starting line-up, only Bungay being fit enough for a second half sub appearance. 

And lack of firepower - particularly in the shape of young strike-master Bungay - has been very much the key factor in recent struggles.

Against a Larkhall team lacking in confidence - themselves without a win in four - Bash would have hoped to renew their involvement in the play-off chase, but it was not to be.

Brett Williams went solo up front at the start, and although Luke Delaney and Charlie Wooding did their best to support him, Willo was too often crowded out as a lone raider.

At virtually no time this season has manager Dave Lewis been able to field the team he would have liked to pick - however, despite playing with yet another changed line-up, Bash started brightly. 

Larkhall defender Spencer Hall had to make a hectic clearance after Wooding broke down the right and crossed into the danger zone - then it was Charlie again from the other flank, setting up the other Charlie - Wagstaffe - who was crowded out before he could get a meaningful shot away.

When Larkhall got moving, tricky front man Evrard Yao went sprawling in the area under a typically no-nonsense challenge from Steve Walker. The Larks crowed for a penalty - and on past history, many a ref would have given it on principle when Walks was involved (!) - but ref Tony Cross stood firm and waved away the appeals.

Bash battled on, but seldom looked like getting a breakthrough. Larkhall were defending well, and picking up too much of the plentiful loose stuff in midfield as both sides tried to master a slippy surface - even ref Cross went a pearler on his backside at one stage, much to mass amusement!

It was almost the half-hour before Bash had their first series goal attempt, keeper Adam Forster guessing correctly the direction of Lewis Waterfield’s fierce shot and clutching it gratefully.

Walker’s influence was again illustrated when Larkhall’s corner king, Max Williams, swung in one of several right under the crossbar. It beat Mack Allan, but Walks rose to head it clear in the nick of time.

At the other end the skipper found himself in the right place to meet a Lewis Ross corner, but couldn’t get the power he wanted and it was cleared.

In a flurry of action at the end of the first half there was action in both goalmouths. Larkhall’s best move so far ended with Max Williams sending in one of those shots which sometimes kids supporters into thinking it’s a goal - his effort certainly rippled the net, but it was the side netting just the wrong side of the post.

A bright Bashley move, started by Lewis Waterfield, and carried on by Charlie Wooding and Luke Delaney, ended with Brett Williams pulling his shot wide. The build-up was worth a goal, but the half ended with a blank scoreline, and Larkhall probably the more satisfied with their first 45.

For ten minutes in the second half it looked as though there was little headway being made by Bash, so manager Lewis rang the changes. Waterfield, Williams and Wagstaffe went off, replaced by Bungay, Jamie Arnold and Luke Holmes.

Holmes in particular livened things up with some of his precision passing, and with Arnold’s willing running and Bungay’s eye for goal, there was promise of better things ahead.

Best move of the half yet saw a terrific crossfield ball from Holmes set Harvey Bertrand away on the right, his cross wasn’t cleared, and Arnold, with his back to goal ten yards out, swivelled round and cracked it inches wide.

Larkhall then pressed for a time. Hall broke clear on the left and his cross found Yao, but Allan was equal to it. Then Ryan Backinsale found too much room on the left and sent in one of those crosses which zips through the penalty area with nobody to touch it in.

Larkhall did not have to wait long for the breakthrough, however. On 69 minutes, Eben Mortimer-Taylor stabbed an effort at goal during a scramble, and Dan Walster scooped it off the line to safety - or so Bashley thought.

It didn’t even look a problem when the linesman lifted his flag, because Bash thought an offside call was being given - but no such luck. The lino was telling ref Cross that the line had been crossed (so to speak!) and after a brief discussion between the officials, the goal was awarded.

After that it was all a bit gung-ho in search of the equaliser. Steve Walker moved up front and almost immediately at the other end Yao forced a sharp save from Allan.

Holmes had added a dimension in midfield, and with Lewis Ross in good form, Bashley, predictably, started to dominate. Holmes opened the way for Delaney to try his luck but he couldn’t make it count, then Ross let fly from the edge of the area, forcing a full-stretch diving save from Forster.  

Bash huffed and puffed, but the curtain came down on defeat when Bungay found room on the left, but decided to shoot, to no effect, when a cross was the better ball.

So Christmas 2024 will not go down as one of the more illustrious spells in the history of Bashley FC, just one point from three games, two of them at home, and just two goals, both from their old-style centre-half.

