1:40pm Thursday 11th March 2010
By Dan Barnes
ALEX Kite praised the character of his Bluebirds teammates after Chippenham Town produced a late comeback to beat Truro City 2-1 on Tuesday night and stretch their unbeaten run to seven matches.
After trailing for most of the second half, Chippenham rallied with goals from defender Kite and Lewis Powell to claim all three points.
“It was a brilliant result and I think it shows the team spirit and the attitude that the boys have got here,” said Kite.
“When you’re one-nil down, heads can drop but that didn’t happen and we kept working and got the result we deserved in the end.
“It’s always nice to score a goal but I would’ve liked to have kept a clean sheet because that’s my job – the goal is a bonus.”
Manager Adie Mings was again forced to watch the game from the stands after being sidelined with illness.
Kite went close in the first-half, shooting just wide, whilst Truro keeper Martin Rice saved well from Luke Gullick’s close-range effort.
Ian Gill then showed great reflexes to save from Andy Watkins after he was put through by Marvin Brown.
Six minutes into the second half, the visitors should have been ahead.
Brown found himself unmarked in the area with the whole goal to aim at but shot straight at Gill, allowing the Bluebirds goalie to tip over.
However, the Truro midfielder’s blushes were spared when a goalmouth scramble ensued from the resulting corner, with striker Watkins nodding the ball home to give his side the lead.
Chippenham went close with a corner of their own, with Kite’s header striking the crossbar. Alan Griffin nodded just over from a Scott Lye corner and it looked as though Mings’ men would struggle to find an equaliser.
But on 78 minutes substitute Sam Allison’s cross caused chaos in the Truro area, allowing Kite to poke the ball home to level the scores.
The equaliser invigorated Chippenham and five minutes later they netted the winner.
Patient build-up involving Allison and Lye allowed James Martin to float a ball into the box.
The visitors let the ball bounce in their own six-yard box and striker Powell was on hand at the far post to nod home and score his 16th league goal of the season.
Substitute Ben Highmore had the chance to make it 3-1 late on when he was sent racing clear by Martin, but the striker failed to test Rice in the Truro goal.
Goalscorer Kite, on loan at Hardenhuish Park from Bristol Rovers, revealed after the game that his own future is uncertain at the moment.
“Originally, I was meant to be here for a month but I’m in my third and last month here,” he said.
“Unfortunately, three months is as long as we can do it for, so I’m here until the end of March.
“D-day at Rovers is coming up soon so we’ll have to see what happens there.
“A few more clean sheets and a few more goals before I leave would be fantastic and it would be great to help push the lads into the play-offs.”
Chippenham travel to local rivals Swindon Supermarine on Saturday.
The strugglers from up the M4 lie second bottom in the league but have won twice at Hardenhuish Park this season, winning 1-0 in October and 2-1 in the Wiltshire Premier Shield last month.
Ashley Williams and Greg Tindle could return after their suspensions whilst Shaun Lamb is a doubt with an ankle injury.
Danny Wring has a virus and is also doubtful for Saturday’s clash.
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