ROYAL Wootton Bassett manager Sam Collier said his side could have scored eight in their 5-3 thriller against Stonehouse in the Hellenic League Cup on Saturday.

Bassett are through to the next round of the level nine and ten-step competition after a brace from Brad Pagliaroli and one each from Chris Jackson, Harrison Lea and Mani Roper secured their safe passage through to round two.

The cup victory was Bassett’s first win in any competition this season after their four previous games had finished in two draws and two defeats.

But after a brief scare at 2-0, Collier felt his side were never in any danger of not securing a maiden victory for the season in Gloucestershire.

He said: “We started brightly, we were passing the ball well and we dominated the first 25 minutes until we scored.

“We kept getting in behind and we got a penalty, which Brad Pagliaroli slotted to the keeper’s left.

“Then we scored from a corner, but they’ve pulled one back from a long-range free-kick.

“It was quite windy, and we had our under-18s goalkeeper in, but he probably should have saved that.

“Luckily, we’ve gone 3-1 up through another penalty from Brad and then we’ve blown them away in the second half.

“Once we were 5-1 up, we made a couple of changes and the game got a bit sloppy.

“They scored two late goals to make it 5-3, and that flattered them a little bit. It should have been six, seven or eight really.”

Despite putting five past their opposition, the trio of goals conceded was the aspect of proceedings that most caught the attention of the Bassett manager.

Collier was unhappy at his side’s sloppiness in the final third of the game and called for an improvement in standard when they return to league action at the end of the month.

He said: “We’re still disappointed to have conceded three. We got a little bit sloppy in the last 20 minutes when the game was dying down and it almost became a bit like a pre-season friendly.

“I was certainly pleased with the first 60 or 70 minutes, and the performances of the young lads that we put out there.”

Elsewhere in Hellenic League Cup action, Fairford dumped New College out courtesy of a 7-1 thumping while Shrivenham fell 3-2 at home to Moreton Rangers.

Malmesbury Victoria lost 1-0 away at Bishops Cleeve and Swindon Robins were hammered 8-0 away at Westfields.