The Bash now have one final chance to get back on track over holiday season with a New Year’s Day clash with Thatcham Town at the Veho Community Stadium (3pm). 

Three points there will be absolutely essential, with an away trip to runaway league leaders Yate Town next up three days later.

GOING away to the form side of the division in what is now the local derby always had the potential to be far removed from any Christmas goodwill - and it certainly proved to be that.

On a ground where they won in style last season, Bash again started well, ahead in four minutes, then pegged back by a freak own goal.

Bemerton sneaked ahead early in the second half then clung on grimly after having a player sent off with half an hour remaining.

The man who saw red, ironically, was their former Bashley striker Joe Smith, whose intention on the day would surely have been to show Bash what they had missed out on by not signing him at the start of last season.

Instead, young Joe went for an early bath, leaving his ten colleagues to hang on by any trick in the book - and, perhaps, according to Bash, some that are not!

Bashley went into the game still without their hot young striker Scott Bungay, but Luke Holmes, who missed last Saturday’s draw with Mousehole, returned.

The first few minutes were tentative, Bash going forward without penetrating and Dan Walster being alert to break up Bemerton’s first attack.

But almost immediately Bash went ahead. They won the game’s first corner, swung in with typical precision by Lewis Ross, and there was Steve Walker to nod in the opening goal for the Bash.

When Bemerton replied, they won a free kick in a dangerous position, but Mack Allan was equal to it - too hot to hold first but the keeper was up to the task when a follow-up shot came in.

Jamie Arnold was looking lively, but after creating himself an opening, he was undone by a moment’s indecision about whether to shoot or cross.

Soon Arnold was away on the break again and sent one in on a plate for Brett Williams - but the veteran striker couldn’t manage a vintage finish from a position where he would have expected to score.

Willo tried to make amends with a pot-shot from 30 yards, but it drifted wide. 

Bash stayed in control for a time and won another corner, but this time Hill gathered Ross’s cross before Steve Walker could get near.

Bemerton eventually found a way forward with some danger attached, and won their first corner of the match after 15 minutes but that was comfortably cleared, then Allan easily fielded a shot from former Bashley striker Olly Balmer.

Soon Bashley skipper Walker was in the action again - this time for the wrong reasons - seeing a yellow card for a tackle on Smith.

Luke Holmes started showing his influence from midfield, first trying a shot from the edge of the area yards which forced Hill into some sharp action, then winning a free kick 25 yards out as Bash went in search of a second goal.

That flurry of action forced Bemerton into their most dangerous spell of action yet. Mack Allan helped Bash survive when he rescued the situation after Dan Walster’s wayward backpass created an anxious moment. 

Things went from anxious to worse on the half-hour when Bemerton equalised with a freak goal. A  corner created chaos in the penalty area and Brett Williams, trying a hasty clearance, succeeded only in slicing the ball into his own net. 

Bashley immediately set about repairing the damage. Arnold sent in a shot which was saved, then Holmes won a free kick 30 yards out which was deflected away for a corner.

Having already booked Walker, the referee set off on a flurry of more yellow cards. Bemerton’s Smith and Billy Brackley went in the book, along with Bashley’s Harvey Bertrand.

Bash ended the half with a flurry, Holmes sent in a great cross which was cleared with difficulty, then Bash had loud penalty appeals turned down after Arnold was floored.

The second half started with a number of key incidents. Bash had another penalty appeal turned down when Conor Whiteley went sprawling - and in the 53rd minute Bemerton had the lead.

Balmer’s cross was not dealt with by the Bash defence and Charlie Rayfield was first there to head it past Allan.

It proved an extremely handy moment for the Harlequins to go ahead, because almost immediately they were reduced to ten men. Walster stooped to make a headed clearance as Smith followed in with his foot high, to collect a second booking.

Bash immediately set about making the numerical advantage count. They won a series of corners and from one of them there was almost an equaliser - keeper Hill saving after Walker won the header.

There was an anxious look about the home camp, and manager James Milligan was booked by the referee for speaking out of turn.

Walster was right in the thick of the action again soon after. Bashley were right on top of the ten men, very much on the front foot, but it was in-form Walster to the rescue when play switched suddenly to the other end, the centre-back clearing off the line.

The closing stages developed an inevitable pattern, Bash chasing the equaliser they felt they would have deserved, but with Bemerton defending doggedly and sometimes looking dangerous on breakaways.

