12:00pm Thursday 18th March 2010
By Dan Barnes
THE Bluebirds were left rueing missed chances as they were held by struggling local rivals Swindon Supermarine on Saturday.
Adie Mings’ men started brightly and rattled the woodwork twice in the opening five minutes.
Striker Shaun Benison hit the outside of the post with a curling shot before skipper Ross Adams saw an effort deflected onto the bar just minutes later.
Benison was handed a second chance to give the visitors the lead but he shot high and wide after Supermarine keeper Matt Bulman scuffed a clearance straight to the Bluebirds frontman before Alex Kite also went close.
Four minutes after half-time, the home side took the lead.
Winger Robert Hobbs picked up a cross on the right-hand side of the area before drilling a ball into the six-yard box, allowing former Bluebird Luke Hopper to poke the ball home.
Chippenham pressed for an equaliser and on 60 minutes, their persistence was rewarded when Scott Lye sent a corner to the far post.
Luke Gullick rose highest, sending both himself and the ball hurtling into the net to level the scores.
The midfielder almost grabbed a second minutes later but his shot was blocked on the line by Supermarine’s Gary Horgan.
The home side survived shouts for a penalty when Highmore went down in the box before Lewis Powell sent a header just over the bar after being set up by Danny Wring, but Chippenham were left to settle for a point.
“If we’d taken our chances early on then we could have won the game convincingly,” said the Bluebirds boss.
“We gave away a poor goal to their only shot on target but that’s the way it goes sometimes.
“In a local derby, form goes out the window and credit to the lads for coming back.”
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