DAVE Turner admitted his tactical switch had backfired after watching his Wootton Bassett side eliminated from the Wiltshire Senior Cup at Westbury.

Bassett were level at 0-0 at half time in the last-16 clash but after boss Turner elected to switch to a 3-5-2 formation from 4-4-2, the visitors never carried the same attacking threat.

Matty Bown had seen his shot saved in the first half while Mark Barnes and Ethan Delaney had efforts cleared off the line.

However, Nathan Hallett scored within five minutes of the resumption and a second quickly followed, before Mark Young made it 3-0 to wrap up the victory.

“I’ll take some of the blame because I changed the formation and obviously it didn’t work,” said Turner.

“Their keeper made three very good saves in the first half and we could have gone in 2-0 up.

“I changed the formation because they seemed to have more of the ball, but within 10 minutes we were a goal down. We never looked like scoring in the second half.

“If you are to learn from it you have to look at your own performance as a manager and I’ve had an ear-bashing from the three players in the back of my car.

“I don’t have a problem with that as I’m quick enough to tell them when they make a mistake.

“It’s gone now and we are focusing on a must-win league game against Lydney on Saturday.”

Highworth were also knocked out of the cup after being sunk 2-1 at the Conigre by Melksham.

The hosts took a controversial first-half lead when an offside was not given and the home striker was able to drive low into the net.

Melksham extended the advantage from the spot in the second half after the visiting goalkeeper brought down his man.

Steve Robertson was thrown into the fray and he grabbed a goal back but Highworth were unable to find a leveller.

Worthians manager John Fisher said: “It could have gone either way, they had chances and we had chances. Unfortunately they scored the goals and we didn’t.

“I thought their first goal was offside but even so, we still had a couple of chances to equalise at the end.”

The only local Hellenic side to progress into the quarter-finals was Cricklade, who triumphed 3-1 at Laverstock & Ford, with Jack Allan scoring a hat-trick.

Crick now face a trip to Shrewton in the next round on January 19.