Ross set up Arnold with a shooting chance which the youngster could not convert, then Holmes sent a cross fizzing through the goalmouth with nobody able to get a finishing touch.

Bash shuffled the pack with four substitutions, Charlie Wooding, Josh Bertie, Jamie Webber and Charlie Wagstaffe coming on for Callum Baughan, Brett Williams, Conor Whiteley and Lewis Waterfield. And in the closing moments Sam Bradford replaced Luke Waterfield who had gone down injured.

The hectic pattern continued, but with no real quality to the play at either end, more a case of mutual anxiety, Bash to get the equaliser and Bemerton to preserve the win.

It was just one huge scramble to the end, Bemerton’s ultimate delight in stark contrast to the sheer frustration in the Bashley camp.

The thought was that had Bungay been fit the outcome might have been different because Bashley’s finishing did not match the number of chances created.

So Bash lost a bit of ground in the race for playoff places, but have the chance to repair the damage with two home games in the next six days, firstly against Larkhall on Saturday, then Thatcham on New Year’s Day.

DOWN at Mousehole, on the coast of deepest Cornwall, they are used to a bit of piracy - and there was more than a touch of the Long John Silvers about the way Bashley robbed their visitors of a valuable victory!

A Bashley side without star front man Scott Bungay, who failed a pre-match fitness test on a groin injury, and midfield dynamo Luke Holmes, who was unavailable, laboured for most of the afternoon against opponents who mastered the tricky conditions better.

The outcome of a match played in a strong end-to-end wind, on a slippery surface, was decided on the back of a poacher’s finish by Bash skipper Steve Walker in added time, and another super-show by keeper Mack Allan.

The youngster, playing consistently at a standard which would have made his late grandfather Alan Ball, the England legend, very proud, could do nothing to prevent Mousehole going ahead early on - but after that he certainly prevented them building a runaway lead with a series of magnificent saves.

Going downwind in the first half, Bashley had trouble judging the pace of forward passes, most of which went into harmless territory - and they were soon behind.

Just 14 minutes were on the clock when a long through ball from the Mousehole defence, held up in the wind and deceived Bash defender Callum Baughan. The young full-back, playing his first game in virtually a year after a serious knee injury, slightly misjudged what looked a straightforward headed clearance.

The ball dropped down to Mousehole’s livewire skipper Jack Calver, who took a couple of paces and launched it with a vicious swerve out of Allan’s reach as the keeper dived left.

Ironically, Bashley, who were slow to get going, had almost scored themselves just beforehand when keeper Ollie Chenoweth looked a little lucky to guess correctly on his reflexes when Whiteley could have steered his clear shooting chance either side of the keeper.

Once ahead, Mousehole took a strong grip on the game, and although Bash huffed and puffed, they seldom got anywhere near shooting range.

At the other end there was a sigh of relief from the crowd when Mousehole’s best move of the half ended with Oscar Massey firing high and wide after he was sent clear.

Deservedly ahead at the break, Mousehole almost doubled their lead immediately on the re-start, Massey again creating a chance, which Allan clawed away at full stretch. 

Bashley showed signs of improvement attacking the clubhouse end and Conor Whiteley almost wriggled through before being crowded out.

Of all people to almost gift Mousehole the second goal they were seeking, it was young Mack. The way too many keepers suffer in these days of "playing out from the back," he rather rashly dribbled out past an opponent on the edge of the penalty area, then scuffed his clearance straight to Mousehole defender Jamie Ward in the centre circle. 

Correctly judging that Mack had no chance off getting back, Ward launched the ball high and hard at the empty net from 40 yards - and held his head in anguish as it caught the wind and drifted a fraction wide.

Bash breathed a sigh of relief, and soon Allan was more than making amends for his moment of rashness. Mousehole stepped up the pace looking for another goal, and twice within seconds he made brilliant blocks. First he pushed away Tallan Mitchell’s shot, then leapt to his feet to dive again and tip away Hayden Turner’s follow-up.

Then Mohammed Konte thought he had scored. He got a fluke bounce which took him clear of the last defender and rattled in his shot - only for Mack again to be equal to it at the expense of a corner.

Harvey Bertrand, pushed up front for a final fling, did brilliantly to jink his way past several challenges and was through with a chance to equalise, but it looked all over when Harvey’s shot skewed wide.

