No cheer for hungover Bashley against bottom-of-the-table Amesbury

Sydenhams Premier: Bashley FC 0-3 Amesbury Town

BASHLEY FC surprised their supporters with a sluggish performance in a 3-0 defeat against a revitalised Amesbury Town who have spent the first half of the season firmly at the bottom of the league.

Amesbury, who were buoyant from the start, could have taken the lead immediately had they made better use of a free-kick from the edge of the box.

Bashley came back quickly, and Harry McGrath appeared to have scored when breaking in from the left, but his effort hit the side netting and was also deemed offside.

The visitors made light of the heavy conditions and squeezed Bashley at both ends of the pitch. Any inroads from Bashley were curtailed by sound defending and the home side’s lack of penetration.

Ten minutes before the break, Amesbury took a deserved lead when a slightly weak free-kick taken by Bradley Doyle drifted over the defensive wall and ended up in the far corner of the net.

Any thoughts of a Bash revival ended 10 minutes after the restart when experienced defender Zak Pickett headed home from a poorly defended corner. Stung into action, Bashley threw themselves forward.

A Brad Strickland effort went wide, Cameron Beard hit the bar with a header and a Harry Morgan chance fell straight into the arms of Jordan Tewkesbury, the Blues’ underworked keeper.

Harry Bunce, still suffering from his recent bout of flu, was replaced by Billy Cooper and the pressure continued without ever seriously threatening the visitors’ goal. A breakaway in the final minute left Jack Francis free to score and complete Bashley’s new year misery.

Bashley now sit 12th in the table and face Downton in the Bournemouth Senior Cup tonight.

Bashley: Kempson, Browning, Smith, Thompson, Strickland, Morris, Ross, Bunce, Morgan, Beard, McGrath. Used sub: Cooper.