ROYAL Wootton Bassett striker TJ Bohane scored a first-half hat-trick to help his side record a 3-1 win over struggling Tuffley Rovers in the Hellenic League Premier Division.

In what manager Sam Collier described as ‘very poor conditions’ in Gloucester, Bohane scored a penalty and two free-kicks to complete his treble and set Bassett on their way to a sixth game unbeaten in the league.

Tuffley’s Henry Birkett had opened the scoring, courtesy of an excellent long-range effort, however, Bohane’s efforts meant that Town left with all three points.

Bassett stayed fourth in the table, but manager Collier was left frustrated at their slow start and felt the scoreline should have been even more resounding.

He said: “It was a really pleasing result in the end. Conditions were very poor; the pitch was wet, and it cut up quite quickly.

“We were against the wind in the first half and went 1-0 down to a sloppy goal that we gave away.

“Their lad finished it nicely and we just wanted to stay in the game while we were playing against the wind, but we managed to score three quick goals and head in at half-time 3-1 up.

“We managed the game perfectly well in the second half, but in theory, we should’ve had six or seven goals. With better finishing, we would have won even more convincingly.

“It wasn’t just the strikers, it was all over that we were a little bit sloppy in front of goal.

“Having said that, Tuffley didn’t cause us any problems in the second half. Our keeper, Charlie McCready, didn’t have a save to make in the second half, so it was just a case of us keeping the ball and getting the victory.

“We haven’t started well in quite a few of the games recently and that was the case again.

“Luckily, we got back in the game through a penalty and then we kicked on from there and controlled the game for 70 minutes or so.”

Elsewhere, Fairford Town went down 4-1 at Wantage Town.

Danny Gudger got the sole goal for the visitors in the first half.

Shrivenham saw their scheduled trip to Reading City postponed because of the wet weather.

It was another tough afternoon for Division One West bottom side Swindon New College as they were thrashed 16-0 away at second-placed Kidlington Development.

There was better news for Malmesbury Victoria as they won 5-2 at Tytherington Rocks.