However, as the clock ticked round to 90 minutes Bash won a free kick wide right 40 yards out. Lewis Ross’s kick floated into the goalmouth. It wasn’t cleared, bounced loose - and Steve Walker was first there to smash it past Chenoweth.

Pandemonium on, and off, the pitch - but there was still four minutes to play, and that was time for Allan to make one more vital save. He didn’t need to for personal gain, because the Man of the Match crown had long been in his locker. However, Mitchell’s pot-shot still needed attention to guide it round the post to safety.

So one point from the start of a hectic Christmas and New Year period was enough to move Bash up to seventh in the table, but with a tough Boxing Day assignment now ahead away to a Bemerton side suddenly the form team of the division, having stormed up from nowhere to fourth place. 

The Salisbury side, bolstered by some hefty new signings - including ex-Bash strikers Ollie Balmer and Joe Smith - have won six and drawn one of their last eight games, so Bash will have to rediscover their best form to get anything from their shortest away trip.

ON a day when no other game was played in their Division, Bashley missed the chance to really get in amongst the play-off contenders.

One point was certainly better than none, and moved Bash up to fourth in the table - but it really should have been three points after playing against ten men for the last 20 minutes.

Malvern are the great spoilers for the leading teams, having already taken three points away to both Helston and Evesham and going home with a draw from Exmouth, who are also in the thick of things at the top end.

A game that was touch and go for being played, right up to kick-off, ended up as a slog of a tussle on an ultra-slippery surface and with a wind which made some high balls a lottery of “how much will it swerve.”

In fact, while it was cold and windy, referee Adrian Harris is believed to have considered beforehand that any torrential rain during the 90 minutes might have meant an early bath all round for the players, and a big ugly A-A in the scoreline.

Luckily the rain stayed away during the actual 90 minutes, although the wind was an unpredictable torment throughout, and the pitch cut up quite drastically, with players frequently robbed of promising positions by losing their footing. Even so, in the circumstances it was entertaining, and a fair reward for the 200-plus fans who braved the weather to watch.

Having entered what they thought would be a period of stability with their team line-up, Bash were once again without two of their “spine” players, centre-back Steve Walker on suspension and key midfielder Luke Holmes who has broken a hand in a work accident. Another prominent midfielder, Lewis Waterfield, was also out via suspension.

Bashley have excellent cover in Rob Flooks and Charlie Wagstaffe, but it can rob a team of "understanding" if there are frequent team changes.

And early on Bash did not look exactly comfortable. Malvern were able to quickly show that they can be a real danger if you give them scope, and Mack Allan had two immediate chances to underline his outstanding ability. 

First Alex Bell sent in a cracking 20-yarder which Mack held on to more confidently than he was entitled to, then the keeper made one of his trademark flying fingertip saves when Lewis Spurrier eluded the defence and hit a blockbuster towards the top corner.

Right-back Bell was proving a handful and again he found room for a shot which did not clear the crossbar by much.

So Bash had struggled to get motoring, but Scott Bungay soon showed several times why it is that most defenders in the division will grow to hate playing against him. The willowy build, the ability to turn on a sixpence - and not least a deadly shooting ability - are highly-valuable assets.

He had Bashley’s first shot, then narrowly missed connecting with a low cross when Harvey Bertrand made one of his adventuring runs down he right.

Bashley had just started getting into the game a serious force when they fell behind in what can politely be called “controversial” circumstances. In truth it seemed utterly baffling - to both sides - when referee Harris pointed to the penalty spot after 26 minutes.

Malvern’s Harry Clark chased a loose ball in from the right, but Allan bravely beat him to it, diving to take the ball, apparently completely cleanly, with two hands, while Clark’s momentum took him up and over the keeper. Allan stood up with the ball, and was as astonished as any of the crowd when the referee awarded a penalty.

It seemed Bashley had a cast-iron case for being annoyed and they succeeded in getting the ref to consult his linesman who, supposedly, would have had an excellent view of an incident on his side of the goalmouth.

Surely he would convince the ref to change his mind? No such luck. After lengthy discussion, penalty confirmed. Jack Watts slammed it in past Allan’s despairing dive, and Bashley went to the break in arrears. Where’s VAR when you need it?!

It might even have been worse had Clark not skewed one wide from a good position, and in all honesty, if anyone deserved to be in front it was probably Malvern.

However, Bash started the second half much brighter, Jamie Webber, in his latest comeback game, adding a dimension down the left-hand side as a half-time sub for Josh Bertie.

