CHIPPENHAM Town recorded their first points on the road in a rousing match on the south coast.

With front men Alan Griffin and Dave Gilroy both injured, Chippenham chose to play a 4-5-1 formation, with Ashley Williams moving to centre back and the plan worked a treat.

However, initially, the large number of travelling fans must have thought they were suffering from déjà vu as for the second game running Chippenham were awarded an early penalty, only to concede an equaliSer inside ten minutes.

Before the second minute had elapsed Lee Phillips, who ran his heart out up front as the lone target man, was brought down in the box by Dan Woodward.

The referee pointed to the spot, but the kick was delayed a further two minutes as Phillips received treatment.

With Griffin, who succeeded with penalties against Cambridge City and Hitchin, not available it was left to Luke Ballinger to send impressive keeper Nathan Ashmore the wrong way to open the scoring.


Gosport replied on 10 minutes with a free kick from Justin Bennett that took a wicked deflection off the defensive wall, wrongfooting 17-year-old keeper Conor Thompson, who impressed on his debut.

The lively Steffan Gaisie proved a handful to the Bluebirds with his pace, but his shot from a quickly-taken free kick went wide while at the other end Ashmore did well to repel Ballinger’s stinging shot.

Gaisie was again off target for Gosport before Chippenham were awarded their second spot kick on 34 minutes when Ashmore brought down Scott Lye.

The decision was initially dismissed by the referee, as Lye was running away from goal, but his assistant was adamant and perhaps explained how yet again the Gosport perpratator escaped with no card as Ballinger fired home the spot-kick.

Gosport hauled themselves back a second time just before the hour mark when Shaun Lamb lost possession to Woodward who raced into the area before firing a crisp shot across Thompson.

Gaisie then volleyed over with only the Chippenham keeper to beat.

On 65 minutes Dean Griffiths replaced Lye who was suffering from a dead leg and two minutes later the substitute thought he had opened his Bluebirds account when he headed home Steve Casey’s free kick, only to see it harshly ruled out for offside.

Justice was done six minutes from time when Griffiths played a through ball to Phillips to the right of the area and he sent a delicious chip over the advancing Ashmore to net the winning goal and put smiles on the faces of the large Chippenham contingent.

Chippenham: Thompson, Harvey, Lamb, Williams, Osman (Kite 86), Casey, Ballinger, Rogers, Lye (Griffiths 65), Guthrie (Egan 76), Phillips.

Subs not used: Barnes, Randhawa
Referee: M. Derrien (Dorchester)
Assistants: D. Berry (Fareham), L. Marks (Portsmouth)
Attendance: 260
Yellow cards: Guthrie – dissent, Griffiths - foul

MORE CHIPPENHAM TOWN NEWS, REACTION & PICTURES IN THIS THURSDAY'S GAZETTE AND HERALD.