Luke Delaney was prominent for a time, twice breaking clear on the right to get in crosses, the first of which keeper Lewis Adams almost let creep in at the near post and the second being held at the second attempt.

Six minutes into the half Bashley were deservedly level. Scott Bungay worked an opening just inside the area and hit a thunderbolt which crashed against the post and away, but only as far as Conor Whiteley, left of goal, who was brought down as he tried to tee up a shot of his own. Lewis Ross made easy work of the penalty, so game on.

The excitement lapsed for a time with a midfield stalemate, neither side able to get a consistent grip on the conditions - but things came to life in the 70th minute. 

Malvern skipper Luke Payne, just inside his own half, took a swing at a bouncing ball and missed it completely - total "air shot" - giving Luke Delaney a clear run at goal. A clip of the ankles and down he went - a flash of red at Payne, and off he went!

After that it was real cat and mouse stuff. Malvern dropped back into deep defence, but keeping a player or two up front to keep Bash at least partly honest.

However, it enabled Bashley to send either of the centre backs, Dan Walster and Rob Flooks, in turn, up into attack for prolonged periods - and either could have won it from golden opportunities.

Walster dived bravely into the pack closing in on a great cross from sub Jamie Arnold, but under pressure he could only whack the ball the wrong side of the post.

Flooks had an even more hair-raising moment. Another Arnold cross into the danger zone, not really cleared and bobbling around in the goalmouth, breaking to him a couple of yards out, middle of the goal. Under pressure for sure, but Rob somehow skied it over the bar, with the crowd already half-way through a goal roar!

And that was almost it. Malvern had a couple of late counter-attacks which might have brought them an unlikely winner, while Bash had a half-decent shout for handball after a shot from Conor Whiteley was hastily blocked.

So Bash move up to fourth place, at least for a few days, but they have now played one more than all three teams above them, and between two and three more than the chasing pack.

That will now get a slight correction on "games played" because Dave Lewis's side have no game now until Mousehole’s visit on Saturday 21st, the start of a hectic Christmas and New Year programme.

BASHLEY: Allan; Bertrand, Walster (Williams 83), Flooks, Bertie (Webber 45); Delaney, Wagstaffe (Arnold 71), Ross, Wooding; Bungay, Whiteley. Sub not used: Ashby, Goad.

ATTENDANCE: 225

MAN OF THE MATCH: Charlie Wooding

BASHLEY battled all the way for another precious point on their first-ever visit to a ground where few visiting teams have come away smiling this season.

It’s Helston’s first season at this level in their 128-years history, and they are making the most of it, sitting in the play-off places from the off and currently in fourth, one place ahead of Bash, but with two games in hand.

It was touch-and-go from midweek whether this one would be played, because Kellaway Park had been looking heavy, and unlikely to soak up much more rain had there been any on Friday.

However, it survived three inspections - including one at 6am on matchday, specially-organised by Helston because of the travel distance involved for Bashley. In the end the playing surface was not ideal, but certainly playable.

One of the early-season problems for Bashley has been the lack of opportunity to get a settled team because of injuries and suspensions. This time, however, they had perhaps their strongest squad yet, with just one change from Tuesday's defeat of Tavistock. Lewis Ross returned to bolster a midfield line which now has both creativity and defensive quality - the rest of the team being unchanged.

And despite a five-hour-plus coach journey to deepest Cornwall, Bashley were first to show, dominating the opening exchanges although seldom getting a sight of goal.

When Helston came into it keeper Mack Allan quickly showed his class by confidently claiming Helston’s first corner. Helston’s main tactic seemed to be slinging high crosses into the Bash goalmouth, but those were meat and drink to Allan and the increasingly solid centre-back partnership of skipper Steve Walker and Dan Walster.

When the home side did get a sight of goal, danger-man Jack Crago’s shot was comfortably dealt with by Allan, then Tyler Elliott was kept far enough out of range for his effort to lack accuracy. 

Towards the middle of the half Bash started to move forward more dangerously and after great work by the lively Luke Holmes, Scott Bungay’s effort was pushed away for a corner by keeper Kyle Moore.

Bungay was not to be denied again, however. When he took aim from 25 yards out, on 31 minutes, his beautifully-measured left foot effort curled perfectly into the top corner out of Moore’s reach.

When Bash went in search of a second goal it was Walker who went adventuring upfield in typically buccaneering style - but the cross went behind.

Towards the break Helston stepped up the pace in search of an equaliser, but what the defence couldn’t deal with Mack Allan did, looking particularly comfortable dealing with corners and crosses.

So into the break still ahead - but Bashley’s hopes of building on that were undone within 60 seconds of the re-start. In the first attack of the half it looked as though several defenders had the chance to clear, but Jake Smith took advantage of the confusion to nip in and rattle it past Allan. 

Both sides won corners, but there was very little sign of either taking the lead, and towards the hour-mark it became a scruffy battle in midfield.

Bash tried to freshen things with a series of substitutions. Charlie Wagstaffe took over from Charlie Wooding, who had lacked his usual influence, and likewise, Conor Whiteley, who was having a quiet afternoon, gave way to Lewis Waterfield.

While Bash re-organised, Helston enjoyed a spell of pressure. Walker did well to clear one corner and Allan another - then the young keeper did well to tip over Smith’s free-kick. Allan became increasingly busy as Helston searched for a winning goal, but he was up to everything thrown at him.

It was not all one-way traffic however. Moore had to move sharply to keep out a speculative effort by Harvey Bertrand, while Luke Delaney shot wide from a promising position.

Delaney was then replaced by Jamie Arnold, while Luke Holmes took a well-deserved break from an impressive shift, with Brett Wiliams coming on.

And Willo was soon in the thick of it, hitting a snap-shot which Moore was happy to tip over the bar. Then the veteran striker forced the Helston keeper into another hasty save, this time pushing the ball out, but Dan Walster couldn’t cash in on the rebound, sending it up and over.

Arnold had the next chance, as Bash ended the game with a flourish, breaking through but being hurried Into a shot which was too high.

There was time for one more Helston attack but Allan held firm again and Bash came home with a hard-earned, well-deserved, point.

Dave Lewis’s men can now take a breath as they prepare for their next game, against Malvern. The warning signals for that one can already be seen - not only were Malvern the nightmare bogey side of last season for The Bash, they are also the only visitors to have won at Helston this season.

All the more need for maximum support at the Veho Community Stadium, so see you there, 3pm, Saturday December 7th!  

BASHLEY put their loyal fans fans through a rollercoaster ride of emotions in the rain before emerging with the three points which took them back to the play-off positions.

Trailing 1-0 after just four minutes, it would have been worse at 2-0 but for a terrific penalty save by young Mack Allan in the Bashley goal.

To rub salt in that wound for Tavistock, Bash levelled just before half-time then deservedly went ahead 2-1 and were apparently coasting… before conceding a sloppy equaliser with time running out.

Thankfully, Bash still managed to beat the clock - 90 minutes exactly on the dial when a moment of absolute magic from Charlie Wagstaffe gloriously added the two extra points to what had seemed at the time a likely, frustrating, draw.

The rain started at almost the exact moment of kick-off and didn’t relent all evening. In one way it had a detrimental effect on play, because so many promising moves broke down underfoot - but conversely it made for excitement because the strikers - on both sides - were only ever a slipping defender away from the chance of a shot.

There was a lively start at both ends. Bashley were quick out of the blocks and a promising move down the left, started by Luke Holmes and carried on by Scott Bungay ended with the ball flashing across the goalmouth with nobody able to get the vital touch.

Then it was Bungay again. The young hot-shot, making his first start after injury, raced clear onto a through ball from Luke Delaney and steered his shot a whisker wide as keeper Aaron Dearing advanced.

But there was a quick shock in store at the other end. Tavistock’s first attack, on four minutes, ended with them taking the lead. Ben Steer, who looked a lively customer all evening, cut in from the left, sold a couple of dummies shaping to shoot, and finally got the sight of goal he needed. 

To Bashley’s relief at first, the ball hit the post, but it rebounded out perfectly for the unmarked Jake Bowker, coming in from the right, to hit perfectly into the empty side of the goal.

Bashley set about repairing the damage - fortunately with a lot of time in hand to do so. The crowd became impatient at times as Bash built, perhaps too often, in a laborious way from the back - sideways, sideways again, then back, then sideways etc etc.

Even so there were good chances. Delaney shot narrowly wide twice, Bungay, proving a handful for the Tavistock defence, also hit one a fraction past the post, while Conor Whiteley blazed another chance adrift.

Tavistock, mainly content to sit and watch Bash go sideways, were sometimes dangerous on the break, Mack Allan had to be ultra-alert to tip over a dipping, goal bound effort from danger-man Steer - then Ed Harrison fired one too close for comfort.

Chances still came and went for Bashley. Whiteley was looking lively down the left and sent a cross fizzing through the goalmouth with nobody to touch it in - then Lewis Waterfield beat the keeper with a snap-shot, only to see it blocked in the line by a covering defender.

After that, for a couple of minutes, it was all about young Mack Allan. Josh Bertie was judged to have tripped Luke Steer during a goalmouth scramble and referee Oscar Whiting pointed to the penalty spot.

In Liam Prynn, Tavistock have one of the most experienced, and reliable, strikers in the division. The hot money was on him to sink the spot kick for 2-0 - and he hit it hard and low, and seemingly decisively, to the keeper’s left. Mack read it perfectly however and flung himself brilliantly to push it to safety.

It proved a costly moment for Tavvy, because in the final moments of the half, Bash drew level. A ping-pong session in the goalmouth ended with the ball breaking perfectly for Charlie Wooding to smack it in from near the penalty spot.

And Bash were quickest out of the blocks in the second half, attacking the clubhouse end. Whiteley fired a fraction wide then a really smart three-man inter-passing move down the right was only worth a corner. 

Ben Steer was still proving a handful at the other end, forcing Allan into a smart save after cutting in from the left with a replica move of how he set up the Tavistock goal.

Generally, Bash were in control, however, and Bungay wriggled clear of the back line, only for keeper Dearing to race out and block the shot. 

The keeper had no answer, however, on 71 minutes when Bungay brilliantly wrong-footed two defenders to create and opening, and this time rifled it well out of Dearing’s reach to put Bash in the lead.

It should really have stayed that way, because the Black and Gold were clearly in control by now - only to come a cropper on 79 minutes when sub Harry French, newly into the action, took advantage of some hesitation at the back to fire in through a forest of legs.

Sub Mitch Speechley-Price then thought he had scored his first goal since returning to the Bash, cutting in from the left and netting from a sharp angle - but he was disappointed by a late and harsh linesman’s flag. 

Luckily it didn’t matter. It was another sub who was to win the day. With the 90 minutes of regular time up, Bash went storming forward in numbers and forced a scramble in the Tavvy penalty area. 

When the ball broke loose to Charlie Wagstaffe 25 yards out, he took careful aim over the pack of bodies in front of him and measured his chip perfectly. It beat everyone, hit the bar, bounced down - let’s say, over the line (!) - but anyway, spun decisively into the net off the keeper’s back.

Sometimes in football the margins are that thin. Had the ball stayed out after hitting the bar - it would have needed VAR to be sure - and not hit the keeper, the game would have been drawn, and Bash would have two less points in the bank.

As it is, come the end-of-season tallying up, this might well have been a decisive moment in the whole campaign. Let’s hope it is!

So although Charlie Wagstaffe’s experience - and perhaps just a weeny bit of good fortune - won it, in many ways it was a night when the young stars shone brightest. Charlie Wooding, Mack Allan and Scott Bungay, three teenage stars of the future, between them contributed two goals and a crucial penalty save.

The Bash now move on for one of their toughest assignments yet, away to division newcomers Helston. The Cornish side have started really well in their first season at this level and sit even more comfortably than Bash in the play-off positions.

THE remarkable thing about Bashley this season is that they have been able to hover around the play-off zone without ever having what would be potentially their strongest eleven available at the same time.

In this game, like so many others, there were at least three influential first choices missing, in skipper Steve Walker, and midfield dynamos Luke Holmes and Charlie Wooding.

On top of that, it also turned out another of those frustrating games where "everything happened at the wrong time.”

After a first half in which they had to weather some pressure, it looked as though Bash would go to the break level - even perhaps a little fortunately - only to fall behind in the last minute of first half added time. 

And just when they had a head of steam in the second half in search of an equaliser, the Farmers ploughed up all hope of a recovery with a second goal 20 minutes from the end.

Bashley’s defensive unit again had a new look. Steve Walker was completing his suspension, but Dan Walster was fit again to replace him. However, in yet another example of how availability has been this season, Walster and recently-returned Rob Flooks were playing together for the first time at the heart of the back line.

Likewise the full-back combination of Harvey Bertrand and Josh Bertie were also part of the same starting back four for the first time.

In midfield, Lewis Ross returned to skipper the side after missing out on the Aldershot game, but the influential Luke Holmes was still on the injured list and Charlie Wooding also missed out. 

Up front another new combination, Brett Williams and the returning Mitch Speechley-Price. Recent injury doubts Conor Whiteley, Scott Bungay and Jamie Webber all made the bench, alongside Jamie Arnold and Sam Gadsby.

Amidst so many team changes, the need to familiarise in the early stages has been an ongoing factor for Bash in recent weeks, and again they took time to get into their stride. 

The Farm won the game’s first corner after five minutes but it was easily cleared, and when the home side came again Josh Bissett’s skill in getting through from midfield was not matched by a high and wide strike.

A midfield stalemate followed until 15 minutes when Dan Dodimead carved another chance for the Farm, but again the finish was off-target.

Farm skipper George Dowling was next to try his luck, and his powerful effort caused Mack Allan his first real problem. The young Bash keeper found the shot too hot to hold, but pounced on the loose ball before danger-man Louis Britton could get there.

When Bash found their feet, Brett Williams was fouled in full flow. The free kick came to nothing but almost immediately Bash came again and Luke Delaney had the team’s first shot of the day - deflected out for a corner.

Another corner, this time forced by a hasty clearance from Harvey Bertrand’s cross, saw Bash on top briefly for the first time, but they couldn’t capitalise and soon the Farm got moving again and went closest yet to opening the scoring. 

Dowling got a sight of goal from the edge of the area, and didn’t wait to control it, lashing a thunderous volley high towards the top corner. The “Farm hands” were already in the air to acclaim a goal, but Mack Allan launched himself up to tip it over the bar.

Bashley breathed a sigh of relief and then took up the running themselves. Brett Williams started to bother the home defence and keeper Seth Locke had to look sharp to keep out a header from Bashley’s veteran assistant manager.

That resulted in a corner which Locke again pushed over - but when Willo dived into the thick of the goalmouth action again, he was pulled up for a foul on the keeper.

Overall, however, the home side had enjoyed the majority of the play, and in added time in the first half they took the lead. Dodimead’s shot was not dealt with by the Bash defence and Abu Sama’s snapshot from the loose ball went in off a post.

Overall it had not been a happy half for Bash, who had Lewis Ross, Charlie Wagstaffe and Mitch Speechley-Price all booked for relatively minor offences -m Lewis Waterfield also saw yellow later. 

Manager Dave Lewis changed the attack for the second half, with interval substitutions bringing on Jamie Arnold and Scott Bungay - teenage youth replacing the experience of Brett Williams and Mitch Speechley-Price.

And Bash - now going down the slope - were quickly out of the blocks, soon winning the first corner of the half. That came to nothing, however, and when play switched quickly to the other end, Mack had to move sharply to tip behind an effort by Dodimead.

When Bashley started to get moving again, Bungay became prominent. He had one strike on goal saved, then another blocked, with Jamie Arnold unable to keep the follow-up header on target.

For the first time Bash mounted a serious spell of pressure, and Arnold was again in the thick of it, racing clear one-on-one but losing out to keeper Locke. When Bash moved in again Bungay got in a decent cross, but Locke was first to it. Then Delaney thought he was clear, but the lino had other ideas.

Conor Whiteley came on to replace Wagstaffe, making a third attacker - but just when they smelled an equaliser Bash suffered again at the other end.

Dodimead had been a danger all afternoon and when he was given a sight of goal on 70 minutes he took aim and buried his shot in the corner out of Allan’s reach. For the home side it was perfect timing because their lead had started to look in serious jeopardy.

So they might have been going down the slope, but it was now distinctly uphill for Bashley with caution going out of the window as they tried to find a way back into the game.

Harvey Bertrand ventured upfield to try his luck, but his shot went wide from a promising position - and soon the Farmers were on the march again, Mack doing well to field a corner under pressure. 

Lewis Ross also tried his luck, but it went wide, then Delaney again lost out to the Lino’s enthusiasm. Ross then had to show his skills at the other end with a great saving tackle which might have prevented a third goal. 

The Farm then took out an insurance policy with one substitution per minute through the four added minutes to hold out, in the end, comfortably. 

It might well have been a different story if Bash had managed an equaliser to that first goal, but now Dave Lewis and his men have a week to re-group for next Saturday’s date with Bishops Cleeve at the Veho Community Stadium (3pm).